Adventures in Shilling #065: At Vermilion

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.

Midtown East: Given At Vermilion has been having such a hard time during Shitshow Week 2009, it's not surprising that someone has come to its defense. Actually it looks like a lot of someones decided to create new commenter accounts within one hour of each other to come to its defense. Perhaps a group of staunch At Vermilion fans? Or, more likely, a collection of shills. Time to take a look.

First up a commenter, sounding innocent enough, calls bullshit:

I came across this website, read the review, and signed up to comment based on the fact that this post is utter bullshit. I went to dinner here last month for my birthday and it was all in all a joyous experience. While i didn't request this prior, they set 10 of us in a private glass room, and the manager came in and walked us through the entire menu. Throughout the night the wait staff was knowledgeable and entertaining, and the food was delicious. No one in our party complained about portion size...The night of the dinner the manager (who informed us that he is only suit wearing GM there) told us of his experience getting his education at Cornell for hotel and restaurant management....This is pure bullshit bullshit bullshit.

Next up, another first time commenter happens to stumble across the carnage and, guess what, he just loves the place:

I feel the above comments are more than a little harsh. Granted the portions are not huge, but the flavor combinations are fantastic and creative. The atmosphere is excellent to superb, and I have never had a bad experience here. I would not only disagree with the above comments but also up the ante and unequivocally recommend a trip.

Yet another brand spankin' new commenter steps up to the plate. Even through the hip slang, it's pretty clear that this is most likely a shill:

...glad to read the above comments that are giving it to the original poster. I thought the food i ate there was pleasantly surprising. the ribs and the pear martini i had were bangin'. my wife wasn't too hungry and had a scallop appetizer that was also delicious. Sad to hear about the owner though if it's true. But i don't really believe anything the original poster said. oh, and the author is dumb. bye.

Another supporter aims to dispel every single complaint aired in the original complaint. Not suspicious at all:

I have been to "At Vermillion" several nights for dinner and have had excellent food and service each time. Every time I've visited I've been given the royal treatment. The servers were very well informed of the food on their menu, especially after a companion laid down the "what do you recommend?" gauntlet. Everyone was happy with their dish and we enjoyed personable conversations with our waiters.

Just the other night, I enjoyed a few jokes with the bartender over a scotch, in more than marginally proficient English. The author's comments about the bar staff appear to be nothing more than sugar-coated prejudice.

And one more to end on:

I could not disagree more with the above review of At Vermillion. I live in midtown east and have had the pleasure of eating here a handful of times, each time better than the next. The staff is pleasant and well informed about both styles of cuisine, the flavors are perfectly blended, and the wine selection is excellent. The ambience in the restaurant is also a huge plus for me. Its big, but not so big that you feel lost. And every manager I have encountered has been more than helpful, in fact they have enhanced my experience with suggestions and just plain good service. I can't say enough good things about At Vermillion. And reading a review such as the one above, it makes me feel like we went to different restaurants. I would double check that you are talking about the At Vermillion on the corner of 46th and Lex.