my best friend, James, and i had a falling out about a year ago. friday night he came over and we finally patched things up. we had been inseparable for about 11 years. he was my friend in need, been with me through thick, thin, then thick again (literally), shitty boyfriends, shitty apartments and shitty food experiences.
food was a big part of our bonding. we dished the dirt over tapas and burgers and salads and flan. we ate uptown and downtown, cooked at his battery park getaway, and my inwood ghetto.
so i absolutely couldnt wait to brag about how “different” inwood is now.
what a mistake.
saturday morning we took the dogs and all went on a long hike through the IHP trails all the way down to the marina. on the way back via dyckman, we were exhausted and starving.
let’s order park view! i suggested. it was one of the places we would go for brunch before all the restaurants up here even existed.
so we ordered the minute we walked in the door – and almost an hour later, the food arrived.
why hasnt anyone told me how much park view delivery sucks?
the food was soggy, wilted, and cold. his philly cheese steak was undercooked, and my chicken breast on focaccia with sundried and mozzarella was a mess. the bread wasn’t toasted, the fries were undercooked and greasy, there were maybe 3 small pieces of sundried tomato. this is not at all even close to how it’s served in the restaurant. it was all rushed. probably rushed to just sit there, not even under heat lamps, waiting for the next delivery person.
we were so disappointed, since we used to go for brunch before they stepped up the menu and made it “park view cafe.” before that, we just knew it as “the diner on dyckman.” back then we would get a huge brunch platter for about $3 bucks each, and when they completed the renovations we were thrilled for them.
now they have lines out the door, the plates are bigger, the servings are smaller and their delivery is awful.
why is it when neighborhoods gentrify, both old and new restaurants raise their prices, lower their quality and quantity, and service gets worse and worse?
do they not have to try harder now that people with higher income are moving into the ‘hood and filling their tables regularly?
guadelupe on 207th is a another good example of overpriced food and slowwww service.
there were quite a few diners up here not long ago – and most of them were just like The Capitol.
I am of the opinion that Park View has always sucked.
I really enjoy the Park View but they can be very slow. i wish we had a few more similiar diners in the neighborhood.
That’s just really, really disappointing. I’m a big fan of the PV and the folks there, but being able to deliver good food when it’s right around the damn corner is a basic restaurant thing. I wonder if there’s been some chef/management changeover there recently.
That just blows.
I think that when neighborhoods gentrify several things occur; one of which is real estate.
As demand goes up, and popularity increases, the landlords have an excuse to raise the rent, which causes the tenant to raise his prices. Eventually the tenant is squeezed out and the grumbling masses eagerly await the over-priced place to take over and call it progress. That is, the new residents, who have no history or memory of what preceded…
And it is these people who are clamoring for the sure to be over-priced new sushi joint on Dyckman. And these same people will grumble about the noise created by the inevitable outdoor seating and late hours.
You can’t stop progress. But with concerned people such as yourself and a few others, it is possible to reach out to the landlord or owner and let them know what the neighborhood expects.