{"id":297,"date":"2012-05-28T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-28T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/how-to-bribe-your-way-into-a-new-york-restaurant\/"},"modified":"2018-11-14T13:45:23","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T13:45:23","slug":"how-to-bribe-your-way-into-a-new-york-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/how-to-bribe-your-way-into-a-new-york-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Bribe Your Way into a New York Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How<\/div>\n

How Serious Are You About Breaking ‘Bread’?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some things never change. A dozen years ago, Gourmet<\/a><\/em> conducted an informal study of how far a pocket full of cash can get you in a crowded New York City<\/strong> restaurant. If you\u2019re on vacation, this can be your one ticket to an incredible dining experience \u2013 otherwise, you could be stuck trying to score reservations before you even book your airline tickets<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Getting into hot restaurants on busy nights during peak dining periods may seem next to impossible, but it can be done, apparently, if you grease a few palms. I\u2019ve only done this once, and it worked \u2026 but only after a bit of post-cash pressure as a reminder to deliver on a service promised. Your results will differ among restaurants, but if there\u2019s a menu you\u2019re desperate to try, bribing your way into the restaurant is an option.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at Gourmet\u2019s<\/em> recommendations (along with a little color from me):<\/p>\n

1. You need to show up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think of every clich\u00e9 you\u2019ve heard. Most of life is showing up. You miss 100 percent of the shots you don\u2019t take. You can\u2019t win if you don\u2019t play. Well, they actually have some meaning when it comes to the New York restaurant scene. If you\u2019re timid and can\u2019t bring yourself to try slipping the host a $20 (or sometimes a Benjie), you won\u2019t get a table. You need to \u2026 as they say \u2026 step up to the plate.<\/p>\n


\n2. Dress for success<\/strong>
\nNo, wearing your best jeans does not count. You need to look like you\u2019d fit in: don a suit, maybe sans tie. For a bit more comfort, go with a great pair of pants and a jacket. I\u2019m not about to make recommendations to the ladies; I\u2019m woefully ill-equipped. But, I\u2019m sure you know what to do.<\/p>\n

3. No shame in your game<\/strong>
\nDoes it feel dirty to bribe somebody? Do you wonder if you\u2019re going to be judged? The advice from Gourmet<\/em> about feeling ashamed is straightforward: \u201cThey don\u2019t. You shouldn\u2019t.\u201d If the host turns you down, you won\u2019t get into the restaurant anyway. Leave with your dignity; you\u2019ll never see that person again anyway.<\/p>\n

4. Keep your finger on the trigger<\/strong>
\nYou want your money ready for the handoff before you show up. Fold it into thirds or fourths before slipping it into your pocket, and make sure the amount is visible. You want the bills to be small enough to evade the detection of other waiting guests, and you want your target to recognize it immediately. Having experimented with both thirds and fourths, I recommend the former: it will be easier for you to grasp in your pocket, causing less fumbling when it\u2019s time to slip it into the host\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

5. Go right to the top<\/strong>
\nThe person in charge will be best able to help you, and the position of authority does not necessarily entail immunity to bribery. If necessary, ask for the top dog. There are some things the waiter may not be able to get done for you, but the boss can make it happen.<\/p>\n

6. Pin him or her down<\/strong>
\nTrying to exchange cash in front of witnesses won\u2019t get you anywhere. You\u2019ll likely be rejected, and you might wind up inspiring higher bids from the other guests who are stuck in limbo. In the end, all that\u2019s assured is that you won\u2019t get what you want. Get a one-on-one conversation away from the ears of your dining competitors.<\/p>\n

7. Seeing things eye to eye<\/strong>
\nDon\u2019t look at the money! That simply telegraphs your move to everyone around you. Instead, look your target in the eye while you gently press the bill into his or her palm. Be fast and smooth.<\/p>\n


\n8. Place your order<\/strong>
\nTell your target exactly what it is you\u2019re trying to buy, for example, a better table or a shorter wait. Give a reason, Gourmet<\/em> recommends, \u201cThis is a really important night for me.\u201d This will make you seem less like a snob and more like you\u2019re depending on your target for serious help.<\/p>\n

9. Give thanks as you leave<\/strong>
\nDid the host turn down your tip but deliver the \u201cservice\u201d you were looking for anyway? It wasn\u2019t a freebie! Make sure you visit the host on the way out and pay the extra tip.<\/p>\n

10. Seal the deal for the future<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you plan to visit that restaurant again, get the host\u2019s business card. Next time you want to go to that restaurant, call him or her directly, and bypass the masses.<\/p>\n

Don’t forget to ‘Like us’ on Facebook<\/a><\/strong> for exclusive travel deals! <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

photo: stevendepolo <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Serious Are You About Breaking ‘Bread’?   Some things never change. A dozen years ago, Gourmet conducted an informal study of how far a pocket full of cash can get you in a crowded New York City restaurant. If you\u2019re on vacation, this can be your one ticket to an incredible dining experience \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97201168,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions\/97201168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}