New York restaurants drop attitude, kiss ass

New York City has lots and lots of restaurants: famous ones, dumpy diners, snobby boites, vintage saloons, burger joints, tapas bars, tandoori temples — you name it. But even in the biggest restaurant town in America, the competition for customers in the worst economy in decades has taken on an almost desperate edge. In today’s New York Times feature by restaurant critic Frank Bruni, covers the new reality: formerly snotty, high-falutin’ restaurants are dropping their once impenetrably icy attitude. One restaurant owners says he’s now willing to “hug” customers — I think he was speaking metaphorically here. Or maybe not: I’m wondering if I stop into The American Restaurant for lunch today, I can get a nice hug and a $9.99 steak — like the current beef special at all the Applebee’s restaurants.

I mean, I can try, can’t I?