What are you eating?

[samsonlonghair]

Grant Achatz is considering a baby ban at his restaurant.

Interesting concept.

For those not in the know, eating at Grant's restaurant is like getting one on one basketball lessons from #23, and probably just as expensive. If I'm shelling out around $400usd a plate, I say "yes" for the baby ban.

Can we please ban babies at all restaurants?

[ZeroAX]

Grant Achatz is considering a baby ban at his restaurant.

Interesting concept.

For those not in the know, eating at Grant's restaurant is like getting one on one basketball lessons from #23, and probably just as expensive. If I'm shelling out around $400usd a plate, I say "yes" for the baby ban.

Can we please ban babies at all restaurants?

And old people? And people who like praying out loud before eating?

[samsonlonghair]

I cannot tell if you're being facetious or not Zero.

A thirty second prayer has never spoiled my meal, but a crying baby certainly has.

[Luke]

A thirty second prayer has never spoiled my meal....

"Thaaaaaaank God for the Chicken! You didn't have to create 'em but you did!
They got... Two thighs, two breasts, two wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings!
And you didn't teach 'em how to fly"

^Best Grace ever.

In all honesty I'll take a crying baby over some snot nosed kid any day.

I once sat next to a table where a gentleman had to eat his dinner through a feeding tube. Sounded like a vacuum was being turned on every thirty seconds, and although it was super gross, what can you do? Face it: Babies and old people are gross, but they cant help it. Parents, on the other hand, can tell their five year old to act like a human being.

[prfsnl_gmr]

For those not in the know, eating at Grant's restaurant is like getting one on one basketball lessons from #23, and probably just as expensive. If I'm shelling out around $400usd a plate, I say "yes" for the baby ban.

The converse of that is, "If I'm shelling out around $400 a plate, then I can bring my damn baby."

That said...I don't know why this is even an issue. If the chef doesn't want babies in his restaurant, then he should just make it known that they are not wanted there and not provide seating for them. I also don't know who, in their right mind, would want to bring an infant to a restaurant like that; so - unless there is a babysitter strike - I honestly doubt it is a big problem. (In my experience, parents go to restaurants to get away from their children, and as a parent, I usually feel pity for people when their baby starts crying in a restaurant.)

Personally, I would think that cell phones would be a much, much bigger problem, and nothing gets my hackles up quite like someone talking loudly on a cell phone during an otherwise quiet meal. (Babies don't know when they're in a restaurant, and they can't control their crying. Anyone capable of answering or - heaven forbid - placing a telephone call during a meal should know better.)

[Luke]

Personally, I would think that cell phones would be a much, much bigger problem, and nothing gets my hackles up quite like someone talking loudly on a cell phone during an otherwise quiet meal. (Babies don't know when they're in a restaurant, and they can't control their crying. Anyone capable of answering or - heaven forbid - placing a telephone call during a meal should know better.)

The Chef is basically asking "Would a no-baby rule make me look like a jerk?". Not that it matters as you may have to wait years to get a table to eat his dishes served on aromatic pillows (I'm not kidding. The guy puts herbs into a vaporizer and puts the smoke into bags for presentation) but I found it interesting that he asked his customers "Babies? Yes or no?".

I've yet to run into someone using a phone at a fine restaurant, but I do know of something as equally frustrating: Live bands. Or even loud music. If I have to raise my octave above "inside voice" I'm leaving (as long if I'm paying).

In all seriousness I wish restaurants would stop it with the music. There's this thing my family I always did while dining out: talk. Yes; quietness is a sign of good food, but discussing what everyone is eating is part of the enjoyment of dining.

But as my Father taught me, loud music at a restaurant provides the opportunity to mouth words to your waiter/waitress that will drive them mad.

"Speak in a whisper"

[ZeroAX]

To be honest the entire concept of being quiet at a restaurant baffles me. Here food is a social event. You don't go to eat at a restaurant to eat, you go to sit with many friends, eat, drink and talk a lot. Cultural differences I guess.

But I agree infants don't belong in restaurants. Not for the sake of the parents or the customers though, but for the child itself. It reminds me of those awful parents who would take a 3-6 month baby to Disney world.


(and btw I was joking about the prayer thing. I haven't actually heard anyone in Europe ever pray before lunch. and even if they did of course it's their right. It just always baffles me in movies why they do it out loud. Your god is supposed to be all powerful girl, he can hear you when you think)

[Luke]

To be honest the entire concept of being quiet at a restaurant baffles me. Here food is a social event. You don't go to eat at a restaurant to eat, you go to sit with many friends, eat, drink and talk a lot. Cultural differences I guess.

I always welcome casual conversation. It is when babies are crying, kids acting a fool, or even worse when adults talk over each other that puts a wowzers in my trousers. Eating is a social activity, but with any social activity manners should be recognized and followed.

One of the reasons I hate live music is that you can barely hear yourself think.

[Hobie-wan]

Normal conversation level is fine but I don't want it to be like a bar where I have to scream so the person sitting right next to me can hear me. I'm not fond of bars obviously.

[MrPopo]

I have a delicious sandwich of roast beef piled high on marble rye. No condiments, the way a deli sandwich was intended to be eaten.