I have been on this board for many years. Golum, you've been here a month. I am not thin-skinned. But comments on NYC have gotten snarky. This attitude and posting ones posts in a way that puts down the other posters, regarding NYC in particular, has been discussed on other threads recently, so I am not the only one who has noticed it.

There is a way to express your personal opinion in a constructive way, and a way to do it in a snarky way. Comments like Doug's "Honestly, no, not Bryant Park Cafe," are snarky. Saying, "I went to Bryant park Cafe last month and it wasn't so good anymore" has a totally different feel to the person who posted the rec and to the OP." Saying, "I went to La Bonne Soupe and didn't like (insert whatever) about it" is very different than what you said, which puts down the other poster without any concrete information regarding your opinion.

The NYC threads have definitely taken on that snarky tone in recent months due to a few posters who always seem to feel superior. I agree w/panecott, "At the very least, try and have a little diplomacy when you disagree." And I would add, "Try to keep it based on your own experience and deliniate that experience."

Fine.
The food is just average, the service is random and as far as it being something like a French bistro, they serve sangria.

Golem didn't say so, but he's a rebranded long-term Fodor's poster (an honest and funny one, too, albeit opinionated!)

Opinionated? On Fodor's? On the Internet? I stand alone.

Perhaps some people expect all comments to be happy, smiley, and being SO careful that every word is perfectly sensitive.

Sorry if a quick comment is considered "snarky" (what is that anyway). And I didn't mean Le Bon Pain. I know that perfectly well. I have seen La Bonne Soupe in other places - but perhaps not associated with the one in Manhattan. I can't swear - or even identify the airports - since I travel so much they tend to blend together unless very notable.

As for taking you chances - you might easily end up waiting more than an hour to be seated at a decent place.

If the OP can provide a specific budget in $ - people might make recos of places that take reservations.

Can't admit it when you're wrong, eh?

About what I expected.

Go do a triple plunk.

Plotz ;)

Plotz

That is a Jewish chain, where you not beleive the prices.

Triple plotz. It's from an old thread.

Sorry, I did not know about the other thread.

Thanks for all your suggestions. We ended up making a reservation at Nizza on 9th Ave. We all enjoyed what we ordered and had a tasty and reasonably priced lunch.

That sounds good. Nizza is a decent choice for Italian. I'm glad you liked it. I was surprised this weekend when it did not seem quite as busy in the city as I had expected. I had to go to Rockefeller Center, and I was pleasantly surprised. But the restaurants were still packed.