The happy hour hoax
Two Mondays ago my middle school bff Alana and I met for happy hour, since we're now both NYC commuters and need a drink after work. Alana met me near my office-in the armpit of Manhattan-and we attempted to find a happy hour. Let me back up for a bit. I literally work in the last desirable niehgborhood in Manhattan. I work in Midtown, which any person who's spent more than 3 days in New York will tell you is the worst part of the city. But not only that, I work on the outskirts of the garment district, which is so lame that Google neighborhoods (or whatever it's called) has decided my block is one of only maybe 10 blocks in Manhattan not worth the minimum wage they paid the videographer to track.
Anyway, after walking 10 blocks into a neighborhood google would find worthy we found a bar/restaurant that looked acceptable offering $5 special martinis. We assumed every martini was special and each ordered the martini of our choosing. I chose some keylime assortment and Alana got a Cosmo. When the bill came, our martinis were each $11! Outraged, I asked my waitress what was up. She said that only the *special* martinis were $5 that week, in the case of that particular day, it was an apple martini, which each of us would have happily gotten. After we got over our sadness, we disgruntly paid our bill and left, never to return again.
The next week Alana and I again did happy hour, this time in Murray Hill, where she was crashing at her cousin's apartment for 2 weeks and I was looking at an apartment to rent. First of all, an aside: I love Murray Hill and want to live there. It is conveniently sandwiched between my job and Union Square/East Village. There is a bar, restaurant, store on every corner.Everyone is young, and I was worried it woudl be too fratty/straight for me, but I think that is the only negative in a sea full of positives. Unfortunately, though I liked the share apartment I looked at, said I wanted it, and I didn't get it. :(. And according to craigslist, I probably looked at one of the cheapest apartments in Murray Hill ever. le sigh.
Anyway, back to the happy hour hoax. Alana and I found a cute Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood, carefully examining the happy hour menu and listening intently to the hostess's careful explanation of the happy hour special, including 2 for 1 martinis.
So we assumed we could each buy a margarita and only be charged for one. Right? Wrong. When the bill came, we were EACH charged for a martini. After we got over laughing, I asserted to the waitress about this scam. I spoke to the hostess as well, "So why don't we just pretend I ordered both of the drinks? This doesn't make sense." Finaly the manager just said, "forget it." And we were only charged for one martini. I successfully jewed them down.
And Alana and I have both learned our lesson: Happy hour is not so happy.
Anyway, after walking 10 blocks into a neighborhood google would find worthy we found a bar/restaurant that looked acceptable offering $5 special martinis. We assumed every martini was special and each ordered the martini of our choosing. I chose some keylime assortment and Alana got a Cosmo. When the bill came, our martinis were each $11! Outraged, I asked my waitress what was up. She said that only the *special* martinis were $5 that week, in the case of that particular day, it was an apple martini, which each of us would have happily gotten. After we got over our sadness, we disgruntly paid our bill and left, never to return again.
The next week Alana and I again did happy hour, this time in Murray Hill, where she was crashing at her cousin's apartment for 2 weeks and I was looking at an apartment to rent. First of all, an aside: I love Murray Hill and want to live there. It is conveniently sandwiched between my job and Union Square/East Village. There is a bar, restaurant, store on every corner.Everyone is young, and I was worried it woudl be too fratty/straight for me, but I think that is the only negative in a sea full of positives. Unfortunately, though I liked the share apartment I looked at, said I wanted it, and I didn't get it. :(. And according to craigslist, I probably looked at one of the cheapest apartments in Murray Hill ever. le sigh.
Anyway, back to the happy hour hoax. Alana and I found a cute Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood, carefully examining the happy hour menu and listening intently to the hostess's careful explanation of the happy hour special, including 2 for 1 martinis.
So we assumed we could each buy a margarita and only be charged for one. Right? Wrong. When the bill came, we were EACH charged for a martini. After we got over laughing, I asserted to the waitress about this scam. I spoke to the hostess as well, "So why don't we just pretend I ordered both of the drinks? This doesn't make sense." Finaly the manager just said, "forget it." And we were only charged for one martini. I successfully jewed them down.
And Alana and I have both learned our lesson: Happy hour is not so happy.
Labels: happy hour, hoax, midtown