It's time for another edition of Adventures in Shilling, in which we fight shilling the best way we can, by shaming tasteless, unscrupulous shills into submission. Well, that's the plan, at least. Fight shills yourself by dropping offensive links to tips@eater.com
Today we turn our shill detectors to out own comments section and an especially egregious Menupages profile. It gets pretty sinister, but we'll start out with the most innocuous suspect:
We were pretty sure the following comment on relative newcomer Vino 313 was a shill, until we saw their commenter name is "PR":
"It is so nice to have a comfortable wine bar to go to in Murray Hill, I just can't believe it took 2 months for me to get there for the 1st time... but since then I have been back to VINO 313 once a week and I have not been disappointed."
Shill Probability: 24%
Da Silvano has its fair share of fans, so a rave for offshoot Scuderia isn't out of the question. But this is a bit over the top:
"It is my new favorite spot! I went to a tasting dinner there on Saturday--the best vibe ever and amazing food! The pizza crust is perfection, steamed mussels were fabulous in the white wine sauce (I used my bread to wipe the bowl clean), and I can't stop fantasizing about the Pizzetta con Nutella e Mascarpone. Anyone who likes nutella will love this unique combination.But then combined with this one, we're going to have to raise that probability:
It will be a very fun spot, full of energy, a great addition to the neighborhood."Shill Probability: 43%
"I went to a sneak preview tasting there. Absolutely fabulous ambiance, best thin-crust pizzas in the area, wonderful desserts--especially the Pizzetta con Nutella e Mascarpone. Warm, inviting staff as well. This is my new weekend hotspot."Shill Probability: 62%This is a curious commitment to make to a food court shrimp place:
"Hello,all I hear is bad comments about the Shrimp Market but in my opinion,I think that it was the best thing that could have happened to our food courts.I personally love eating at Shrimp Market and will continue to eat there as long as their standing.Thank you for creating the Shrimp Market."Shill Probability: 68%Either this person at Menupages doesn't get out much, or this is a shill:
"From their tasty succulant salads , to their wonderful creative pasta's that are textured to your demand. Al dente if you please? Well of course for your eating delights it's always fresh ready at your command. Their service is impecable , you would think you are at one of the seven wonders. Cleanliness and ambiance will take you to soaring heights. You want more ? They don't cut corners here you get a lot of razzle dazzle for your money. A nice inexpensive secret , you get privacy and a lot of service. Go ahead and get spoiled. Dine at Aperitivo."Shill Probability: 96%· Previous Installments of Adventures in Shilling [~E~]
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