I think “oyster wine” and “ham wine” are also fairly insulting to the diner’s intelligence. As Charlie says, it’s almost certainly the case that the obfuscation is there to help increase markups. Homie don’t play that.
Bruce
Wow, this is easily the most annoying useless arrogant obnoxious stupid offensive insulting confusing and downright weak wine list I’ve ever seen.
I got a better laugh out of the craigslist posting than I did the menu, or anything else today for that matter.
P Hickner
It’s nice to see they’re putting wine at the service of something.
So in light of the CL post, is the whole thing just orchestrated to generate some level of publicity for the restaurant then? $50 coffee at the end plus the “ham wine” would lead one to believe it was just one giant, purposeful joke… as weird as that may be.
That is by far the most pretentious, unhelpful, flat-out stupid wine list I have ever seen. I would never eat there based on that alone.
Holy cow! What’s up with the corkage? 30 for the first two bottles, then $50 thereafter?
Protecting the markup on the wines on the list, that’s what’s up with that…
Bruce
Typical LA corkage policy for new restaurants. Some are even doing 1 btl at $50 and that’s all you can bring. Then they have the same shit lists like this restaurant. It’s pretty maddening, but it’s not really a loss as I just choose not to go to those restaurants.
But per usual, it’s one of those, who do you know kind of things. If you know the somm/wine guy/manager they’ll waive your corkage… allow you to bring btls etc. One great example, we walked into a rather popular italian joint in Los Angeles. The manager at the time was giving us all kinds of shit for bringing in more than 2 bottles of wine for a table of 6. My friend who made the res had spoke to another manager who ok’d it. The manager on staff was giving a hissy fit saying “oh did you really speak to him? he’s not here so i can’t validate it with him” etc etc. Just in general being a real dick. Then walks in the 6th person of our table who is ITB in restaurant circles, manager instantly recognizes him and tells us it’s no longer a problem. Typical shit.
To risk shooting myself in the foot… I kind of like it.
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It makes the customer talk to someone about wine. This is something that most customers do not want to do, but in the right place it would make their experience better if they did. I have liked experiences when I have been to Bar Covell (no wine list- also been a few years) and Le Baratin (no list). Talking with the somm / servers led me to wines I would have never ordered.
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Though probably tough for non industry people- There is an industry / insider element to it- I know most of the names / books of wine that the people who are featured on the list sell. I like to support people I know.
Though not as fancy, this is kind of how I order wine anyhow- (talk to someone or recognize wines that are sold by that someone I know)
A list like this tells you nothing about the wines and far more than it should about the people behind it. Typical hipster poseur onanistic obscurantism.
I’d prefer no list to this. If you want to encourage me to have a chat with the Somm to pick my wine, that’s great and I could easily see a no list, let’s talk being a fun way to select wine for the evening. This not so much. Then again, I only recognize one so perhaps it’s just that I feel excluded from the joke.
And btw, what is a wine rave?
Google it and prepare to go into shock
Oh C Fu … I went to the google and found this - The Wine Rave Is a State of Mind
What a sorry event to call a rave.
So you kind of like the idea of forcing the customer to have a conversation (s)he doesn’t want to have, because you know they are better off that way and just don’t know it?
No, I am sorry, I can’t agree with that even a little bit.
Not to mention, it had almost nothing to do with wine either.
P Hickner
If the restaurant thinks they will create a better experience for the guest by encouraging the conversation- I like the idea.
No one is forced to eat / drink there and real customers will decide if it works or not.
They’ve got balls.
I have agree with Neal on this one. I don’t go to a restaurant to have a relationship with the staff. And I sure as hell don’t want to need an interpreter for a wine list that is half as clever as they think it is. Maybe it is a generational thing, but it feels like the cool kids trying to keep the uncool out. Not at all inviting. They may have balls but little smarts.
i’m going to use this as an example in the company i’m starting. wow. height of insanity here.
unless they’re just trolling and going for press?