Possibly to reduce speculative "overbooking" and excessive cancellations. Why do airlines limit themselves to booking one year in advance (330 days), and not two or three? Why are seat assignments often limited to shorter timeframes?
[Those are rhetorical questions. I am aware of equipment changes, and as a former RSR at UA SFORR, I know about the "benefit" during the days when computing was in its infancy of not needing a "year" field.]
When demand greatly exceeds supply, any system of rationing will cause frustration. As long as they establish a procedure, and follow it honestly, I don't think a customer has any real ground for complaint.
They're doing the best they can. Would you prefer that they simply "ration" demand by raising prices [even more?] outrageously?
My response to being unable to get what I want is one of the following. (1) Try harder. (2) Decide that if it seems so impossible to get, maybe I should try something else right now.
The latter seems sensible in this case if there has been a shortfall in service standards due to the restaurant's extreme popularity.
Perhaps by waiting a few months or years until the "trendiness" has died down, you'll get a better dining experience. You're taking a risk that the chef will move on or something, but perhaps that will be offset by a new personal culinary find (on the road less traveled) elsewhere that actually is a better fit for you.
It makes no sense to get upset or bitter, or to "kill the messenger" (the folks at the restaurant who implement the necessary rationing scheme).
You can't always get what you want.
[But if you try, you just might find, you get what you need.] (Apologies to the Rolling Stones.)
See The Hoary Platitude Thread.
http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/006502.html
So I have a question for the epicures, concerning the linked menu.
Originally posted by RS:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Here's the menu so you can figure the price yourself. You'll enjoy it plus it's near Ghiradelli Square.
</font>
I presume this means that for the Gary Danko four-course meal, I would skip one of the five courses listed: Appetizers, Fish and Seafood, Meat and Game Birds, Cheese, or Desserts.
Is it my choice, not the restaurant's, which course I skip?
I presume one selects one of the 7-9 items listed for each course?
[UBB edit.]
[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited 02-09-2003).]