I made it there for the first time today...er...yesterday. I've worked in Morton Grove for 10 years and drove right by Patty's for almost a year and never knew it was there.

I'm going to try to make it back today and I'm bringing the wife on Saturday.

A very nice LTH'er was there and graciously allowed me to sample her ham hash and old potatoes. Thank you, Ursiform! (I hope I got that right - I'm a bit deaf and not sure I caught that right)

RallyMike wrote:I made it there for the first time today...er...yesterday. I've worked in Morton Grove for 10 years and drove right by Patty's for almost a year and never knew it was there.

I'm going to try to make it back today and I'm bringing the wife on Saturday.

A very nice LTH'er was there and graciously allowed me to sample her ham hash and old potatoes. Thank you, Ursiform! (I hope I got that right - I'm a bit deaf and not sure I caught that right)

The Ham Hash (with a mix of old and new potatoes) that I shared with RallyMike. Very nice to meet you, btw, Mike!

As much as I love the ham hash, I spent much of my meal eying the Picky Eater's burger with envy.



Susie spent most of our meal addressing the closing issue and reassuring patrons that they would, in fact, reopen, but that Patty needed a break. Susie also had lovely things to say about GWiv as I was paying - she is a doll, that one.

Patty also mentioned, repeatedly, that she needed a break but would probably reopen. While we were there, Check Please called and she addressed the collective diners and said "I don't understand why I'm getting all of this attention after 20 years. This Check Please show, that Guy Firei, I told them all I'm losing the restaurant and they could maybe film me at the new place. Why now?" Susie reminded her that they are very popular on the internet and marveled at all the customers that come in knowing what to order from LTH.

Lovely ladies, a fantastic meal, I certainly hope that Patty chooses to reopen, it'd be awfully hard to live without that burger.

Hi,

Brought the Moms to Patty's today for lunch. They both chose corned beef hash with eggs, which they could barely finish. I came to their rescue to finish those pesky last bites. I had a hamburger ordered, "Medium rare leaning toward rare." I got exactly what I wanted, which went very well with the old potatoes.

When I arrived at noon, I was worried the place might be packed. If it was, then we were off to Deta's for burek. While it wasn't too busy, they advised it had just quieted down after a very busy morning. I overheard someone say, "I read about from the internet." Patty's sister shot me a knowing smile. A little later, Ghazi introduced himself. Later Mom2 said, "Everywhere we go, we always meet another LTHforum person." Yep, we do a pretty good job influencing each other.

On a happy note, I learned the bank contacted them yesterday to extend their terms to the beginning of July.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Brought the Moms to Patty's today for lunch. They both chose corned beef hash with eggs, which they could barely finish. I came to their rescue to finish those pesky last bites. I had a hamburger ordered, "Medium rare leaning toward rare." I got exactly what I wanted, which went very well with the old potatoes.

When I arrived at noon, I was worried the place might be packed. If it was, then we were off to Deta's for burek. While it wasn't too busy, they advised it had just quieted down after a very busy morning. I overheard someone say, "I read about from the internet." Patty's sister shot me a knowing smile. A little later, Ghazi introduced himself. Later Mom2 said, "Everywhere we go, we always meet another LTHforum person." Yep, we do a pretty good job influencing each other.

On a happy note, I learned the bank contacted them yesterday to extend their terms to the beginning of July.

Regards,

When I heard someone mention Deta's, I knew there was an LTH'r lurking nearby. It was great to meet you and mom, Cathy. . I'm sure it won't be the last time we see eachother.

I had the ham hash made with old potatoes today. It was very very garlicky. I just had it 2-3 weeks ago, and I did not recall any hint of garlic back then. I preferred it w/o the garlic. Which one is the norm?

LTH,

Lunch with the ever delightful Cathy2.

Patty's Patty Melt with my spin, house made burger bun instead of rye bread.

'Gary's' Patty Melt Before



'Gary's' Patty Melt After



And yes, there is a luscious med-rare charbroiled burger hiding under that golden yellow orb of deliciousness.

Enjoy,
Gary

So, DH, cousin and I have been going to Patty's 2-3 times per month for the last 2.5 years. I love the food and have been willing to accept the uneven service to get Patty's cooking. My sister and her kids ( 2.5 years and 3.5 years) are visiting this weekend, so we thought that it was time to take them for a great breakfast. So, we were four adults and two kids (one in a high chair, the other in a regular chair). They made a table for six for us by taking one of the two-tops from the front of the restaurant and moving it around the corner to the side area by the screened in door - which needed to "stay open" as Suzy told us about 20 times, even tho no one had made a move toward touching the door at all.

We ordered our breakfast and didn't order anything for the little ones as they had eaten donuts at the Evanston Farmer's Market. We anxiously awaited our food and the girls sat quietly at the table and colored in their coloring books. About 15 minutes into our wait, a few of parties arrived at the restaurant. There were two parties of two and a party of three. One couple sat at the counter, which meant that the group of three should then sit at the open four-top in the back. The other party of two agreed that they would wait.

Instead, Suzy said that since the kids weren't "eating" that they shouldn't have places at our table, so she decided to take the small table away from us, thus leaving four adults and two children to share a table for four. (She told us that the 3.5 year old should give up her chair and sit in a high chair - something she hasn't done in six months) She took away our water glasses because we "weren't drinking them anyway" and took the cream and sugar away for the same reason (altho I'd been sitting there drinking coffee with cream and sugar for the last 15 minutes). She took the crayons from the youngest and they spilled all over the floor - which somehow was our fault too. Then the food came. My cousin just took her food outside and ate in the car, and the rest of us tried to make the best of a bad situation. (My sister never got her toast, my order was wrong, we're crammed into a tiny little table, Patty and Suzy are yelling at each other, etc)

In the meantime, Suzy did not EVER seat anyone at the table that she took from us, because while she was taking our table away, the party for two sat at the four-top and that left the party of three waiting for a table. She didn't go tell the party of two to take the table for two so that she could seat the party of three.

DH and I were fuming.....it was embarrassing, humiliating, and simply wrong. I've never been anywhere where a server took away my table because she felt that we didn't "need it". When I paid on the way out, I told Suzy that it was very difficult to sit there after she took away our table and then didn't seat anyone at it. She started barking at me that she is responsible for only giving seats to people who are eating. I told her that if that is the case, she should have told us that the kids couldn't have seats when we ordered - and that we would have left and gone somewhere else. Or we woulda ordered one pancake and just left it sitting on the table.

So, while we understand that Patty's has not been famous for the service, it was unbelieveable. We eat there often, we tip VERY well, and we would have tipped well today. Instead, she managed to anger my husband so much that I don't know if I will ever be able to get him to go back.

I've loved Patty's until today, and have recommended it for the last couple of years. I'm supposed to be taking a group from my office there this next Friday. But gosh, today was NOT a fun experience.

Sigh.....

Oh MS. vickyp-
I can SO relate. How shameful.
How Embarrassing!

I've wasted way too much time and energy trying to do a "dance" around the Service (or lack thereof)
there since I began going several years back. (You can search my other comments on the other Pattys Diner thread.)

I can only say- I'm glad they are closing-
and hope that this will give Suzy some time to possibly
get some retraining from the Food Service Industry.
In fact,my friend Pam Scariano from SoulKitchen is planning on opening a "school" perfectly suited for those like Patty and Suzy-
perhaps, good at buttering toast and slinging some tasty Hash( of the Hambone variety)-
but, not so much-
on the forefront of People Skills and "SERVICE".

Maybe they can be in Pam's 1st Graduating Class!!

Hombre de Acero wrote:Oh MS. vickyp-
I can SO relate.
How shameful. How Embarrassing!
<snip>
I can only say- I'm glad they are closing-

That's a lot of hate for a little diner run by two hard working sisters and an always-in-motion busboy.

I don't use the word shameful, but................................

Hombre de Acero wrote:I can only say- I'm glad they are closing-

This is unquestionably the most hateful thing I've ever read in these forums.

=R=

What, it's not hateful to take crayons away from a child?

Back off, guys. You're way out of line on this one.

sundevilpeg wrote:What, it's not hateful to take crayons away from a child?

Back off, guys. You're way out of line on this one.

I've taken crayons away from kids -- including my own son -- many times . . . and paint and magic markers and candy and mud and a variety of other non-essential items, too. And not always for clear reasons, either. Guess what? None of those incidents seem to have traumatized my son, who has become a bright, caring and fine young man.

Don't like a place? Fine. Don't go there. But, posting that you're "glad" that a place is closing -- especially when the person making the comment wasn't even present to witness the incident that spurred the comment -- is what's truly hateful, in my personal opinion. It's certainly more hateful -- and a lot less forgivable or understandable -- than a woman who's probably struggling to survive and having a rough day (possibly) making an error in judgment.

=R=

sundevilpeg wrote:What, it's not hateful to take crayons away from a child?

Back off, guys. You're way out of line on this one.

Ok, come on. Yeah, Suzy is a child hating crayon stealing ogre. It's a wonder they have crayons at all, as evil as the two sisters are . It is downright Shakespearean. A pox upon their house.

You are basing your implications on a one-sided account. Although she was obviously venting a little in her post, even VickyP seemed to recognize that her experience was atypical of Patty's and due to some sort of unusual internal stressful circumstances (can you blame them?). Maybe a party that wanted to re-arrange tables, accomodate toddlers, then only order for half the seats, was one step over the line. We have alll had those days. As GWiv points out, it's a diner, for dog's sake. The unpredictability of Patty's is part of the theater that makes the place and its proprietors special. I have never been ill-treated there, and I for one, will miss it.

Regarding vickyp's experience, I'm sorry it was such a poor one. I can't condone what happened, but since I wasn't there, I also can't condemn it.

I actually don't mind most of Hombre's comments. I don't agree with them, but he is certainly entitled to his opinions. There are several restaurants that I'd be happy to see close tomorrow. The only thing I didn't care for in his post is his shilling for his friend's "school".

BTW, if you think the service at Patty's is bad, I've had far worse experiences at places where I've spent far more of my money. Service at most restaurants here is subpar, at best.

Hombre, if the service (or lack thereof) at Patty's was so distasteful to you, why did you keep going back? If it were that much of an issue to me, I don't care how good the food is, I wouldn't return.

Bottom line, if you expect great service when you go out to eat, don't go to Patty's, plain and simple. Anyone who's been there more than once should know what to expect. For any potentail first-timers, you've now been forewarned.

jaybo wrote:I actually don't mind most of Hombre's comments. I don't agree with them, but he is certainly entitled to his opinions.

I couldn't agree more. And just to be clear, I was expressing my own personal opinion, which does not reflect any LTHForum.com guideline. I personally find comments of this type very hateful but unless I am mistaken, they are certainly in-bounds. Please note that I never said or implied that I didn't believe the post belonged here. That said, I do think it's somewhat self-invalidating because it's so extreme, it seems to say more about the person who posted it than it does about Patty's.

jaybo wrote:There are several restaurants that I'd be happy to see close tomorrow.

Yet, you've managed not to mention them, which pretty much exemplifies the point I was trying to make. There's a big difference between thinking it and expressing it publicly. I think we all at least have our lists of places we wouldn't miss if they were gone but for me, not going to those places is enough. Commenting beyond that point, especially in a public forum, is the very definition of hateful, in my opinion. I mean, you'd certainly have to hate a place -- or the people who own it -- to do so, since no one could ever make you go there.

=R=

jaybo wrote:There are several restaurants that I'd be happy to see close tomorrow.

Ronnie_Suburban wrote:Yet, you've managed not to mention them, which pretty much exemplifies the point I was trying to make. There's a big difference between thinking it and expressing it publicly. I think we all at least have our lists of places we wouldn't miss if they were gone but for me, not going to those places is enough. Commenting beyond that point, especially in a public forum, is the very definition of hateful, in my opinion. I mean, you'd certainly have to hate a place -- or the people who own it -- to do so, since no one could ever make you go there.=R=

Sometimes hate is the proper response to abuse. And representing that hate in a rational manner, coolly, after the fact is a public service. This is not the first time people have complained, here, about Patty's. It is starting to resemble a dysfunctional relationship where the sex [food] is out of this world, but the rest of the situation is unacceptable. It is not overall healthy. I've appreciated -all- the negative reports on Patty's as much as the positive ones. I've still not actually been there, but I know my tradeoffs and costs if I do go. I think hate is the wrong word to apply to a place that, despite its merits, needs to get called out on its dysfunctional aspects. Because the food does not justify abusive service. What do you suppose would occur if one of the *customers* went off on Patty--screaming "where the hells my eggs" or rearranging seating in an intimidating manner? Not everyone looking for old potatoes has a high tolerance for bullshit.

I actually, recently had a truly hateful situation. I was pressed for time, in Lincoln Square, had only enough time to grab the most quick thing, and had the once a decade bad decision to see if Burger King was truly still insipid. Long story short, they messed up my order, I asked for my money back, and the register clerk flipped me off, actually gave me the finger, and was verbally abusive. The manager on duty did -nothing- to intervene. She refused to provide me with her name, the name of the clerk, a supervisor or anyone to be held accountable. On the receipt is a customer service number. If you call that number, you can only answer a touchtone survey. When I walked out of that store, the clerk was smirking because she knew she wouldn't get fired or reprimanded. What is hateful about -that- is the Burger King corporate entity has set it up so that customer service is no longer their problem whatsoever. Buying a Whopper nowadays is equivalent to buying a phone card--caveat emptor--- and if there are any problems you have no recourse. Unless people here know different...

Patty's, of course, is just the opposite. The owners are right there. Total accountability, so you'd assume decent service. Somehow, though, the power dynamics have formed where it is the unspoken community assumption that Patty is doing you a huge favor by making you a good burger for $8. And that one must tread lightly to avoid losing this divine blessing. For everyone online, so in love with that burger that they will defend or overlook the service, there are probably 10 people in Evanston or nearby who have decided, over the years, that they won't put up with that nonsense. And that might be why they are going out of business soon, and why some people would say they are happy for that.

I personally would have refused to pay if any of these abusive incidents occured to me. And then let her ban me from ever coming back. I think the population she serves is likely too nice/polite/non-confrontational to ever bark back or deny payment. Might have helped, historically, the dysfunctional situation if she had to deal with tough customers, and needed to -avoid- conflict rather than provoking it.

Marco wrote:I've still not actually been there

Marco wrote:It is starting to resemble a dysfunctional relationship where the sex [food] is out of this world, but the rest of the situation is unacceptable

Actually, it's starting to resemble the Jerry Springer show, where a one member of a dysfunctional relationship calls out her partner publically, then the audience - none of whom have any first hand knowledge of the situation - cheer and jeer from the peanut gallery in order to provoke a fight.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

jaybo wrote:There are several restaurants that I'd be happy to see close tomorrow.

Yet, you've managed not to mention them, which pretty much exemplifies the point I was trying to make. There's a big difference between thinking it and expressing it publicly. I think we all at least have our lists of places we wouldn't miss if they were gone but for me, not going to those places is enough. Commenting beyond that point, especially in a public forum, is the very definition of hateful, in my opinion. I mean, you'd certainly have to hate a place -- or the people who own it -- to do so, since no one could ever make you go there.

=R=

I actually did mention one once; the post was deleted and I got ripped a new one for posting it. The reason it was deleted was not that I hated this place, but WHY I hated it. Lesson learned.

I don't mind Hombre saying that he's glad Patty's is closing because the comment was in response to vickyp's experience and it demonstrates his feelings towards Patty's service situation. It may BE hateful, but he gave a reason for saying it.

I find Marco's comments more hateful than Hombre's because he's never been there. If he had and been treated poorly, that's one thing. Taking shots at a place you've never been to isn't right.

Marco, I would hope that you don't go to Patty's because you're full of preconceived notions about the place. You're one of those that I forewarned in my last post. It's also clear that you didn't read the beginning of the thread since you're unaware of WHY Patty's is closing.

I don't mind the service miscues because it's not personal; if it were, I'd be right in Hombre's corner. I also wouldn't categorize the service as abusive, or at least I've never found it to be so. I'll probably go back to Patty's sometime this week, because for me the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Kennyz wrote:

Marco wrote:I've still not actually been there

Marco wrote:It is starting to resemble a dysfunctional relationship where the sex [food] is out of this world, but the rest of the situation is unacceptable

Actually, it's starting to resemble the Jerry Springer show, where a one member of a dysfunctional relationship calls out her partner publically, then the audience - none of whom have any first hand knowledge of the situation - cheer and jeer from the peanut gallery in order to provoke a fight.

Well, no. I do not see in any of the reports where the customers have exhibited any dysfunctional behavior, only Patty or Suzy. And the main reason I've not gone there, as I've have previously stated, are these negative reports. And I posted not to provoke conflict, but to wonder why Patty has not had to evolve ways to avoid conflict in her customer service.

A more valid TV comparison would be to the Seinfeld episode, "The Soup Nazi". Or before that, that diner show which gave us the phrase, "kiss my grits". And well before that, Jack Nicholson wanting his order, his way. This is not a new problem in the world, abusive food service. It occurs at Patty's Diner. It is documented here. It is a great public service to disclose that information, so people can choose for themselves if the experience is worth the cost. It is not hateful, it is helpful.

And Jaybo, I am not saying that *I* hate Patty's. I am saying that the posted reports here are valid data. And that conclusions drawn from that valid data is *just as valid* as having visited. I may go and have no problems, but the fact that a *lot* of people have posted *really disturbing accounts* is relevant. I am *reading* LTH to learn precisely about places I've not been, and to decide if they are worth my support. Now, that burger looks really really good. I am an easy-going guy who could probably get in and out of Patty's without incident. But that assumption was likely true of every individual who went and had an unsatisfactory experience. I am generally more of a latenite diner, living in the city along the lake. It would take some effort to get all the way north and west to Patty's, before they close for the day. And we've all heard how cranky they are if you arrive too close to closing. So when I calculate if Patty's should get my time, effort, dollars, and support, so far the answer has been no. It is not to the point of a moral refusal *on my part* to patronize, still just a hesitation that the risk is not quite worth the reward. The Brown Bag is almost exactly an equal schlep, and hence I've still not been there either, but I've yet to read even one slight complaint about it. But I am morally appalled, as a reader of this forum, by what I've read here about Patty's Diner. That is a valid reaction regardless of my own personal history with the place.

Marco wrote:So when I calculate if Patty's should get my time, effort, dollars, and support, so far the answer has been no. It is not to the point of a moral refusal *on my part* to patronize, still just a hesitation that the risk is not quite worth the reward. The Brown Bag is almost exactly an equal schlep, and hence I've still not been there either, but I've yet to read even one slight complaint about it. But I am morally appalled, as a reader of this forum, by what I've read here about Patty's Diner. That is a valid reaction regardless of my own personal history with the place.

It's a beautiful day, maybe go take a walk.

to the last 10 or so posters, you owe me 10 minutes of my life (just kidding. kind of.)

Marco wrote:And Jaybo, I am not saying that *I* hate Patty's. I am saying that the posted reports here are valid data. And that conclusions drawn from that valid data is *just as valid* as having visited. I may go and have no problems, but the fact that a *lot* of people have posted *really disturbing accounts* is relevant. I am *reading* LTH to learn precisely about places I've not been, and to decide if they are worth my support.

I agree with all of this. It is how I (and I assume many others) use LTH--to draw conclusions from others' reports whether a place will be rewarding or an exercise in frustration for me. And to contribute reports of my own experiences, when I have them, so that others may use them as I use theirs.

Marco wrote:And Jaybo, I am not saying that *I* hate Patty's. I am saying that the posted reports here are valid data. And that conclusions drawn from that valid data is *just as valid* as having visited. I may go and have no problems, but the fact that a *lot* of people have posted *really disturbing accounts* is relevant. I am *reading* LTH to learn precisely about places I've not been, and to decide if they are worth my support. Now, that burger looks really really good. I am an easy-going guy who could probably get in and out of Patty's without incident. But that assumption was likely true of every individual who went and had an unsatisfactory experience. I am generally more of a latenite diner, living in the city along the lake. It would take some effort to get all the way north and west to Patty's, before they close for the day. And we've all heard how cranky they are if you arrive too close to closing. So when I calculate if Patty's should get my time, effort, dollars, and support, so far the answer has been no. It is not to the point of a moral refusal *on my part* to patronize, still just a hesitation that the risk is not quite worth the reward. The Brown Bag is almost exactly an equal schlep, and hence I've still not been there either, but I've yet to read even one slight complaint about it. But I am morally appalled, as a reader of this forum, by what I've read here about Patty's Diner. That is a valid reaction regardless of my own personal history with the place.

What I said was that your comments were more hateful than Hombre's because you've never been there. If, after reading reports on the place, you decide not to patronize, that's fine. To heap additional criticism is uncalled for.

I'm considering trying Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook because of ronniesuburban's reports on the place. Would it make sense for me to post a rave review before I do? No, because I HAVEN'T EATEN THERE! It's inappropriate. You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but they shouldn't be posted without actual experience. Some people might be influenced by your posts, even though I certainly wouldn't call them "valid data".

BTW, since you're "a latenite diner, living in the city along the lake", I have to ask - Have you ever been to Wiener's Circle?

jaybo wrote:I'm considering trying Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook because of ronniesuburban's reports on the place. Would it make sense for me to post a rave review before I do? No, because I HAVEN'T EATEN THERE! It's inappropriate. You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but they shouldn't be posted without actual experience.

This all makes sense, and yet...A big part of the LTH experience (what draws me and I assume many others here) is the opportunity to experience vicariously. And possibly even to comment based on this vicarious experience. If I can see a picture of a cheeseburger and think, "Mmm, yummy," and possibly even post "Mmm, yummy," then it must be equally valid for me to become angry at a restaurant on another poster's behalf when she has had an awful experience there, and possibly even to express this anger. (Even though in the case at hand I have only felt her pain, not commented on it.)

riddlemay wrote:

jaybo wrote:I'm considering trying Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook because of ronniesuburban's reports on the place. Would it make sense for me to post a rave review before I do? No, because I HAVEN'T EATEN THERE! It's inappropriate. You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but they shouldn't be posted without actual experience.

This all makes sense, and yet...A big part of the LTH experience (what draws me and I assume many others here) is the opportunity to experience vicariously. And possibly even to comment based on this vicarious experience. If I can see a picture of a cheeseburger and think, "Mmm, yummy," and possibly even post "Mmm, yummy," then it must be equally valid for me to become angry at a restaurant on another poster's behalf when she has had an awful experience there, and possibly even to express this anger. (Even though in the case at hand I have only felt her pain, not commented on it.)

Agreed, the key words being "another poster's behalf". I thought marco crossed the line with his comments after his Burger King story.

Empathize with vickyp? No problem. Agreeing with Hombre? No problem. Adding your own two cents on a place you've never been to? Problem.

Hi,

While reading this thread, another thread from earlier this week echoed in my mind. There was a couple visiting NYC with plans to dine at Peter Luger's. They originally made reservations for four, then wanted to reduce it to two. Peter Luger's advised it was either four people or no people. They posted here to find a companion couple to fulfill their reservation. Ultimately they changed their reservation to lunch for two, which satisfied both parties. Reading through this thread, I found myself wondering what Peter Luger's staff would do if the original reservations arrived as a complete foursome and two choose not to eat. Never been there, I have a gut feeling it would not be well received.

When I was 20, I went to a friend's 21st birthday party. I didn't think it was special enough festivity, though she did get some diamond jewelery from her Dad. I suggested we go someplace special for dessert. We went to the Hancock Tower's 95th for this dessert, I was underage and never dreamed of going to bar. When the waiter realized we were there only for dessert, he began slamming the menus shut and making snide comments. I leaned over to my friend, "He's ticked off he isn't going to get as much business from this table." It was late enough in the evening there wasn't much business, but he really resented his time with us. We ignored his irritation, enjoyed our dessert and paid a reasonable tip when we left. Back then tips were still 10%, I doubt I went beyond that.

When my nieces were tiny, the only way to go to a Korean BBQ restaurant was to feed them something from somewhere else. We walked into a Korean BBQ with a take-out bag of Taco Bell. We told the owners, if they objected, we could leave without any ill will. Unfortunately the kids were not yet open to trying their food, but we loved it. They were happy to seat us. Sometime later, the girls did try it and then our bill got relatively expensive to eat Korean BBQ.

Only yesterday I had an issue with a waitress at restaurant I visit a few times a year. I was charged for three drinks for two people. She said only one refill is allowed, not two. I said she was mistaken, because we only had one refill each. She was very certain she was right, probably still believes so, then knocked the third drink off the bill. I will return at some point this year, though I will likely ask for another waitress.

It's too bad about the table issue with the kids yesterday. Unfortunately stuff happens up and down the price scale. Sometimes you decide never to return and other times people shrug it off to return another day.

Regards,

eh, the food is dang good... and i think suzy is nice, ah well!

I don't post all that often, but I wonder if there's a certain "chilling" effect when long-time posters or moderators complain about post's like Hombre's or Macro's.

For the record I enjoy the food at Pattys and have gone several times, however I find the experience very stressful. Not so stressful I don't go, but enough that it does bother me. Even when they aren't yelling at you, they might be yelling at the busboy, or each other or another patron. I seriously wonder about who I can bring there and how they would react to the possible outbursts especially if we happen to be the subject of it.

I had no problem with Hombre's comment about wanting Pattys to close. I do not agree with it, but I can understand it. I didn't find it hateful per se and surely not the most negative thing I have read on here. Macro's comments also seemed completely within reason to me (and interesting to read). Just because I haven't been to a certain restaurant doesn't invalidate my opinions on service, food, pricing, etc. or what other poster's have said. They shouldn't be given as much weight perhaps as someone who has gone there, but I still can have an opinion. What if the owner of Moon's (or some other well respected diner) chimed in even if he had never been there. Wouldn't we all be interested in his opinion of service and such??

And whether Hombre was "shilling" or not for his friend's school --from my own personal observation and IMHO-- she could definitely use some advice/help/training with front of the house service...maybe reading these posts and taking a well deserved break will have the same effect. Or just make sure at the next place she is out of earshot of the customers (that doesn't help with Suzy though...). And Vickyp's story DOES make me reconsider bringing my in-laws there tomorrow (they wanted to go to Over Easy but its closed on Monday so I suggested Pattys)--we will be driving an extra 10 mins and going to Walker Bros instead, where the service and the food are both well done.

--Dirk--

Marco wrote: It is starting to resemble a dysfunctional relationship where the sex [food] is out of this world, but the rest of the situation is unacceptable. It is not overall healthy. I've appreciated -all- the negative reports on Patty's as much as the positive ones. I've still not actually been there, but I know my tradeoffs and costs if I do go.

You know, I love LTH as much as anyone else but there is a certain dark side to having so many food and restaurant obsessed folks in one place. When we start providing pseudo-psychological deconstruction and doing a cost-benefit analysis before going to a DINER, it crosses the line. Seriously... At most of the diners I frequented in Maine during college, you were lucky if you got a grunt of acknowledgment when you made your order and a "later" when you left. Diners are not meant to be the second coming of Rainforest Cafe. This whole issue is about expectations... and in this case how they are out of line with reality. I don't expect to be coddled or "cared for" in any way at a diner. I expect decent salt-of-the-earth type food in a reasonable amount of time... period!

groovedirk wrote:And Vickyp's story DOES make me reconsider bringing my in-laws there tomorrow (they wanted to go to Over Easy but its closed on Monday so I suggested Pattys)--we will be driving an extra 10 mins and going to Walker Bros instead, where the service and the food are both well done.

Fwiw, Patty's is also closed on Mondays.

=R=