Would eat at a restaurant that required a $75 p/p cancel fee for New Years Eve in Philly? Buddakan vs other restaurants...
 

We just made reservations at a restaurant in Philly for New Years Eve with our 12 year old daughter but they sent this fax for us to sign and fax back:

"New Years Eve 2006 Credit Authorization" We didn't have to do this 2 years ago. It's pretty harsh...

"Please let this letter serve as my formal written authorization and approval for you to charge the below described credit card for any and all charges and costs associated with the seats that are being held on my behalf during the New Years Eve Celebration as Buddakan. This letter shall constitute my express written permission for you to charge the below listed credit card any charges incurred the day of the event. Furthur I understand that the final count is due 72 hours in advance and that I will be charged a rate of $75 per person for each guest if I fail to cancel by 5pm on Thursday Dec 28, 2006, or if I do not show on Sunday Dec 31 2006"

Wow! What if our kid gets sick on the 29th... We're out $225?! That's nuts. We rarely spend more than $75 for a meal out for the 2 of us as we usually split an entree, appetizer, soups, salad and dessert. Adding our daughter in won't add up to more than $120 for all of us at the most I'm guessing. Do you think the above policy is fair and that we should subject ourselves to it? Usually a place will let you cancel by the evening of the event, but ... 4 days in advance? What if something comes up last minute and we can't go, a family emergency?

Not too happy about this. Maybe we should just book Buddakan for the 29th and find another place for New Years Eve. I doubt they have this policy for the 29th too, right? If so, any suggestions for New Years Eve where it's not a prix fixe expensive deal?

Part 2: We're coming to Philly for 3 nights first staying at the Four Seasons on Dec 29th, then the Marriott Courtyard Downtown the next 2 nights. We ate at Buddakan 2 years ago for New Years and really loved it, eating around 630pm and enjoying the regularly priced menu as opposed to other place with prix fixe inflated extravaganzas. We don't drink nor do we eat a ton of food, so set price menus don't usually work for us. We are early to bedders so it worked out great eating early. We're taking our very picky 12 year old girl with us for the first time to Philly and thought she'd get a kick out of it. The night before we picked D'Angelo as she likes Italian. I hope they can make her a simple Italian pasta with red sauce as she doesn't eat any meat or seafood or eggplant.

The night before is open. She doesn't eat any ethnic really, just pizza, pasta and well, pasta. She likes salad now too and the occasional vegetable. Any suggestions? We wanted to check out Django, Cuba Libre, Matyson and a whole host of other places but there's really nothing on the menu for her.

Thx in advance. I posted this on a food website but they retracted the post. If it's inappropriate here as well, my apologies.

Steve R
Silver Spring MD

steve, yes I would do this.

Obviously no show reservations have been a problem in the past and it really costs restaurants money when people don't show.

They are trying to find out who wants to eat there and who is making tentative reservations 'just in case'.

Yes. I would do this.
If you are not interested, book elsewhere.

I see nothing wrong with the New Year's Eve policy of Buddakan. It's not harsh at all, but rather it gives the restaurant the protection against last-minute cancellations on what is expected to be a sold-out evening.
I would think that any similar-type "worthwhile" establishment would have a similar policy on New Year's Eve.

Stever: With all the wonderful restaurants in Philly to choose from I wouldn't book something I was uncomfortable doing. Have you looked on opentable.com? You can check a lot of menus there. I don't see why your post would be considered inappropriate. I think some regular Philly posters here will come and give you some more ideas.

These are pretty common nowadays at high end restaurants for big nights like NYE and Valentine's Day.

Agree with previous posters. This is par for the course in Chicago on the big celebration days/evenings, as mentioned above.

If you set on taking your "very picky" daughter to this restaurant - maybe they are open for lunch and you can take her there instead of New Year's Eve dinner.
One more thought...if they are charging $75 p/p cancel fee, what is the meal actually going to cost?? You say your rarely spend more than $75 a meal for you and your wife. Are you willing to pay the tab at this place IF you do go? Dinner prices there run $30 -50 normally p/p so you are surely looking at more than that for NY Eve. And will your daughter even find anything to eat if she is that picky?

I'd make plans elsewhere where I didn't have to worry about being charged cancel fee. Philly has so many wonderful places to eat, I wish I had that problem! As always, IMHO.
Debi

Buddakan is great. If they offer the "angry lobster" special, do not miss it.

(And while I despise such demands and generally refuse to comply, NYE is a special case.)

we ran into a similar situation for the first time this year for mother's day brunch. if you don't like it, go somewhere else.

It's pretty much common practice around here..except that they will take your credit number when you make the reservation.

Thx alot for the generous replies and sorry for the miswording in my title leaving out the word "you".

As for the money spent, we usually split a steak, a large salad (they are huge there), a soup or appetizer, a dessert, etc. We rarely order 2 entrees as we don't eat that much. That's why our food is hardly ever $75 per person.

After mulling it over we've decided to book the 29th instead at Buddakan and will have to research for a non-credit card hold place for New Years Eve.

Hmmmm... now that's going to interesting trying to find a good one where our 12 year old picky eater will be happy and there is still an excellent buzz about the place AND doesn't have a "special" New Years menu.

Steve R

Not sure what their NY Eve policy is, but they have great food and music:
WarmDaddy's, great rbis, mac & cheese, fried chicken. http://www.warmdaddys.com/info.htm

Hope this helps...
Debi

Why is it "harsh" for a restaurant to ensure that there won't be any no-shows on NY Eve? You have the option of canceling a few days out. Many people book 2 or 3 places & then decide night of where they prefer to go.

We live in northern NJ, and the restaurant where we go every NY Eve has recently adopted the same policy. It is not unusual.

With that size of a tab, they will be glad you aren't there on NYE. Hope you enjoy the trip!

Good one, starsville. :o)

Well... debitNM - I checked out that menu but I think we better find another Italian restaurant in Philly. She loves Italian.


Suerich68 - I called the policy harsh because it is to me. I can see no cancels within 24 hours, but 72 hours? That's not allowing for a reasonable time period in my book, but that's just me. With a kid involved, it wasn't worth the risk.

We're excited to eat there on the 29th then at Buddakan and hopefully our girl can find something to eat! The caesar salad was delicious last time.

Steve R

Stever,
I can certainly see your point. And you have the option of not booking there.

However, I am in the hotel/restaurant business, and by allowing a 24-hour cancel policy, they will have empty tables on 12/31.

I only have one problem with their agreement.

I can understand the $75 cancellation. However I would not want to authorize "any charges incurred" in advance.

Should there be any surprise or disputed charges, I would not want to have waived my legal rights....just my opinion

<This letter shall constitute my express written permission for you to charge the below listed credit card any charges incurred the day of the event.>

This is quite common for New Year's Eve or Thnksgiving or other holidays - since people make plans so far in advance. If something happens (not THE RESTAURANTS fault) and you don;t show up - it's very unlikely they can use the table for someone else. (And they're really protecting themselves against people who make reservations at 3 or 4 places and don;t decide where to go until the last minute - forcing the others to lose money.)

It really seems fair to me. but - if you don;t like the policy you can go elsewhere.

PS: Why would you even consider taking a 12-year-old girl who's a picky eater out for a $75+ meal?

I tend to agree with Howard... 12 year old picky eaters don't belong at fancy restaurants at all, certainly not on NYE.

When I was 12 I certainly was not taken out for a fancy night on NYE. Isn't that what sitters are for?

I was thinking the same thing about taking a picky 12 year old to a top rated restaurant on NYE, but didn't want to say it for fear of being slammed. I realize that you are in Philly from out of town and don't want to leave daughter with strange babysitter [or worse yet, alone] but why don't you go out for a really nice lunch on 12/31 and then have room service for dinner? Or even more fun: get some great food from Reading Terminal market and have an indoor picnic to celebrate NYE.

And you also mentioned she doesn't do ethnic...isn't Buddakan <i> asian </i> food?

Debi

Another point to think about is that they probably have a different or set menu for New Year's Eve that could be well in excess of $75 per person. Many restaurants change their menus and up their prices for new years eve. That is why I stay home for new years eve dinner, or find a place that isn't going to gouge me.

I have done my time with picky eater children---26-year-old daughter STILL picky--and would have to say that any restaurant with an expensive prix fixe menu on NYE would not be a good choice. You will be bound to feel it &quot;wasn't worth it&quot; or was overprived, but really, that is pretty common practice for NYE and why a lot of people don't like going to restaurants that night.

My husband and I ate at Buddakan yesterday and it was one of the best meals I have ever had.
We have a 14 year old son who is not a picky eater(he has been eating sushi since he was 4)and loves to try new foods,but Buddakan would be a little to much for him.

Steve, I've heard that the best homemade pasta in the city is at Penne near the Penn campus (3600 Sansom Street). Check out the menu at Jones, Stephen Starr's comfort food diner-type restaurant. Also, on Rittenhouse Square there is Rouge - they have a great hamburger.

Definitely try the Naked Chocolate Cafe at 13th &amp; Walnut. That's new since you last visited, and if your daughter is anything like mine, she will find something she likes here. Right around the corner, at 13th &amp; Sansom, is Capogiro, a wonderful gelato place. Finally, if you are down in Old City and want some ice cream, there's Franklin Fountain at 116 Market St. It's a new &quot;old-fashioned&quot; ice cream parlor.

Where is D'Angelo's? I know L'Angolo, a BYOB in South Philadelphia, and wondered if it was the same place?

Thx Suki and others. Yes, I meant L'Angolo as the Italian place we picked.

Also, we don't spend $75 p/p when we go out. Buddakan is not priced fixed so we can order off their regular menu. I doubt we'd spend more than $120 for dinner for the 3 of us. We spent $75 for the last New Years Eve at Buddakan. I cancelled NY Eve there and booked it for the 29th so now we have to find a NY's place to go that isn't a set menu.

I checked Penne but it doesn't seem to have any simple red sauce dishes like we like. It's ultra gourmet and we need simple :o). The dessert place looks great, though.

In my opinion, 72 hours cancellation policy is stiff for New Years. I don't care what the deal is or how fancy the restaurant is. It's still, to us. So it'll be my goal to find a restaurant without this policy. Bringing food from the Reading Mkt into our room sounds great but we want to go out for New Years.

We certainly don't want to go out without our daughter! She's the whole reason for us going to Philly as she's never done Philly with us, only on a boring class trip from he**. Leave her in the room with a sitter? Uh, no. We love her. We don't drink so it's not like we're going to partying our a**es off or anything, it's just a dinner out on the last night of the year.

Over and out.

Steve R

PS - So much for $75 p/p credit guarantees and set menu requirements for New Years Eve in Philly. We just booked (Hooooray! Hooraw! Yippee kayo kayay) ... are you ready folks?

Matyson http://www.matyson.com/dinner.html

And yes, they will actually, yes, actually put together a simple little vegetarian meal for our 12 year old, something like a rice dish with veggies. She'll be happy.

Yowza.

Steve R

Since when does a 12 year old need a babysitter? When I was 12 I WAS a babysitter - and perfectly capable of taking care of little kids (but not tiny infants).

Agree not to take a 12 year old out for an adult New Years Eve festivity - whether she's a picky eater or not. Are you in Philly from out of town? (I understand not wanting to abandon her in a hotel.) Or couldn't she spend the evening with friends?

That's great, Steve. Have a good time!

mrlou and I would like to share the mushroom gnocchi, the beet salad, and the steak frites! Good for you stever!

I agree that 72 hours is pushing the envelope. I understand their need to do this, I just don't like it.

Only once did I have to fax a contract for a dinner for 8, at Charlie Trotter's at the 4S in Vegas. At the time, due to no holiday, and being that night, I found it absolutely absurd. In addition, I found the food, fine, not wow, and the service just so so. When you are lingering over desert and they open bottles of water for no reason.....alas another thread....

nytraveller: Yeah, we're from Washington DC and it's a family vacation that we'll be on. The 1st is the Four Seasons Philly, the last 2 Marriott Courtyard downtown Philly. The whole point of taking our daughter with us IS to bring her on New Years Eve. We adore her and she likes to go out with us. We only have her on the weekends so it's a treat to have her.

She lives with her daddy during the week as her school is next to his home. We got here weekends and New Years Eve is the weekend. We WANT to bring her - that's part of the fun for us. We could have done an adult trip and not brought her. We did that 2 years ago. She's thrilled to stay at a Four Seasons and use their pool. She's thrilled to spend New Years out for the first time with her mommy and ... me, Mr Stepdad.

Why is New Years eve for adults only? I don't get that. We don't drink, we eat early (7pm) and we'll be in bed by 11pm. We're 46 years old and don't party till 3am anymore :o). We specifically want to share this eve with the kid.

Thx for the positive comments over our pick of Matyson. They were so nice over the phone and never mentioned a deposit of any kind, nor were they booked up or even close. They were totally accomodating and we look forward to their presumed great food. Not sure what the ambiance will be... It certainly won't be a scene like Buddakan would have been but so what, right?

Steve R

Have a great time and give us a report when you come back. We have always spent NYE with our kids. They grow up too fast and are soon going away to college (like next year! BooHoo, or is it Yea?!! I keep going back and forth)

Hi stever, a stepdad that enjoys having his stepdaughter with him enough to share NY Eve with her. Fantastic IMO! I am glad you found a restaurant that will work for the three of you. So may I wish you an early Happy New Years!

Good for you stever! A 12 year old girl is hardly a child and I know your family will have a fun NYE in Philadelphia. Eating together is one of the things that makes a family vacation so special.

Here here. Thanks, folks. I will post a trip report then when we return.

Steve R

I understand there being a cancellation charge for New Years for the myriad of reasons stated above. I also understand wanting to spend new years with your family. I spent many, many new year eves with my family even into my teenage years (there are six of us), however, they never involved restaurants, usually they involved a lot of take out pizza, homemade confetti, and for some reason, grocho marx movies.

However, I don't understand taking a picky 12 year old girl to an expensive restaurant unless she willing to try to be a bit 'less picky'. I wouldn't wonder if it might be a bit more fun for the entire family if all of you just went somewhere that all of you were comfortable, there is plenty of time after the 'picky years' to go live it up and fancy restaurants without concerning oneself with the dietary restrictions (self imposed or not) of their children.

I'd probably go with the 29th and so something a little less 'high pressure' on new years eve.

Wow! I am sure all this parental advice is helping you choose a restaurant. Take a look at Tangerine sometime. My teens loved it but I can't remember if it had any pasta choices.

No, I wouldn't do it, but that's just me. We have generally refused to eat at places that suddenly, on NYE or other holidays, require an expensive prix-fixe or an expensive cancellation fee. That has caused us to move down from some of the more fancy or well-known restaurants, to more neighborhood places, but we've never been disappointed. It's generally less bustling that way, we still get a good meal, get to order what we want and don't go home feeling as if we've been gouged. On NYE, leave these places to the glitterati, club kids and people who need to be &quot;seen,&quot; I say.

Matyson is smallish, well-reviewed and friendly. For what it's worth I'd second the Penne suggestion. It's on the Penn campus and we ate there on what turned out to be graduation weekend. The place was crawling with younger siblings and I'm guessing there was lots of simple red sauce served off the menu that evening :-) It's also in a good location for an after dinner stroll. If you cross Walnut and walk into the Penn campus, you'll find yourself on a charming walkway. On the same block as Penne you'll find:

the Penn bookstore (which is also a Barnes&amp;Noble)
http://upenn.bkstore.com/

the Black Cat (a gift shop in the White Dog cafe) http://www.blackcatshop.com/

and Urban Outfitters
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

There is a Lucky Strike bowling alley on Sansom, which is a lot of fun.
http://bowlluckystrike.com/

Happy New Year! Are you going to the Mummer's Parade?