gringal Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 Rumors, rumors, rumors. So, I'm checking out two of them: (1)Chef David still in charge of the kitchen at Tabarka? Still cooking? (2)Another rumor: the menu with prices had been replaced by a "pay what you think it's worth" policy, which sounded so unusual that I thought it time to get the "word" from those who've been there in recent days. What's the story? BTW, I'm a big fan of seafood and of Tabarka's way with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisa Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 David was in the kitchen last week. We went to Tabarka a few weeks ago (maybe two months) and they had just introduced a "pay what you think it's worth" policy. Last week they had prices on the menu. I was glad because it's my favorite restaurant and I don't want it to go out of business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted October 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 Thank you, Luisa. I'm glad to hear it as I'd like to have the pleasure of going there for a long time in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solajijic Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 We have paid both ways. About 6 weeks ago friends from the US stopped in on a closed day and David was there and he made them a smattering of menu items and they loved it and paid what it was worth. They went there all the time when they lived here so David was glad to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted October 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 We have paid both ways. About 6 weeks ago friends from the US stopped in on a closed day and David was there and he made them a smattering of menu items and they loved it and paid what it was worth. They went there all the time when they lived here so David was glad to see them. Glad that worked out, but I would feel much more comfortable paying what the owner says it's worth than making a guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solajijic Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 Yes I prefer a stated amount. Expectations being met both ways seems unlikely in a free for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexy Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 Here is what happened to us some weeks ago at Tabarka. We found it so awkward, so dumb on David's part, we didn't even want to mention it on this board. It was a Sunday, early, maybe 12:30 or 1 pm. We were the only customers. As usual, the waiter rolled over the menu. The prices had been erased. The waiter said they were trying something new and we would be asked to pay what we thought the meal was worth. I made a silly joke and asked what would happen if we didn't like anything. The waiter said we wouldn't pay anything. Of course, we knew this wouldn't happen and we settled in. And yet we began our meal with an uneasy feeling--how strange. We had, I think, an appetizer and for sure we both had grilled octopus entree plus wine. Since my husband cannot eat wheat, they brought him corn tortillas to go with that mayo/garlic spread that is always served. At the meal's end, a little box, as I recall it, was brought over for us to put in our estimate of what the meal was worth. A large plastic jar was also plonked down that was marked for tips. We knew from our past visits what the octopus entree cost, so we calculated that (and the appetizer if we'd had it). We couldn't remember what the wine by the glass had been in the past, so we guessed at it and added it to our total. We told our waiter how we'd come to our total. It was an uncomfortable ending to a meal. Why were we doing this? Why did we do along with it? (A friend told us her husband would have walked out from the start.) What was David trying to learn from this "experiment"? Would our remarks to the waiter be carried back to David? If he wanted to learn something from his customers, wouldn't it have been a good idea for David to come by and ask what we thought of all this? He didn't. David is certainly an outstanding chef and a nice man. We thought, that day, maybe he hasn't much sense as a restaurateur. It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience for us and we haven't been back since. Considering his relationship--which may be off now--with a close-by new restaurant maybe our guess that David makes some no-so-good decisions as a business man is so spot-on. We wish him well. If anyone knows if prices are back on the menu board, please let us know. Lexy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 I've heard of restaurants in the States & elsewhere that have done this. How successful they've been, I don't know but it would be the last thing I'd do here. I suspect it didn't work out too well at Tabarka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexy Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 I've heard of restaurants in the States & elsewhere that have done this. How successful they've been, I don't know but it would be the last thing I'd do here. I suspect it didn't work out too well at Tabarka. Yes, I did wonder about this. It seemed likely it had been done (tried) other places.But the point is/was? Lexy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 Maybe he had heard about it & decided to try it? I wouldn't be comfortable with no prices listed, especially if I hadn't been there before & didn't know his usual pricing schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 I'll bet PROFECO will frown on this policy. Prices must be posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmh Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 there was a crazy restaurant owner in Albuquerque that did exacly that On top of it people woul put the money in the ash register, would make their own change nd leave the tip. It was a large place, the tables were not cleared and whe every table had been used that was the end of the work day. Believe it or not they were successful. The food was good and the owners were crazy. The entertainement was he owner keeping the clientele aware on how his suing the cruiseline he had taken a cruise on went. They had advertised the cruise was children free and it was not so he sued the company. He was a lawyer.. Anyone remenbes the name of that place? They had cajun food in Albuquerque...I do not remember wht happened to them but they must have retired or gone under eventually but when I used to call on them they made money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PULELEHUA Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 No prices on the menu??? Gads! Thrown out into the middle of the Lake without so much a compass, let alone a chocolate bar?!!! As long as you were told, in advance, there were no wrong answers, why not just join the fun and let your money do the talking just as David hoped you would? For all you know, he had already set up a betting pool on the outcome! For sure, nothing would deter us from enjoying the product of any kitchen David is running! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairysilver Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 David was there last friday, and made a special tuna hamburger Tapas for us to try, excellent, we had the best scallops ever, and prices were on the menue...we are regulars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisa Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 The prices are definitely back on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexy Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 The prices are definitely back on! Then we'll go back. We didn't see the "fun" of the no-prices, leave what the meal was worth experiment. If there had been a point to it, wish we'd known what it was. However that restaurant owner in Albuquerque that bmh posted about where you even made your own change--now that's nutty enough to be fun. Lexy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.