I'm glad you think I have ___, but I was merely making an observation based on what I read. It was a far cry from bashing. I wouldn't say I have no idea what I am talking about being that I gave you an exact place to look up the halacha. Either way you asked your rav and I know what my rabaim have always taught me, so arguing is a bit futile. As for a hotel lobby it is a public area where many people only order drinks. A bar is permitted a restaurant is not. To mu knowledge it would most probably get into the discussion of gavra verse cheftza. The primary purpose of a hotel is to get a room, a bar is to drink, so people seeing you there would assume you are doing one of those. The primary purpose of a restaurant is to order food. If this restaurant is treif then it is maras ayin to be in there.
I would be interested what your rav would say about that letter by Reb Moshe.
a feisty one you are. Patience is a virtue. I do apologize if you feel it was lashon hara/in your opinion motzei shem ra.
You did post" I like how craz wont eat treif but has no qualms about maras ayin" my friend how is that anything but calling me out and bashing me?? Ive been off this site for yrs its you guys who for some unknown reason have a need to keep bringing me up again and again. Yes my FT handle was mentioned in the story (I wasnt interviewed for it , had I been I never would have allowed anything to be written, thats just how I am and how I reacted any time any person contacted me who was doing an article on something no real names can be used nor my handle of cause Im useless to them then (maybe useless under any condition) but thats their problem I seek no publicity. There wasnt a need to comment especially if a person wasnt there and doesnt know the 1st thing about me. That said Apology Accepted but please be careful going forward when saying anything about anyone
2- I hear ya about the difference between a bar maybe lounge is a better word and a hotel lobby. But many people at least in my time went to treif restaurants and had only drinks Im talking about Yeshiva people . True The River Cafe had an outside area where they wanted to stick the Yeshivish crowd but in my day folks were placed there as well if they werent have a full course dinner but were eating something. Many times at WoTW the people at the table next to me were eating a full dinner, yet almost every time I was there we had enough for a minyan.
before Lakewood got its 1st kosher Dunkin if you went into any Dunkin just outside of LW youd always run into a person sitting and having a coffee (I guess either black or they drink Halav Stam) and Dunkins have treif.
Over the yrs Ive discussed it with a number of Ravs, my Rav perse can no longer discuss it with anyone Unfortuately, he was Niftar
So if the primary reason of a Hotel is to get a room how can anyone go to a Hotel lobby on a date, least people seeing them think they are staying there or if they hit it off will get a room.A frum person will know whats happening but a non-religious person or goy probably wouldnt. Wouldnt that be miras ayin? yet the whole Olam goes I bet you if BK was a 5* place youd see them packing it in there as well. Its just youre not about to tell the girl when she asks where youre going a BK, but telling her WoTW thats AOK or any 5* treif restaurant that will serve them. I know you said a restaurant isnt Ok but youre talking to a wall when it comes to where people do actually go. Again they dont go to a BK simply since its not fancy, nor will they go to a Kosher Pizza store to get something to eat on that 1st date, it has to be a fancy place to make the stupid impression and to let her think you have Class (not you personally)
But back to Bens AFAIK Bens does not serve treif nor anything milchig, so therefore theres no case of maris ayin when it comes to Bens and thats what started the ball rolling. And I bet you anything had you walked in no way would you have said even to yourself when seeing me hey thats a frum guy sitting over there whats hes doing in here, after all, those at my table didnt even think I was Jewish yet be a frum person