I've been disappointed that since the pandemic so few restaurants are open for lunch.

I am always happy to learn when Restaurant Week is so I can avoid.

You’ll get nothing and like it !

Just got back from Buddakan for restaurant week.

Buddakan is still banging after all these years

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I feel like Restaurant Week started as: “look at what our chefs are capable of when given a limited menu; every restaurant in this city can flex with a little time and a prix fixe” and each year since it’s comprised here and there so, nowadays, it’s more like “let’s see how many people we can get in the doors, through a 3 course meal, and out the door every 45 minutes.”

Rip off Waste of money. Crappy small portions.

chinatown is always there for me

I mean that’s what it’s forced to become - have you ever worked one? Every cheap jamoke with a yelp account comes out of the woodwork and if you can’t accommodate them all then yr screwed - it’s also not at all what you think it is if you think that that’s how restaurant week started. It’s a business boost during slow times of the year for the restaurant industry.

you're exactly right. It was commodified, and instead of being an event like experience to spotlight local businesses it became budget shoppers way of getting a night out. Which I'm ok with in one sense, but when you work at one of the best restaurants in the city (which I did) and have to deal with people (Penn students and suburbanites mostly) making ridiculous demands and not understanding the point of the service it's maddening. I can't tell you how many times upon greeting I'd say "have you dined with us before?" and the response would be "yes last restaurant week". It was clear that the intention of building new clientele to bring back and see what we really did just didn't work.

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Pietramala -New Vegan restaurant Nolibs.

Highly rated, looks good.

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Chinese town never sleeps. My friend lived near there and we’d get lo mein or dumplings at 7am when we were hungover af. Ahh, good old days

Yes, your last sentence sums it up perfectly. It was a teaser. “Here’s 4 apps, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts. Once you pick your jaw up off the floor, we’ll see you in a few weeks for the full experience.” But, nope, now it’s just packed and pushy for ten days downtown.

No, I’ve never worked in food and bev. It makes sense that it’s timed about now, the post-holidays-days-but-before-the-paychecks-have-stacked-up-a-little-nest-egg days. I had the best meal at Osteria during restaurant week a few years ago, but each place I’ve tried since has felt like I’m on a carousel in 5th gear and, if I don’t get off quickly enough, I’m a Bad Customer

These comments make me love where I live even more.

Thanks for this. Always looking. Would love a vegan option with beer. TMoms vegan wings are good and all but I need variety and don’t eat tater tots

And THE WORST TIPPERS imaginable come outta the wood work. I worked for 15 years in restaurants and any time its a special early bird menu or a restaurant week menu or a valentines day menu, the people seem to be the worst tippers ever. I have a day job now, but I do a little Uber driving on the side, and again, the people I’m driving around during restaurant week are THEE WORST TIPPERS STILL!!! And in the car they reveal themselves. They talk about their plan when getting driven to the restaurant. They talk about ordering expensive drinks for the taste, saying they don’t like it, and then ordering another. Assholes man.

I never worked food and bev, but tipping has always started at 20% for me. Since the pandemic, 25% as long as I’m sure it’s all going to the driver (for delivery) or server (in-person dining). And, a little bragging, I just finished law school and I’m taking the bar in February. Hopefully that leads to an income that will allow me to dine out and such more often. My plan is to tip more as I make more. I’ve been going to the same barber since I moved into the city in 2014, and I’ve tipped more as I’ve moved jobs even though her prices have stayed the same.

But a $20 fee to BYOB.

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Monster vegan. Probably the best vegan restaurant in town that serves alcohol.

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Today I learned 2 people dropping 80 bucks not including drinks or tip on a meal makes you a cheap jamoke. Glad I know how to cook .

where I work generally each person spends about 70-85 a person, so it’s a significantly diminished bill. And that’s the case for most of them. If you don’t care for the economics of the restaurant industry, which have been fairly static for the past ten years adjusting for inflation, do everyone involved a favor and stay home.

I don’t drink. I’m pretty sure the fee is to deter table hogs.

I don’t need to stay home just because some obnoxious person on Reddit told me to because I have dozens of places to get a great meal for a quarter of that price.

Triangle tavern in south!

Oh yes, "very static" when you don't account for the "supply chain issues" raising the price on literally everything during the pandemic, and then staying that high.

I know there were actually some issues, but not enough to double the price of chicken or raise menu prices 30% across the board

I went to Buddakan last night for RW and it was wonderful and completely packed. I hadn't been in years and it will be back on my list. Fun, cool spot.

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Yeah I love going out to eat but damn it is expensive. It's getting harder and harder to justify the price

I did the foodie thing in my 20s and 30s racked up 40k in credit card debt just smoking drinking eating good and partying. I don’t think I ever had 100 dollar tab with just food and no booze though .Had a kid and had to stop the Yolo life, learned to cook and only go out once or twice a month now. Sometimes I wish I put that money towards the principal of my house instead but I can’t say I didn’t have a good time.