french laundry cancellation policy

[livnihs05]

does anyone know if i can transfer the resservations for the french laundry to someone else?

[mikeh]

Does any restaurant require that you show ID to prove that you are the person whose name the reservation appears under? I've never encountered that, not once.

If not, just have whomever ends up taking your reservation say, "yeah, party of two under Baller T. Smith". How will they know no one in the attending party is named that?

[nocharge]

I think Momofuku Ko in NYC is the only place where I've been asked to show ID.

[mikeh]

Ouch. So much for taking girls out under a made-up name/persona!

[lizziee]

I would suggest that you never do that, particularly at FL. The service team prides themselves on excellent service and getting to know their patrons. If you go under a "pretend" name, you will end up losing in the end. Let a person on the wait list have your reservation. It will be a win/win for both parties. Just ask to be on the wait list when you can make it in the future.

[artychokeasana]

Curious-do you think/know that there are many repeat diners at FL? It seems to me that at the price point of FL it is a one or two visit, very special occasion sort of place.

[lizziee]

The majority of diners are first timers, but there a lot of "regulars."

[artychokeasana]

Interesting. I would imagine some of the regulars might be expense account wine country business and some financial industry expense account? And then a lucky group who just can...would that that were me :-)

[Robert Lauriston]

Phoebe Damrosch's memoir of being a waiter at Per Se, "Service Included," has details about some of the regulars there. I presume TFL's regulars are fairly similar.

[artychokeasana]

Sounds like it could be an interesting read-thanks for the tip.

[lizziee]

Robert, you are correct and no they are not expense account people - just people who love good food and wine and would rather spend it at the FL than some "fancy" stuff or whatever their extravagant passions are.

[artychokeasana]

hmm...I never meant to imply that an expense account precluded a passion or deep interest in food. Sorry if it seemed that way. In my experience most people who live in wine country (my first expense account subset) are incredibly passionate about food and I think the financial subset has a mixed bag of people truly interested in food and trophy collectors. I did mean to say that FL is so expensive that it would be hard for most people to go there very often. And at the moment I'll stand by that idea.

Course I haven't yet the book Robert suggested yet-so I'm still all theory here.

[wolfe]

link to review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/boo...

[artychokeasana]

That was an very interesting review. Thanks for linking it.

[wolfe]

I believe it has been done on this board but I just can't find it right now. Sort of like "I have dinner reservations on April 14 at 7, I can not make it. If you want them contact me at cametomysenses.com.

[wolfe]

And on the other hand...
http://eater.com/archives/2010/10/22/...

[abstractpoet]

My recollection was that the reservationist at TFL saw that thread and replied to inform the poster that the restaurant had gone ahead and canceled his/her reservation and given it to the next person on the waiting list.

So...if you want to attempt a transfer, maybe it's best not to attempt it over the Internet. =)