You mean after they actually cook the damn thing? Presumably what people go out to eat for. 
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DID they actually give him a new set of cutlery and plate(s)?
I mean, all of your points are well taken… IF the fruit is amazing. And I think it makes sense that it will take them time to figure out the supply chain and such.
BUT, if the fruit ain’t amazing, I think it’s fair game for a decent amount of… side eye.
To speak to @aaqjr’s point, I’d prob pay $10 if the bowl exclusively contained the very best of Regier’s peach crop from this summer. Or the very best gaviotas I had from Rosewood. Or whatever oranges they use to make the wonderfully sweet, relatively low acid OJ at the Brentwood FM. Those things are all f*cking amazing.
I feel like that’s why I can criticize (relatively) freely, b/c I actually would pay good $ for amazing fruit. 
I wouldn’t even mind the plain-looking salad + goat cheese that @PorkyBelly had if the greens and dressing were great.
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A restaurant would lose money selling that quantity of Regier peaches for $10. And most of the year there simply isn’t anything on the level of peak-season peaches.
You don’t get it, don’t fucking order it. Don’t call out the restaurant so they’re afraid to give some customers what we want for fear of offending people who don’t.
What quantity are you talking about?
[quote=“robert, post:43, topic:13507”]
I shouldn’t call out a restaurant that’s famous for ingredient-forward dishes for possibly not having ingredients that are up to snuff??? I encourage you to think about that statement for a second. What is the point of this entire board, if it’s not to call out possible restaurant ridculous-ness?
Do you really think I don’t “get it” if I can name specific vendors from which I will buy certain ingredients at specific times of the year? When my partner bought non-Regier peaches this year, I gave him a stink eeye. That was the point of both of the articles you linked to post 20. I absolutely agree that there is value in hiring and paying people who can choose the best fruit of the season. But, without those people, the restaurant really is just putting unpeeled fruit in a bowl and calling it a day. And that’s lame.
And, while I don’t know the economics of running a restaurant, I would wager that appreciate good seasonal fruit more than most.
If the restaurant stands by its process, then why should they care what I think? I’m not an influencer and I don’t work in the industry. I didn’t tell them to choose a super expensive location in part of Los Angeles that’s been dying for decades.
Where did I say I expect peaches year round? I expect the best of what’s in season. We just finished w/ summer, so peaches and strawberries were at the top of mind. And if whatever the seasonal fruit is isn’t good enough, then the restaurant should have the integrity to not serve it at all.
The analogy people are making to wine is totally illogical in this situation b/c I don’t know of any restaurants that only offer a single wine choice. I don’t recall seeing on the LULU menu a choice for house oranges that are still tasty but not at the “Chez Panisse” level.
I get it; you seem to love Alice Waters and her style of cooking. That’s fine. I’ve never been to an Alice Waters restaurant and have no pre-formed opinion.
But swearing at me or my thoughts b/c I respectfully and thoughtfully express a dissenting opinion is really inappropriate, IMHO.
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It’s not about Alice Waters per se, we just both like the common European practice of having a simple fruit option for dessert on the menu.
I’m not swearing at anyone in particular, just pissed off in general at those who make it virtually impossible for American restaurants to do that. I think it’s the same crowd who force even the most sophisticated American restaurants to tart up their cheese plates with nuts, jam, honey, and other condiments.
It Italy sometimes they’d bring a bowl to the table and just charge for what you ate.
By quantity I meant the four mandarins in the original thread.
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Thankfully, I imagine the unadorned fruit haters are not a large proportion of the FTC crowd.
And I just meant peaches in a bowl in general. i would def NOT expect any place to serve me 4 whole peaches (even non-Regier ones) for $10!!! But 2 might be not be unreasonable… 
Enough to derail the Lulu @ Hammer topic.
A unpeeled banana or a citrus for dessert . Ok . I would prefer a bowl of peanuts or cheese.