I never argued that it wasn't common. I've argued that I give them a 15 min window before getting pissed. They have a large enough data set that in the aggregate they should be able to give an accurate time range most times

I'd much rather them say "I really have no idea at all" than just make a number up. I expect them to use some degree of accuracy on those numbers as I (and presumably others) use that number to gauge whether or not I'm interested in sticking around. Every time they underpredict, particularly when it is egregious, I feel that I've been rooked.

These people should have a good sense of a typical flow. Yes there are anomalous nights but in general they should be able to give a pretty durned accurate sense of things - they see the same patterns play out, night after night after night. In the aggregate that's a lot of data to work with. Instead most places that I go seem to always give me the same number regardless of how long the wait appears to be - whether they choose 15 mins, 30 mins, etc.

The real solution to this would be for places to have a designated maximum time at the table and enforce it, but people would blow a head gasket over that. In fact they do, as it comes up now and then on the topic boards here.

I do think that hey often err on the side of optimism to keep people there, particularly if they have a bar.

I've always believed that the magic grace period is 15 minutes. For a reservation to be honored, for a guest to be late for a reso, and for a wait time estimate. For the resto side, anything more ad I'm angry. As a guest, I have no reason to complain if they give up my table.

No, it hasn't - it's great for what it is ... A heavily Americanized Thai spot in beacon hill that can acommodate groups. Otherwise not so much

I've immensely enjoyed Scelfo's special dinners there (which I'd imagine will no longer happen). I've enjoyed outings where I've sat at the upstairs bar and had a burger and some drinks. I've enjoyed outings at the downstairs bar where I just drank and maybe nibbled on some small bites.

Beyond that I don't have much positive to say. Because of that I stick to the three scenarios I outlined above.

At least for me, it's because I don't believe that he's a terrible accountant. Read into that what you will.

Not a deal per se, but a special. Highland Kitchen has fried chicken platters & tiki drinks on monday nights.

Ah! That makes sense.

Note that there's also a (bad) chinese take out place in Union Sq also named Red House

yes

Red House couldn't be more "in/around Harvard Sq", not sure what you're saying.

I'm with you on Bon Me. I like it well enough but I find it to be crappier and more expensive than what I'd get in a real vietnamese spot

It is craigie on main, not Cragie's on main. Craigie is the name of the street they used to be on, not the owner.

Now we're talking! Obviously such a beast would be hard to locate around here but a man can dream.

Right, as patio seating goes this is actually pretty nice - at least from what I've seen.

My only objection is with them incessantly referring to it as a beer garden as I feel:

a) It is fairly pretentious sounding
b) It gives a lot of people a very wrong impression. I can't tell you how many friends have asked me about the new beer garden in my 'hood - when I tell them that it's a couple of tables in a fenced in porch they're disappointed.

Some of us still boycott them for that exact reason

A friend said no lunch, they open at 4pm

Any word on lunch hours, particularly on Friday? I got the impression that that wasn't in the cards although my coworkers & I often liked to go there as a change of pace from Atwoods

The food is more or less the same as it has been for at least 15 years. They occasionally have interesting specials but they're always variations on the same themes. I don't mind eating there but I usually try to eat elsewhere if I'm going to be hanging out there.

I'm in my late 30s and hang out there upstairs with some regularity and I don't usually feel *that* old. I think you're right that its mor grad students and late 20/early 30 somethings

You'll find that the biggest opposition to that are servers

Ah right, I always forget that they're not *really* "modern homebrew". I don't know why I keep calling them that.

I use northern brewer.com, but modern homebrew is local

What's the line like these days, anyone know?

Thanks to many of them being InBev products it's pretty easy to find a lot of that stuff these days. IIRC Scholars had Tremens which isn't as common as say, Chimay but it's not *un*common either.

And yes, I'd much prefer Scholars' beer list to "We have both kinds, bud and bud light" but it is nuts their list is closer to the norm than not.

Re Hoegaarden - Charlie's Kitchen has had it for ages, fairly cheap too. Of course, as you say it's pretty ubiquitous now. I do really wish they'd cut it with the stupid 1445 (or whatever) marketing considering it started up in the late 60s.

I think this is more a testament of how far we've come than the quality of Scholars - honestly w/ a couple of exceptions the current list doesn't look that out of place compared to dozens of other bars in the city. The only one that really made me say "huh!" was the rotating Founders tap and even that's becoming more commonplace these days.

That's not a knock on Scholars nor your comment - it just struck me when I looked at the list and said, "Damn, 5 years ago I'd have killed for that and now it doesn't phase me"

Lol I could get behind that

To be fair, he said "just passable" which to me sounds not unlike "passable in a pinch"

Yeah, unless they've changed over the last couple of years Coast Cafe's coating is on the thinner side.

I happen to like their chicken but it is certainly controversial. There have been a lot of naysayers here over the years.

I've always found frozen ground beef to be less clumpy than fresh

My point is that if there's ever a nice evening where I say, "You know what'd be great? To go hang out in a beer garden" I'd *never* venture over there as I know it'll be full. All they're doing is using a pretentious name to describe "we have a couple of tables set up outside like everyone else does these days"