Beware the suggestive oversell

Ever since reading chef Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, I've been a little skeptical of ordering things like fish on Fridays (the end of the week, before new fish is delivered) and brunch specials (the way a restaurant gets rid of ingredients that have been hanging around for a while).

That's why I was so amused by a waiter's behavior at the Beacon Bar and Grill last night. Settling down for some drinks and small plates as we waited for a friend, my companion ordered bread. "You mean the shrimp toast," the waiter replied weirdly. "Umm, no, venison sausuage, and an order of bread," we said. When a third friend arrived, the waiter immediately asked him, "How about the shrimp toast?" It was all kind of blatant. Shrimp toast was mentioned at least once more during the course of the evening.

Why are they trying so damn hard to move the shrimp toast? My guess would be that that shrimp is nearing the end of its useful lifespan. I'd advise not ordering anything containing shrimp at BBG in the near future. Especially not the shrimp omelet that may appear on the brunch menu this weekend. Bon appetit.

By the way, there's a nice article in the City Paper this week in which Anthony Bourdain and other chefs try to top each other's horror stories.