It's been far too long since we've checked in with Adventures in Shilling, our celebration of the greatest and grossest shills from around the interwebs. As usual, you too can help fight shills.
Love 'em or hate 'em, there's no denying that Epic Roasthouse and Waterbar have dramatically altered the Embarcadero dining landscape, particularly for the nearby restaurants that have largely skated along on great views and convenient locations. So, what are Kuletoville's new neighbors doing to adjust to life alongside two massive, high-profile restaurants? Some shilling may be afoot. Up first, a Curbed commenter supports Palomino's plight and shakes an angry fist at Epic and Waterbar:
"The only casualty right now is the folks at Palomino who are having to endure the loss of a prime view as they look right up the ass crack of these neighbors and the competition for cash from diner's wallets .... If Palomino is smart, it will undertake an interior renovation to be the better looking older sister to these upstarts. That is very possible if the pocket is deep enough. Palomino could easily turn inward and be a smashing dinner house with better color, lighting and artwork. It's a safe menu and the price point is perfect."Concerned citizen and Palomino fan? Certainly. Shill? Probably not. But fret not: it gets better. The shill-o-meter barrels well past the feared 50% barrier, coming right up:
Shill Probability: 29%
One Palomino-lovin' Yelper's first and only review:
"FYI This is strictly a happy hour reviewCiting business hours and prices while defending a restaurant against haters is never a good sign, but not as bad as three consecutive reviews by first- (and only-)timers that all reference an employee named Curtis down the road at Ozumo:4-6PM and 10-12PM provide one of the best happy hours in the city. $3 mojitos, wine, and margaritas, and 1/2 off really good apps.
Yes, the place is packed but that can be a good sign. Who cares about what the crowd is like? Why so much hate on Yelp for "corporate" or "Marina types"? I'm there to eat, drink, and hang with my friends. No one has ever bothered me or rubbed me wrong way, and I could care less what they're wearing or where they work."
Shill Probability: 75%
"The scene, service, & food was excellent. Very nice nice Saki selection and customer service was great. This my first visit and I will definitely return with my friends & co-workers. I was very pleased with the floor manager, Curtis. He was very professional and his entree recommendations were great."· Adventures in Shilling: This Post is a Jubili Knockoff [~ESF~]
Shill Probability, on its own: 50%
"Very nice place, and the service i had was great. The food was excellent and the staff and very professional and friendly. The Gyu Don was very good and Gindara was terrific And the friendly manager named Curtis checked on us to see how the food/service was and we were doing. Also our waitress was very professional and friendly explaining what was on each plate. Great place to take a date you will enjoy this place alot!!"
Shill Probability, eyebrows slowly starting to raise: 85%
"I never ever thought to write a review about a restaurant we, girlfriend and I have gone to ... It was a 6:PM reservation with a party of 7. We all get seated. Our waiter takes our drinks order and at no time I we felt pressure to order our entrees. And let me say, when our entrees came, our party was blown always with the first class service we received. I was also impressed when the floor manager came over and greeted our table. His professionalism was well welcome (I believe his name was Curtis) Any who, it was a good change from the usual feeling, get in, eat, get out, you get from most restaurants I've been to. And speaking of the food, we had the sashimi, a couple of small dishes, futago and hanabi, and I ended up with Kobe beef. By far, the best piece of steak I've ever had. Overall, will I bring my party to another sitting at Ozumo's, the answer is absolute f*# yeah; Pardon my French."
Shill Probability, taken all together: 95%
· Adventures in Shilling Archives [~ESF~]
