lizzie, we moved from NY 3 years ago..while I love my new town, I do get homesick..mention of Red Cat did it this time :)

All the more reason to come back and visit!

We use Open Table for the convenience -- beats making a phone call.

However, if you need to, don't forget to cancel a reservation or they'll send you an email telling you that they can revoke your priviledge. :)

You don't have to join to use it. We don't go to reservation-type restaurants that often, so we probably wouldn't gather enough points anyway. I just like the convienience of reserving online. I've used it 3-4 times.

~Liz

I use OpenTable all the time everywhere we go, not for the points, but for the web links, convenience, and being able to find what IS available for a specific date/time without having to phone. Great if you want a 5:00 reservation, as your search eliminates places that don't open for dinner until 6:00. Also handy for finding late dining times.

I have learned over the years, however, that many top restaurants never make prime time (7-9, for example) available via OpenTable when they may very well have a table at that time if you phone. One such establishment told me they participate with OpenTable only to fill non-prime times, as prime times are always filled by phone well in advance.

OpenTable has also become more sophisticated. Holidays are more fine tuned than every, so you can determine which places are open on Christmas Day, for example, and whether there is a "special" menu is indicated.

I'm a big fan of Open Table and use it at home as well as when traveling. I currently have a $100 certificate to use at any of their restaurants, and can now redeen another for $50. I have used it enough that now I am listed as a VIP member and that shows to any restaurant where I book. What that means is that I seem to get great tables and sometimes a complimentary drink or dessert. This morning in San Francisco, I was thinking maybe we'd go to Alioto's for lunch, so went ahead and booked it on Open Table. When we got there at 12:30, the place was full, but they were holding a window view table for us. Nice benefit in my opinion.

Mostly you get 100 points per reservations, but they do a lot of bonus points of 1000 usually for very early or late seatings. Since we eat after theatre we do a lot of those 1000 late bonuses. It takes 2,500 points for a $25 certificate -- so just two and a half bonus dines gets you that.

The few timse I went on to opentable to make a reservation (NYC dining), nothing was available at the restaurant. I'd call the restaurant and get a reservation without any problem.

I use it frequently. It is invaluable in Naples in season. I always use it for New York as well.

Yesterday, about the time I was posting my message above, I also booked a reservation for last night here in SF at the delightful "neighborhood" Antica Trattoria. When we arrived there was a bit of a seating problem with another couple also with reservations checked in just ahead of us, but "no on is leaving" problem -- 8:30 reservation. While the nice hostess asked us to wait, and poured us wine while we were waiting (maybe 15 minutes), she quietly told us not to be upset that she was seating the other couple first -- as she was putting them at the little table near the kitchen door, and was holding a larger, much nicer table which was about to be vacated for us -- clearly when I peaked at the reservation list, we were marked "Open Table VIP". Sure worked for us again last night.

The answer to my question:
<i> If a restaurant (a very, very tough place to get a rezzie) at Open Table only takes reservations 2 months in advance (and not a second before!)should I log on at 12:01 in my time zone, the time zone the restaurant is in, or the time zone Open Table is in ???
</i>
Well, I tried at 9,10, &amp;11:01 PM (PDT)
last night and it wasn't until 12:01
PM (PDT) That the reservations opened up and YIPEE !! WOO-HOO !! WE GOT A REZZIE !!!! Anyhoo, the answer is
the time zone the restaurant is in
(Yountville)and in this case the time zone that Open Table is in (San Francisco).

R5

French Laundry R5? Hate to bring it up, but how did things with the dog workout. Poor mr R.

I can vouch for how great Open Table is for holiday dining in New York. We have been in NYC for the last several Christmas holidays, and we have used OT extensively for various holiday meals. It has been great for us; we didn't have to hunt through phone books and websites to find holiday openings.

I use open table all the time--a great launching point for finding restaurants in a new city and so much easier than trying to call the restaurant. I've gotten excellent times (most between 7 and 9 pm) in Charleston, NYC, Seattle, Vancouver, SF Bay Area, Las Vegas, Chicago, LA. And, it seems like the service is always kicked up a notch when our reservations are through OT.