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 this installment of Adventures in Shilling we uncovers shills for Exchange Alley, Ken & Cook, Ainsworth Park, LT Burger, Palmer's and Glaze Teriyaki Grill. Time to get in there and get dirty:
This suspiciously eloquent review was found on Yelp's filtered reviews page for Exchange Alley:
Art on the walls, old photos, literature, ephemera--not at all uncommon for an NYC restaurant these days, but what sets Exchange Alley's decor apart is that it doesn't feel assembled; it feels lived-in; it feels inspired. It's like walking into your coolest friend's apartment, the one who's book collection you envy, the one who is always turning you onto some great new band. And like that friend's apartment, you're greeted with a smile, not an attitude. It's a place for casual conversations and big ideas shared over a perfect bottle of wine, a unique cocktail, or a beer from the small but expertly assembled beer list (try the lambsbrau dunkel).Shill Probability: 75 percent
Laurent Tourandel opened the first NYC branch of his LT Burger chain recently, and here's what one suspicious Gothamist commenter has to say:
The Mexican Burger was INCREDIBLE. So was the Caramel Popcorn shake. Finally a great lunch option that's not over the top around here.Shill Probability: 79 percent
Gushy doesn't even begin to describe this UrbanSpoon review of Ken & Cook in Nolita:
Ken & Cook is definitely a favorite spot of mine...for many reasons! The food is amazing, the people/staff are very attentive and always smiling, and not to mention, the interior space is extremely comfy and inviting!! It's 'restoration hardware' like décor is complimented by delicious, nicely portioned plates, and outstanding beverages/wine choices (they update their drink list quite frequently)!! My fav dishes - the squid salad, mussels, beef tartare, black bass, veal pappardelle and the raw bar selection!! There's no reason why not to try this (affordable!) Nolitan gem!Shill Probability: 90 percent
Back on Yelp, a shiller for the new Gramercy sports bar Ainsworth Park was hard at work minting this not-so-subtle gem. Guess what gave this one away!!!:
What a cool spot!!!! Tons of TVs are awesome but so is the vibe!!!!! Food is delish!!! Good looking crowd with more ladies than men! Check out Sunday football for yourself!! Great staff!!!! Open for a week and Ill definitely be back!!!Shill Probability: 93 percent
Though the restaurant is still in its infancy, an inordinate amount of people are reviewing Palmer's in Downtown Brooklyn on Yelp. Here's one ecstatic Yelper's take:
Here's why this place rocks:Shill Probability: 98 percent
- fantastic menu that includes both comfort food stand-bys (often with a cool twist - like peking duck quesadilla) and more creative combinations, like the coconut curry mussels. yum.
- their amazing sodas made from hand-crafted herbal tea mixtures. the first time i've felt good about drinking soda in a long while.
- mini pies! especially, the mini key lime pie.
- the waitstaff is super nice.
- copious amounts of outdoor seating!
- the interior/design of the space couldn't be cooler.It's exciting to see places like this spring up in this neighborhood. Definitely worth a visit!
Shillers beware, your emoticons do not fool us. Despite the casual punctuation, Eater sees through this Menu Pages review for Glaze Teriyaki Grill for the shill that it is:
I was so excited to hear about this place. Went on my lunch break and was excited to see how cool the atmosphere was. The food was great and the prices hit the spot! I love the ribs - to die for! Let's just say if you do have to wait - its worth it! Today will be my 4th time there ;)Shill Probability: 89 percent
The people at Glaze aren't done. They also have this to say on Yelp:
Love this place. Salmon tastes soooo good! The two girls that sell it (Abby and Cheyenne) are amazingly cute. omg.. Half of my office goes there every day, either to have salmon or to admire the girls!Shill Probability: 99 percent
— Aaron Baer-Harsha
· All Coverage of Adventures in Shilling [~ENY~]
[Photo]
Loading comments...