Thanks!!!
[quote=“Haeldaur, post:40, topic:4358”]
I’m starting to think I just don’t understand what makes for a good new restaurant anymore
[/quote]You’re not alone. A few people on this board have been less than impressed. It seems the space and the presentation of the food is beautiful. But they forgot the food needs to taste good.
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You have to understand that most of the middle class (and most of the upper class as well) finds it offensive to go eat in “ghettos”, or just any scummy place without enough other monied people.
Otium is not exactly a cheap development. It’s located on prime real estate, with a multimillion dollar build out. That’s obvious of course, the high prices of falafels are paying for the privilege of eating them in a faux art gallery…but the psychology is much more than that. You average diner at Otium has probably never eaten falafels, or kimchi fried rice because they would never go to Koreatown to eat. This food is entirely new to them, so they have no idea what they are missing, or even what to compare it to. However, even if they did, I bet they would still fill up Otium for the comfort of eating around other members of the same class and being served by pretty white people.
And, in fact, you have to imagine that Otium was not designed to challenge palates, or do much of anything of greatness in terms of cuisine given the massive investment behind it that needed to be repaid. They necessarily set their sights on mediocrity due to the nature of the game.
As for other openings…what counts as a “big opening”?
Hi @Haeldaur,
You’re not alone. I agree with your assessment as well. None of our group (we had 5 and went twice) were impressed. It’s a nice space, but Otium was expensive for what we got. But I’ve heard there are some dishes (some on special) that are very good, so I might go back one day and try. But I don’t have an urge at all to return right now.
I am going to have to disagree with this one. I’m pretty sure no matter how wealthy you are, you have at least tried a falafel. Unless you’re really old and rich and super-white, and were born into that lifestyle. But then those people don’t really eat at restaurants, do they, hmmmm?
I don’t have the words to express just how wrong that statement is.
In fact, I’m not even sure there are words in the English language to express the incorrectness of that statement.
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I’m gonna edit this…
In my experience this is completely true outside of very very few exceptions (I myself being one).
I would genuinely be fascinated to hear alternative theories about why Otium is packed every night though.
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Maybe so but only because of their infiltration into health food circles. Most of the things Otium is riffing on other than Falafels are probably new experiences haha
But also yes I think old rich white people eat at Otium.
[quote=“Bookwich, post:47, topic:4358”]
I am going to have to disagree with this one. I’m pretty sure no matter how wealthy you are, you have at least tried a falafel. Unless you’re really old and rich and super-white, and were born into that lifestyle. But then those people don’t really eat at restaurants, do they, hmmmm?
[/quote]You are a smarty. I hope I don’t embarrass him. But you just described Aesthete’s lineage. He’s an escapee from the trappings of old money and his perspectives reflect it in a jarring sort of way.
With one exception @Bookwich. They do eat at restaurants or “clubs”… The same ones they have been eating at for years.
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I’m not sure what health infiltration means in this context. I was referring to the wealthy that don’t dwell amongst us. They dine at home or at acquaintances’ homes. Not in public.
And I have to agree with @bulavinaka. Plus, that is one of the oddest things I’ve ever heard when someone is discussing class division.
Food, fashion and music are means for different classes to connect, not avoid.
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@TheCookie Ah yes, the clubs. 
And I know people that would think Hatchet Hall is slumming it, so whatever. 
What’d I say? Well, what ever it was, thanks for concurrring.
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[quote=“bulavinaka, post:54, topic:4358, full:true”]
What’d I say? Well, what ever it was, thanks for concurrring.
[/quote]I was just typing the same thing. You know I always want to know… What did bulavinaka say?
Everything you say is profound, but In this case I meant to refer to @ipsedixit. Stupid spell check.
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Places like Cafe Gratitude and Erewhon make falafels.
Maybe in an ideal world but I don’t see much class mixture. Some sure but the mixture seems super limited and one directional inI my experience.
How would fashion be a mixing ground? I actually worked in fashion… It’s absurdly alienating to the lower classes rom my experience. Could you expand on what you mean?
You genuinely think people earning $20,000 a year are mingling with millionaires to drop $100-$200 on a meal? Genuinely asking as this doesn’t seem at all true from my experience.
The wealthy eating at home you are right about. It’s more upper middle class people needing to be in the right sorts of places.
Though believe it or not even the wealthy do dine out sometimes 
I just finished another meal at Hatchet Hall. It is definitely slumming it in the best sense of the word. 
Despite my pretensions, even I find the people who consider anything without Michelin stars beneath them insufferable.
You think Otium caters to those people? It’s only marginally more expensive.
Well perhaps, but I am basing this off of people I’ve met in my life not my family.
Phil Rosenthal grew up lower class and famously talks about discovering garlic only in his college years.
Most people do not expose themselves to different types of food. And most people in LA wouldn’t drive 20-30 min each way into south central for a Torta. Hell I can’t even get my middle class friends to drive from WeHo to Thai town most nights…
Most people eat a narrow range of things they enjoy that are easily available goong by all the people I’ve ever met all over. The members of this forum seem to have an aversion to thinking they are special but they fall well outside of dining norms as far as I can tell.
Just because we are one way doesn’t mean everyone is… But I’m open to hearing other viewpoints. From my perspective, if most people are like the members of thus forum then I have just been absurdly unlucky in who I encounter in the world…
Food, fashion and music often DO come from the disadvantaged. Those that are challenged have but their wits to work magic. They often create the silk from the sow’s ear. Some are lucky enough to turn their creations into true wealth. Unfortunately, the advantaged often capitalize on these creations by leveraging, buying out or usurping said creations.
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I know! I didn’t say they didn’t. That’s what I meant by bringing people together. Some call it cultural appropriation, I think of it as appreciation. But then I tend to see the world through rose-colored glasses.
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I think it is a gross over-generalization, and puts it in stark, uncomfortable terms. But if you asked many upper-middle class people on the West side if they want to go eat at a Mexican place on Adams, east of La Brea, I can assure you the answer is “no thanks.”
The truth is, what makes Otium popular is the fact that it’s popular. Like Kim Kardashian or any other number of celebrities, these things are often circular. People like going to Otium because it’s packed, hard to get into, has a convivial atmosphere and a beautiful space, and the food is beautifully presented. The food is sort of an after thought.
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