To Owen: No, I have not polled all the residents. But, there was a feature in our local paper recently. Also, as a professional involved in many civic and charitable organizations, I know lots of people and it is a topic that has been discussed. And yes, we do have some establishments that automatically add a gratuity got parties of 6 or more.

Well, as far the original question goes, I'd say no, the Carnegie isn't really all that. But then I don't care much for kosher deli food. That would probably be on the bottom of my dinner list, and NYC, as I'm sure you know, has a very long list of types of cuisine. There are all kinds of restaurants that do prix fixe pre-theatre dinners. Why not try one of those?

and those dinners are close to the same price as a sandwich at the Carnegie Deli

OK, I'm still confused.

Out here in the hinterlands, they hit you with a sharing charge when one person orders food and the other doesn't. So if one ordered a sandwich and the other ordered soup, there's no sharing charge. Or should there be a charge if one takes a sip of the other's soup?

On the waitress-diplomacy front: We get along pretty good out here, so I think I can answer. All the waitress has to do is say, "I'm sorry, but management has a strict policy that if you give a morsel of your meal to another diner, I must add $4 to your bill."

Truth is, the Carnegie Deli, like other tourist traps, knows it can treat people like dirt because there's no worry about repeat business. That pretty much defines "tourist trap."

You have to be joking " Carnegie Deli" a tourist destination/trap. It is nothing more than an overpriced deli come eatery which has little going for it except that its opposite Carnegie Hall and beside the Omni Hotel.
There is nothing wonderful about it nor is the food very good - from a score of 1 - 10 it would rate a 1

Who's joking? About what?

By the way, us folks out here in the hinterlands know that the correct usage is "deli-CUM-eatery." (Whatever an "eatery" is.)

Joke - that the Deli could be called a tourist trap
Eatery - so sorry that I didn't use your words for an explanation - I was being International not local.
If I said that the place was nothing more than a third rate deli would you understand that Hayseed?

"Eatery" is "international"? Now, that's a joke! Picture someone on Rome going up to a local and saying, "'Scuse me. Can you tell me where the nearest eatery is?" (You couldn't do it in Italian because there's no word for "eatery" in Italian.)

Actually, "eatery" is nothing more than an attempt at snob appeal, and its use marks a person who relies on high-falutin words to cover a severe inability to use language clearly. Even bad newspapers have stopped using it.

Yeah, "third-rate deli" works fine, even out here in the hinterlands, where we're not so international.

Eatery in the English ( NOT AMERICAN) language is accepted internationally Hayseed and perhaps if you were not someone with a bit of straw hanging from his mouth in the sticks you may have travelled more and seen that for yourself.
Has it every occurred to you that your bloody minded attitude with its aggressive stance is just the reason why people get called the "ugly American"

All right, that does it! All you hayseeds stay away from the Carnegie Deli! You're more trouble than you're worth. Stay at home and shop at Target or eat some more corn, whatever it is that you do.

Well! Look at the pot calling the kettle black. "Bloody-minded"? Whew! Lookin' for ugly? Just check the mirror.

And go back to the Europe board, willya.

By the way, does anyone know where you can get good deli in Des Moines?

Hey Manhattan Guy, what do you have against Target???