Lakewood, NJ Restaurants Master Thread

[elazarmn]

It is the same for all intents and purposes. Functionality, look, durability, etc. It is chemically and structurally identical (other than minute differences in nitrogen). Even an expert jeweler with a loupe will not be able to tell the difference. It takes specialized equipment.

not sure your information but there are jewelers that can tell the difference. they would never but just on their guess but there are clues to a lab grown vs mined.

Functionally, it is the exact same.

true, but the higher the quality of a lab grown ( many many facets of the chemical and physics of how they are made) meaning the more time they take to produce and equals higher costs. that can translate to 3/4 of a price of a natural diamond. But as many jewelers will tell you the lab grown stuff that are going around and people are making jewelry with doesn't have the same sparkle and can have more brown hues then blue and loss of clarity due to the higher output of the facility they came from. So yes you saved money but it came at a price and naturally you told a jeweler that you are willing to sacrifice on color and clarity and want a larger stone you would also save money.

It is the same for all intents and purposes. Functionality, look, durability, etc. It is chemically and structurally identical (other than minute differences in nitrogen). Even an expert jeweler with a loupe will not be able to tell the difference. It takes specialized equipment.

very very few lab grown that are significantly cheaper at such high quality. They do exist but not like what people make it seem.

[Essen est zich]

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7095737910187933696

6k at seared...

[S209]

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7095737910187933696

6k at seared...

*7K

[YitzyS]

That does say a party of 14...

Honestly, what gets me the most about that receipt is that the tip is more than $1,000. I don't care how high-end you are, there is no reason a waiter in Ottimo should get $20 off a table while a waiter in Seared gets $1,000. The whole percentage scale should not be applicable here, or the default should be 5 or 8 percent. The fact that all receipts I saw showed 20 percent makes me think that it's not changeable.

[yuneeq]

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7095737910187933696

6k at seared...

*7K

Elu v’elu divrei…one is speaking before tip, the other after.

[liosac]

That does say a party of 14...

Honestly, what gets me the most about that receipt is that the tip is more than $1,000. I don't care how high-end you are, there is no reason a waiter in Ottimo should get $20 off a table while a waiter in Seared gets $1,000. The whole percentage scale should not be applicable here, or the default should be 5 or 8 percent. The fact that all receipts I saw showed 20 percent makes me think that it's not changeable.

In most restaurants in Lakewood the waiter doesn’t see a dime of the tip. It goes straight to the house.

[YitzyS]

In most restaurants in Lakewood the waiter doesn’t see a dime of the tip. It goes straight to the house.

Oh, okay. I'm much happier now.

/s

[yuneeq]

That does say a party of 14...

Honestly, what gets me the most about that receipt is that the tip is more than $1,000. I don't care how high-end you are, there is no reason a waiter in Ottimo should get $20 off a table while a waiter in Seared gets $1,000. The whole percentage scale should not be applicable here, or the default should be 5 or 8 percent. The fact that all receipts I saw showed 20 percent makes me think that it's not changeable.

The 20% is not changeable and is definitely ridiculous. Worth mentioning that tip is often split with kitchen staff.

[yuneeq]

In most restaurants in Lakewood the waiter doesn’t see a dime of the tip. It goes straight to the house.

I believe that’s illegal, and if so, I highly doubt this is common.

ETA: it is illegal

[liosac]

not sure your information but there are jewelers that can tell the difference. they would never but just on their guess but there are clues to a lab grown vs mined.
true, but the higher the quality of a lab grown ( many many facets of the chemical and physics of how they are made) meaning the more time they take to produce and equals higher costs. that can translate to 3/4 of a price of a natural diamond. But as many jewelers will tell you the lab grown stuff that are going around and people are making jewelry with doesn't have the same sparkle and can have more brown hues then blue and loss of clarity due to the higher output of the facility they came from. So yes you saved money but it came at a price and naturally you told a jeweler that you are willing to sacrifice on color and clarity and want a larger stone you would also save money. very very few lab grown that are significantly cheaper at such high quality. They do exist but not like what people make it seem.

Where are you getting your info from? A jeweler can only tell them apart with a specialized microscope that can show nitrogen presence. The quality claim is incorrect. Even the National Diamond Council, the mining trade group stopped making the quality claim when they realized it doesn’t hold water. Now they try to claim lab grown are worse for the environment.

Lab grown diamond prices have come down on the wholesale market tremendously in the last few years. We are talking same color and clarity.

[S209]

I believe that’s illegal, and if so, I highly doubt this is common.

ETA: it is illegal

If there is a mandatory charge and then an option to tip afterwards, it is legal.

Nj.gov

“No. If the employer’s establishment charges a compulsory service charge, such as 15 percent of the amount of the bill, this cannot be counted as tip under NJ law, even if the employer eventually distributes the charge to their employees.”

[liosac]

I believe that’s illegal, and if so, I highly doubt this is common.

ETA: it is illegal

https://thelakewoodscoop.com/news/letter-genevas-daas/

This has been discussed previously on ddf
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=12784.msg2660981#msg2660981

[yuneeq]

If there is a mandatory charge and then an option to tip afterwards, it is legal.

Nj.gov

“No. If the employer’s establishment charges a compulsory service charge, such as 15 percent of the amount of the bill, this cannot be counted as tip under NJ law, even if the employer eventually distributes the charge to their employees.”

It’s not optional almost anywhere

[S209]

It’s not optional almost anywhere

Nowadays, so those places are allowed to keep the tips. I’m old enough to remember tipping being optional.

[dealfinder11]

Just want to confirm - are service charges actually a tip charge? Or is it just an added fee for a restraunt similar to a fuel surcharge?

[liosac]

My kids want to know if they can order the Tomahawk and pay with a 24 pack of Poland Spring water with a few extra bottles for the tip.

[Joel]

Not if the portions are tiny.

Reviews on Google say the portions are tiny

[Alexsei]

Do people eating there know in advanced what premium they'll pay ? Or are they shocked when they find out? It seems the latter else why'd everyone post their receipts?

[aygart]

Do people eating there know in advanced what premium they'll pay ? Or are they shocked when they find out? It seems the latter else why'd everyone post their receipts?

To show off?

[Alexsei]

To show off?

In that case why are we complaining the restaurant is expensive it's exactly why these people went there in the first place, they're simply catering to a niche market. (AKA the charge me as much as you want but don't rip me off market)