I don’t know about you, but if someone asked me to choose between baseball or foie gras, it wouldn’t be too long before I’m comfortably sitting at a quaint restaurant savoring the delectable French delicacy and saying, “Yankees, who?” But that’s just me.
This week New York restaurants are feeling the heat when it comes to losing their Yankee fan customers. Some of the most exclusive high-end restaurants are empty during games and they are assuming it has something to do with their lack of sports.
“It’s a great night to call in and snag that 7:30 p.m. reservation,” David Burke, owner of the Townhouse on East 61 Street says, acknowledging his establishment’s disadvantage may come from not owning a single television. “A certain percentage of those that go to the game are customers of mine, damn Yankees,” he jokes. Last night when the Yankees played, the gourmet restaurant had 80 reservations. The night before, sans Yankees, Burke reports more than 150 reservations. The ensuing battle between baseball and fine dining is certainly turning out to be quite the show of personal preference.
Burke notes that, should the Yankees make it to the 2010 Series, he may set up a few TVs and offer a “ballpark-inspired menu of mini-hot dogs.” As a fan of foie gras and fine-dining in general, I beg Burke to reconsider—there must be others like myself who would love to fill his dining room while baseball season is here, preferably without the constant buzz of a sportscaster screaming plays through the big screen.
Maite Arguelles, general manager of Milo on West 55 Street seems to agree with me. “In the ‘90s we were always down because of the World Series, and now we are seeing it again. Some customers have asked for private rooms with a TV, but we don’t do that. We are a fine dining establishment.” Amen.
On the other hand, New York City sports bars love the start of the season, and so they should. As a firm believer of “there’s a time and a place” for everything, sports bars are great places to enjoy a game with a beer and a burger. To each his own; and there’s no harm in enjoying a quiet dinner before passing by the local sports bar to catch the score on your way home. After all, it’s one thing to love foie gras in New York; it’s another to be completely clueless about the Yankees. It’s all about balance.
Via: New York Post
