Seacow/MEATliquor (main section)

[sheff]

"Why else would ML put seats in the window so people can be stared at whilst they eat? The Palmerston also has that vibe of stare at me whilst I'm sat outside drinking wine, as does Franklins, and any number of restaurants dotted along the lane"

I can imagine an architects conversation when planning the layout... "So, where are we going to put the look at me seats?" FFS

Or it could just be that they are trying to cram as many covers into the small spaces available and also to make use of outside space when the weather is good.. Or even that nowadays its not uncommon to eat alone and window/bar seats serve that need very well...

Jesus wept....

[DulwichFox]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I spoke to Scott and I think he thought M.L.

> was

> > probably not for me. As I understand it they

> have

> > no real ale

> > or other draught beers. I may well be wrong.

>

> Well, you only usually find cask ale in pubs. But

> yes, I didn't notice any draught lager either.

Well yes.. Scott knows I drink real ale and probably though ML was not for me.

I was not expecting real ale to be honest.. But even your average Curry house manages to put up some draught lager.

Both require glasses and bottled beers are mostly drunk out of the bottle.

Foxy

[JohnL]

sheff Wrote:

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> "Why else would ML put seats in the window so

> people can be stared at whilst they eat? The

> Palmerston also has that vibe of stare at me

> whilst I'm sat outside drinking wine, as does

> Franklins, and any number of restaurants dotted

> along the lane"

>

> I can imagine an architects conversation when

> planning the layout... "So, where are we going to

> put the look at me seats?" FFS

>

> Or it could just be that they are trying to cram

> as many covers into the small spaces available and

> also to make use of outside space when the weather

> is good.. Or even that nowadays its not uncommon

> to eat alone and window/bar seats serve that need

> very well...

>

> Jesus wept....

There was an expose a year or so ago where waitresses

were told to put attractive people in the window seats.

I'm in the older group now - but go wherever my mood takes me

however when I was young I never went to nightclub opening nights

as there were always fights :)

[Earl Aelfheah]

welcome back Louisa.

[LondonMix]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Some people though, do

> actively go to certain places to be seen, and

> unfortunately ED seems to have said people in

> abundance.

>

> Louisa.

What on earth could you be basing that wild assumption on. Can you tell just by looking at someone if they fall into the genuinely curious bucket or the out to be seen brigade?

Anyhow, LL is hardly the place to see and be seen. For Christ's sake, Lordship Lane isn't Coachella!

[LondonMix]

I actually enjoy Louisa's wind-ups. If she wasn't here, what could I use to distract me from the mountains of work I should be doing :)

Back to it now after a suitably entertaining break

[DulwichFox]

Loisa wrote..

Some people though, do actively go to certain places to be seen, and unfortunately ED seems to have said people in abundance.

Thats true in one way.. There are places deemed places to go to or be seen in.. but most of the people doing so

are very ordinary and not very intersting.

I am a great fan of the slightly eccentric type.. I sometimes dress in a manner that could be classed in that way.

However I would not do so in places deemed good to be seen in. What a waste that would be..

What happened to Intrigue .. Masque .. Mime.. Theatre.. The Medieval Pub .. Banquets.. Sawdust ..

Foxy..

[camberwell70]

The Medieval Pub?

[Sue]

Louisa Wrote:

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>Why else would ML put seats

> in the window so people can be stared at whilst

> they eat?

I've heard it all now.

Erm, perhaps because people like to look out of the window? I do. I like to see what's going on. I expect other people do too.

We sat in the window so that we could watch the passers by. We were hoping to see people we knew and say hello, as we did when we sat in the window at John The Unicorn. Sadly on Saturday we didn't, and in any case the window was closed so we'd have had to get up and go outside to say hello.

We didn't notice anybody staring at us. We did see a lot of passers by looking in to see what the place is like. We did the same when we first passed by.

We usually go for a window seat if there's one free, wherever we are eating and/or drinking. Plus, there's more light at a window seat.

And so far as sitting outside the Palmerston or Franklins is concerned, if the weather is nice and there's a table free which isn't near smokers, we like to sit outside as well. Doing it in order "to be stared at" has never entered our minds, and without wanting to speak for anybody else I'd be surprised if it has entered anybody else's minds either.

Ale, Foxy - they have a very nice lager (Hobo) and some nice craft beers, which they will be changing from time to time. We had things we hadn't had before and it was all good, though rather more than you'd pay for a pint of Adnam's, or whatever you drink.

I can't see there's much point in serving real ale when there are so many pubs within such a small area all serving it already. Plus the wastage would be horrendous if hardly anybody was drinking it, aeven assuming they had the facilities to keep it properly.

[DovertheRoad]

Massive Lolz at the posts above.

Onto more practical matters - are they on Deliveroo yet? Having another burger place to add to the five already on it would be wonderful.

[DulwichFox]

I would not of thought Burgers travel that well.

DulwichFox

[Jeremy]

Burgers travel OK, I think. Better than pizzas, which are much nicer fresh. Or fried chicken.

[Louisa]

Sue I know you have the best intentions when you say you like to "look out the window", but honestly, did you go the ML because you were curious to try it, or because you wanted to be seen sat there by the window, so people could see you sat there? Did you request the window seats? I am genuinely curious how people's minds work. I just don't see why anyone would want to sit in the window of a restaurant with a view of a bus stop, busy junction and not much else. It's hardly the hanging gardens of Babylon you're facing out onto.

I do think some people enjoy that risqu? aspect of being part of the crowd, seen in certain places. It's almost a mild form of attention seeking. Some may not even realise they're doing it, or want to confess.

Louisa.

[camberwell70]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Burgers travel OK, I think. Better than pizzas,

> which are much nicer fresh. Or fried chicken.

Yes, pizzas are much better fresher but frozen pizzas travel further...

[DulwichFox]

Not ALL burgers travel well..

http://1funny.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/tall-burger.jpg

Foxy :)

[Sue]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Sue I know you have the best intentions when you

> say you like to "look out the window", but

> honestly, did you go the ML because you were

> curious to try it, or because you wanted to be

> seen sat there by the window, so people could see

> you sat there? Did you request the window seats? I

> am genuinely curious how people's minds work. I

> just don't see why anyone would want to sit in the

> window of a restaurant with a view of a bus stop,

> busy junction and not much else. It's hardly the

> hanging gardens of Babylon you're facing out onto.

>

>

> I do think some people enjoy that risqu? aspect of

> being part of the crowd, seen in certain places.

> It's almost a mild form of attention seeking. Some

> may not even realise they're doing it, or want to

> confess.

>

WTF?

We had a choice of seats and we chose the window seats for reasons I have explained above. The view is irrelevant. We usually see people we know in Lordship Lane.

I spent some of the time reading a sewing machine catalogue. Really cool.

And of course we bloody went there because we wanted to try it.

I was in old clothes, unwashed hair and glasses. Hardly what I'd wear to "be seen".

You really do seem to have very strange ideas, and I'd prefer it if they didn't involve telling me why I do things.

Thanks.

[Louisa]

Sue Wrote:

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> >

>

> WTF?

>

> We had a choice of seats and we chose the window

> seats for reasons I have explained above. The view

> is irrelevant. We usually see people we know in

> Lordship Lane.

>

> I spent some of the time reading a sewing machine

> catalogue. Really cool.

>

> And of course we bloody went there because we

> wanted to try it.

>

> I was in old clothes, unwashed hair and glasses.

> Hardly what I'd wear to "be seen".

>

> You really do seem to have very strange ideas, and

> I'd prefer it if they didn't involve telling me

> why I do things.

>

> Thanks.

Sue you've made me point for me. You said you wanted to be seated by the window so you could see if people you knew walked by? If you are going for a meal why would you be interested in seeing people, or communicating with people you may know outIde of the restaurant? Forgive me here, but what a peculiar thing to want to do? Why would you want to do that? Doesn't this make my point for me? Not saying that's why you did it, but it hardly backs up the idea of why people eat in restaurants to enjoy the food!

Louisa.

[Sue]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > >

> >

> > WTF?

> >

> > We had a choice of seats and we chose the

> window

> > seats for reasons I have explained above. The

> view

> > is irrelevant. We usually see people we know in

> > Lordship Lane.

> >

> > I spent some of the time reading a sewing

> machine

> > catalogue. Really cool.

> >

> > And of course we bloody went there because we

> > wanted to try it.

> >

> > I was in old clothes, unwashed hair and

> glasses.

> > Hardly what I'd wear to "be seen".

> >

> > You really do seem to have very strange ideas,

> and

> > I'd prefer it if they didn't involve telling me

> > why I do things.

> >

> > Thanks.

>

> Sue you've made me point for me. You said you

> wanted to be seated by the window so you could see

> if people you knew walked by? If you are going for

> a meal why would you be interested in seeing

> people, or communicating with people you may know

> outIde of the restaurant? Forgive me here, but

> what a peculiar thing to want to do? Why would you

> want to do that? Doesn't this make my point for

> me? Not saying that's why you did it, but it

> hardly backs up the idea of why people eat in

> restaurants to enjoy the food!

>

If you are trying to deliberately wind me up, congratulations,you are succeeding.

We are all different. Why not rejoice in that fact instead of expecting everybody else to be like you?

[Louisa]

I'm not trying to wind anyone up! I'm simply trying to make the point, however peculiar it may seem to some on here, that people eating out to be 'seen', isn't some odd thing I've made up on here. Some people, particularly the 'cool kids', or 'part of the furniture' brigade, do indeed get a kick out of eating/drinking/socialising in new venues because it gives them some sort of ego boost, or feeds some undertone of attention seeking. I'm not saying this is what you do Sue, and I'm not saying everyone who eats in a new venue is doing so for that reason, BUT to deny that it does happen is ridiculous!

Louisa.

[Robert Poste's Child]

What's the 'part of the furniture brigade' - how do you know when you see it?

[titch juicy]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not trying to wind anyone up! I'm simply

> trying to make the point, however peculiar it may

> seem to some on here, that people eating out to be

> 'seen', isn't some odd thing I've made up on here.

> Some people, particularly the 'cool kids', or

> 'part of the furniture' brigade, do indeed get a

> kick out of eating/drinking/socialising in new

> venues because it gives them some sort of ego

> boost, or feeds some undertone of attention

> seeking. I'm not saying this is what you do Sue,

> and I'm not saying everyone who eats in a new

> venue is doing so for that reason, BUT to deny

> that it does happen is ridiculous!

>

> Louisa.

What's happened to make you think this?

Most peculiar.

[Louisa]

titch juicy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Louisa Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I'm not trying to wind anyone up! I'm simply

> > trying to make the point, however peculiar it

> may

> > seem to some on here, that people eating out to

> be

> > 'seen', isn't some odd thing I've made up on

> here.

> > Some people, particularly the 'cool kids', or

> > 'part of the furniture' brigade, do indeed get

> a

> > kick out of eating/drinking/socialising in new

> > venues because it gives them some sort of ego

> > boost, or feeds some undertone of attention

> > seeking. I'm not saying this is what you do

> Sue,

> > and I'm not saying everyone who eats in a new

> > venue is doing so for that reason, BUT to deny

> > that it does happen is ridiculous!

> >

> > Louisa.

>

> What's happened to make you think this?

>

> Most peculiar.

It's not just me who thinks this though, other perfectly rational locals on this very forum have reported back on this peculiar phenomenon. I think Foxy as an example has mentioned it before too.

Louisa.

[Louisa]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> What's the 'part of the furniture brigade' - how

> do you know when you see it?

You just do RPC. Often they can't be distinguished from the rest of us, but every so often you'll just notice when they're around and about. A good example would be the 'types' personally invited to grand openings before the rest of us. Or even worse, the 'friend of a friend' out of towners who jump transport to the grand opening of a place they only found out about yesterday via a pretentious friend who has connections.

Louisa.

[Seabag]

This thread is brilliant

Most restaurants need new punters, and there is the rub. So there's a soft opening period where it's usually 50% off, & there's a crowd who follow these discounts and get in first, they often pull strings to do it. It fills the place and kickstarts the business.

So for 2-3 weeks it'll be mobbed, by this crowd. Many will know 'someone' who'd been or going, it's how it works. Think about the release of a new film, or art show, some like to go to these. Restaurants are essentially new venues, showing off what they do and the same crowd who enjoy 'new things' go, they love it, anticipate, want to be there to talk about how nice it is.

Much like the sun shining after a dull spell, like spring flowers and lambs, like new cars and espresso capsules . Like M&S ready meals and new drinks, like new fashions and babies.

People often just relish the thrill or shock of the new.

This can apply to hamburgers too.

The rest is just gas, and a grumbling resentment from those not getting enough of 'it'

[Robert Poste's Child]

I'm familiar with what Seabag said; Louisa's observations confuse me sometimes I must confess...

Louisa, have you thought about signing up as a mystery shopper? You can do these kinds of critiques and get your meal paid for, plus a small fee on top.