Are we looking at the same photo? Look at where peoples heads are FACING.
And again, is this a weekend? I challenge you to find a picture of a line that isn’t this right now.
Not a hall it’s just a fact.
Gold’s 101 list was an annual magazine-style insert in the LA Times.
I would imagine that I know what I’m talking about since I took the picture myself. That’s only half the people that were in line. In fact, there was a line down the hall the entire 2 hours I spent there.
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the four times i’ve gone since the pandemic started, i’ve never waited behind more than 2 groups, although those were all mid-afternoon weekday visits. but i feel like this place would be justified in having a line like the hot chicken place in chinatown… which very thankfully it doesn’t!
interesting you didnt answer the question whether it was a weekend or not (which it was im sure).
both times I’ve gone Chichen Itza was at least 3x more crowded each time.
and going by Roberts standard you can look at the Yelp reviews as well. about 450 vs. 1300 (!!). that says it all.
again, if someone has heard of “all” 101 restaurants on JG’s list, they are a foodie.
I consider myself a foodie and I probably know only about 65-75 of the restaurants.
Chichen itza has been around a lot longer than holbox
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Chichen Itza opened in 2001, Holbox in 2017…
Not at all, just LA Times subscribers. They didn’t make plans to work their way through the list or anything like a foodie would. They didn’t try Animal, which is in their own neighborhood, until I took them there.
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The fame/recognition of restaurants is all relative. Just because a particular place doesn’t have lines around the block or fully booked reservations 3 months out doesn’t make them a “hidden gem”.
There are plenty of places out there mentioned previously like Providence and Angler that have a significant amount of PR firepower behind them. Others like Holbox gain recognition through more grassroots efforts and find themselves in the press.
It all depends on how people are getting their information and where “foodie tourists” go to get their information. For instance, if you asked me about a random city (Chicago, Dallas, Miami, etc.) I could maybe name one spot off the top of my head without doing any research first. If I was to start looking up places to hit on a trip, yes those with the PR muscle would probably rise to the top faster simply because they have the money behind them, but that doesn’t mean that some of the other excellent but less PR-repped restaurants wouldn’t land on my list. It just depends on how much time and effort I’m investing in the search.
Would the typical tourist that just coming to LA to go to the Hollywood walk of fame, wants to hit Pink’s for lunch, and is just going to ask their hotel concierge where to go to dinner (answers ranging anywhere from the Hard Rock Cafe to The Palm) know to go to Holbox? Probably not. But they’re not putting in the work that would lead them there.
The same can probably be said about residents of a particular city. I’m sure many that call themselves “foodies” are stoked to go to Nusr-Et, but may not know of some of the places that are discussed often in local press that don’t have the money behind them.
What places are well-known/under-the-radar is subjective once you get past the money (yes including that behind the Michelin guide) pushing certain paces to the top and who’s doing the research.
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When it comes to the term “foodies”, many of us old-time ex-Chowhound users still ride and die by Jim Leff’s OG Chowhound Manifesto…
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I’ve proudly identified as a foodie since the first time I encountered the term.
I think you’re just struggling with the inference of a hidden gem and it’s all subjective at the end of the day. It’s certainly no where near that here or even to a less interested group so it’s funny to see it mentioned that way. But someone could also call Bestia a hidden gem by the same token if we’re using those parameters. However, I’m starting to understand this is just your schtick, so it’s all good, we’ll just move on.
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The only thing I’m getting from this debate is the realization that I’ve never been to Holbox on a weekend.
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why are things labeled threat or menace here? Weird
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Upcoming thread:
Threat or menace: threat or menace?
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LOL! 
@BringYourBrunch it’s a jokey thing our host does when we bicker or get too far off-topic on another thread.
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