Resturants are learning from ISPs... additional "fees" attached to bill?

[Spydermag68]

A restaurant near me started to charge 3% for all credit cards. I paid the bill at the table in cash. Checked the bill and the 3% was still on the check. I took it to the owner since he is always there and made a complaint about the charge. I fixed the "accidental" overcharge and tipped 3% less in cash.

 

[Shmee]

Yeah I am not a fan of extra fees. But if I go to a restaurant, I don't mind if they have to raise prices a bit, as long as they are upfront about it, and don't try to hide them. I know one of my favorite places, Chili Garden, has gone up in price a bit, but the favorite dishes still have the same large portions.

On a side note, anyone who eats a cat or dog, well, lets just say, I don't want to get too political on what should happen to them, but I am open to extremely harsh punishments. So please don't talk about that here, it really makes me angry. I am usually against the death penalty in general, but for some cases, like someone who is a cat serial killer, it may be warranted.

Anyway, sorry for the politics, but I really don't like cringe bag humans who think they can hurt someone like Mango (he is my current cat)

Back on subject, I also ordered doordash earlier, but it wasn't too bad, but then I found a promo for 50% off the food price. Saved $12.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Don't you live in low income housing? What the fuck are you doing ordering delivery from less than a city block away?

Whoa, somebody's triggered. Let me remind you, we've been in Pandemic-induced lockdown for the last two years. The Covid is still raging out there.

 

[Kaido]

and New Haven isn't cheap

Have you been to Zenili's yet? Right across the street from Pepe's:

Zeneli

www.zenelipizzeria.com

The 3 brothers are super nice guys...great pizza, great pasta, and they make this ricotta-honey-walnut toast that is pretty dang yummy lol. It's not New Haven-style pizza though, it's Neapolitan, so they're not competing with Sally's or Pepe's. I stop in every chance I get lol. Usually I'll dine in at Zenili's & then get a Quattro Formaggio 4-cheese from Pepe's to take home. Dangit, now I'm hungry lol.

 

[Kaido]

tbh this is a big reason why I cook at home. However, cooking is a chore & it hurts my ADHD brain lol. That's why I like easy modern appliances the Instapot & my fancy computer-controlled toaster oven:

Meet my $600 toaster oven

TL,DR: This is a cool new oven that (1) automates cooking to (2) give you perfect results. It's expensive, but 100% worth it if you want to save money by cooking at home & eat delicious food all the time without really trying. This is an Easy Bake Oven for Adults lol. This is basically Sous...

forums.anandtech.com

Plus you an get an amazing Ooni for a few hundred bucks these days to make truly incredible pizza at home:

Pizza Ovens | Ooni Pizza Ovens

Discover the next generation of pizza ovens with Ooni — outdoor wood-fired and gas ovens, and an electric indoor oven designed for perfect results every time.

ooni.com

But, it requires effort, and food-delivery services make it way to easy to feed my low-energy brain lol.

 

[Captante]

Have you been to Zenili's yet? Right across the street from Pepe's:

Zeneli

www.zenelipizzeria.com

The 3 brothers are super nice guys...great pizza, great pasta, and they make this ricotta-honey-walnut toast that is pretty dang yummy lol. It's not New Haven-style pizza though, it's Neapolitan, so they're not competing with Sally's or Pepe's. I stop in every chance I get lol. Usually I'll dine in at Zenili's & then get a Quattro Formaggio 4-cheese from Pepe's to take home. Dangit, now I'm hungry lol.

I have not.... will check it out. 🙂

 

[Kaido]

I have not.... will check it out. 🙂

I'm usually not like a fancy toast person, like avocado toast is pretty meh to me, but their homemade ricotta on top of toast with honey (usually comes with walnuts but my date was allergic!) is A+, it's like biting into a warm summer day haha:



Simple yet amazing pasta. iirc they make 100% of the pasta in-house:




Neapolitan pizza, soft as a pillow:

 

[Captante]

My "go-to" for Italian that isn't pizza in New Haven is Consiglio's although I rarely go out for it... usually I'll make it at home.

Really I find most Italian cooking fairly simple to replicate provided you can follow the recipe... pizza not so much!

Thing is the "character" of flavor imparted by the massive nearly 100 year-old coal-fired brick pizza oven as in the New Haven Pepe's is something well beyond my ability to reproduce! (and also why the Pepe's "alternate" locations just don't measure up to the original)

😛

 

[mindless1]

On a side note, anyone who eats a cat or dog, well, lets just say, I don't want to get too political on what should happen to them, but I am open to extremely harsh punishments. So please don't talk about that here, it really makes me angry. I am usually against the death penalty in general, but for some cases, like someone who is a cat serial killer, it may be warranted.

Anyway, sorry for the politics, but I really don't like cringe bag humans who think they can hurt someone like Mango (he is my current cat)

Think it's a bit different when talking about loved, domesticated pets, versus excessive packs of scavenging feral dogs or cats... that would eat you, if they could manage. Seems more about being raised in a 2nd/3rd world region where it's about culling or poverty.

Then there's context. I'd eat goose if it were placed in front of me at a restaurant, but I wouldn't any of the dozens that are in my back yard. No desire to eat dog or cat though, but if SHTF and it's them or me, it's them.



Extra fees do rub me the wrong way, seems like a deceptive practice when they could just include this in the listed price, and this applies to many industries, not just restaurants.

 

[Kaido]

Thing is the "character" of flavor imparted by the massive nearly 100 year-old coal-fired brick pizza oven as in the New Haven Pepe's OTOH is something well beyond my ability to reproduce! (and also why the Pepe's "alternate" locations just don't measure up to the original)

I've been to all of the locations in CT....the OG location with the vintage coal-fire oven has the magic; you're right - the others simply don't measure up!

Pre-pandemic, I went to Lombardi's in NYC for the first time, which (supposedly) holds the title as American's first pizzeria, a la 1905. They let me check out the oven in the back (man was that area HOT!) but sadly, the pizza was pretty meh lol. If I'm in New York, I'm going for Patsy's pizza!

 

[Captante]

I've been to all of the locations in CT....the OG location with the vintage coal-fire oven has the magic; you're right - the others simply don't measure up!

Pre-pandemic, I went to Lombardi's in NYC for the first time, which (supposedly) holds the title as American's first pizzeria, a la 1905. They let me check out the oven in the back (man was that area HOT!) but sadly, the pizza was pretty meh lol. If I'm in New York, I'm going for Patsy's pizza!

I used to work about 500 feet up the street from the Fairfield location which I believe was the first franchise. It's pretty good compared to other pizza places in FF/BPort but would NOT cut it in New Haven!

I worked in NYC for many years and have tried nearly all the "famous" NYC pizza places. Although I will admit to being a tad biased, I like New Haven style pies the best! (The NH Pepe's is my all-time favorite closely followed by Modern and an "honorable mention" goes to Zuppardi's in West Haven)

 

[JEDI]

Lawyer sues Romano’s Macaroni Grill over $2 ‘inflation fee’

Romano's Macaroni Grill has charged a $2 “inflation fee” since the spring in a move that the chain says was to avoid rising prices.

www.kold.com

'...deceptive and unfair'

Faria says the best way to account for higher costs is to raise menu prices to cover them. Her class action lawsuit says the fee was not disclosed in the restaurant, by servers or on the menu. It only showed up as a menu item on receipts.


thats one way of trying to stop the ever increasing list of fees/surcharges on your bill.