Shills for Il Matto, Giuliano, The Lambs Club, and More

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.

In today's edition, our radar comes across shills from Italian restaurant Giuliano, forthcoming The Lambs Club and outdoor drinking spot Stone Street Tavern.

Our first shill comes from an Eater commenter regarding the new, bizarre Italian joint Il Matto:

just had the best and spukiest Italian food of my LIFE. And I'm from Italy. And I'm a food lover over the world. You better go there as fast as possible, once there might be a lane till Uptown.

Shill Probability: 74%

Shills sometimes come many months after an initial item is posted. Take, for example, the eight-month late praise for Italian spot Giuliano:

Do not walk. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. RUN to Giuliano, NYC's best kept Italian eatery secret. The food is magic; the decor, minimal and tasteful; and the prices, reasonable. Even though it is located at the fringe of the Theatre District, it is worth the trip. Buon appetito!

Shill Probability: 86%

A good way to spot a shill for a foreign transplant, such as Portugal and Brazil's The Best Chocolate Cake in the World, is the questionable grammar that comes attached to heaps of praise:

I have been there in the opening day and I can assure that this is really a fanstatic cake. So different!!! So gorgeouse!!! I've read the comments above and I could see that some did not enjoy the experience at all. What a pity... meanwhile a lot of others were commenting on the oppening day, that "it is really good, different and so tasty" !!! Congratulation to the Chef Carlos and to the bakery owner who have had the idea to bring it to Manhathan. For the ones who have not been yet on the bakery try a deliciouse salmon toast, before you eat a cholcolate slice of the cake, it is really deliciouse... and why not a really fresh orange juice just made when the order is processed? GOOD LUCK

Shill Probability: 84%

While Todd English's Plaza Hotel Food Hall received mostly positive marks, one Eater commenter's praise on the venue's Good News/Bad News thread came across as particularly suspicious:

Oh my goodness, I love the Plaza food hall so much I had 3 dinners in a row and loved them all, the grilled Branzino one night - amazing, the beef dumplings with citrus sauce, the sliders another night. I couldn't fault the food ( it was Plaza quality with very reasonable pricing) or the amazing service (couldn't believe it just opened), or either could the friends that I bought along as they couldn't wait to try it. Any body near should pop by even if just to see it - Gorgeous!.

Shill Probability: 93%

Sometimes shills come in flocks, like when Eater ran an update that chef Geoffrey Zakarian, late of Country, was preparing to open The Lambs Club. Magically, an astounding 7 first-time Eater commenters decided to weigh in on the still un-opened space:

I couldn't be more excited for this restuarant and hotel to open..passed by the other day and the magager of the next door hotel says it's going to be amazing!

Commenter ChewOnThis gets punny:

Counting down to chew time.

And there's this follow-up:

Finally a beautiful spot that can match the equally prestigious cooking of GZ! I'm with ChewOnThis, let's eat!

And you won't believe this one:

Wow, it's so chic and so on-trend. I am so obsessed, it's like crazy! Can't wait to go for cocktails.

Cumulative Shill Probability: 99%

In another instance of shill bombarding, the comments section of a Village Voice piece about the 10 best outdoor drinking locations. The barrage of comments included no fewer than 8 comments praising the venues on Stone Street, especially Stone Street Tavern:

"Stone Street... in the Financial District... by far the best outdoor drinking spot... great food... great drinks and by far the best people watching!!!... Def. New Yorks hidden gem... but once u find it... u'll never 4get it!... there are about 8 bars on the block but i must say my fav. is def Stone Street Tavern...very laid back chill spot with an amazing staff that just happen to be hot as hell!!"

And then there's this:

"Stone Street Tavern is by far the best bar on Stone Street with plenty of more awesome bars to choose from but most of all at Stone Street Tavern you get great food, a cozy atmosphere and the staff are amazing. They have plenty of outdoor sitting for a nice cold beer in the sun while you choose from a long list of awesome food from the menu, my favorites are the Lobster Sliders and Mac & Cheese absolutely to die for. So please don't waste your time anywhere else and visit Stone Street you won't be disappointed!!"

Cumulative Shill Probability: 99.9%

—Thomas Garry