Anti-Tom's campaign on Washington Ave.?

ana.log

i noticed today outside of tom's that there is a tree dedicated to someone I assume is Gus's son Tom, and the restaurant's namesake. Can someone confirm? Is this dedication new? I never noticed it before....

t-fal

i thought tom was the name of his father... but either way, sad

alafairnadia

so flickr/my cameraphone ate the photo, but friday night I saw the signboard outside of cafe shane and was SHOCKED. it basically said (and I'm paraphrasing) "this is the point, we have the best food in the neighborhood, hands down." um. so does that mean you think you have better food than say, garden cafe? are you RETARDED? christ. so stupid. I think I'm never eating there again.

t-fal

they say they have great food...fine, whatever... why do they need to be all up in our grill about it?

its not like i'm going to read that board and think, well GOLLY, if its on a chalkboard, then is MUST be true! the food should speak for itself.

bluedove

I agree. It really annoys me...why be negative??? Why trash a neighborhood treasure? Just cook your omelets and play your jazz and compete through offering CHOICE.

And besides, we just went to Tavern on Dean for the first time for brunch on Saturday (I know!) and it is DEFINITELY worth the walk over there if I'm not in a Tom's mood. Shane's might not have seen the absolute last of me, but it's going to see a lot less.

whyfi

Subject: Shane

i ate there for the first time, over the weekend. we had brunch- the food was good, but "the best damn food in the neighborhood" (i think that that's what the sign reads)? it's a stretch at best... but it's advertising- i personally didn't see it as an attempt to degrade the competition.

carnivore

Subject: Re: Shane

nybt wrote: i ate there for the first time, over the weekend. we had brunch- the food was good, but "the best damn food in the neighborhood" (i think that that's what the sign reads)? it's a stretch at best... but it's advertising- i personally didn't see it as an attempt to degrade the competition.

I don't know about degrading, but I do find the whole tone of the place to be sort of smarmy and annoying.

whyfi

Subject: Re: Shane

Carnivore wrote: [quote=nybt]i ate there for the first time, over the weekend. we had brunch- the food was good, but "the best damn food in the neighborhood" (i think that that's what the sign reads)? it's a stretch at best... but it's advertising- i personally didn't see it as an attempt to degrade the competition.

I don't know about degrading, but I do find the whole tone of the place to be sort of smarmy and annoying.

i didn't get that, but again, it was my only time there... to be honest, though, we were only there because tom's was closed (vacation?!). because of the chatter on the boards, i was really jonesin' for some pancakes.

mr. tips

Shane blows. Toms rocks. Shane gives you a side of attitude with your meal. Toms gives you grits.

anonymous

Subject: Yeah, but avoid the bleach on Tom's sidewalk

I have had two pairs of pants ruined this summer by bleach splashed from Gus' attempt at over-cleansing the sidewalk. I thought for a day about calling 311 and having the city sack him with an environmental code violation, but then I decided I could eat the $200 I've lost in ruined wardrobe and chalk it up to the price of living in the Big City.

Also, is anyone else creeped out at how aggressively Gus kisses children? He strikes me as the dirty old uncle everyone tolerates at the holidays.

Good crab cakes with eggs, though.

dailyheights

Pants cost $100 now? Damn.

alafairnadia

Subject: Re: Yeah, but avoid the bleach on Tom's sidewalk

guest wrote: I have had two pairs of pants ruined this summer by bleach splashed from Gus' attempt at over-cleansing the sidewalk. I thought for a day about calling 311 and having the city sack him with an environmental code violation, but then I decided I could eat the $200 I've lost in ruined wardrobe and chalk it up to the price of living in the Big City.

have you considered asking Gus to stop it? that said, I walk past Tom's almost every day on my way to work and have yet to ruin any pants due to bleach. I'll attempt to splash next time.

anonymous

For the record, Tom was Gus' father who initially owned the place and who passed away last year after living with Alzheimer's for quite some time.

And as for thinking Gus is creepy or wondering why he's not open on Sunday - Gus is a wonderful old-fashioned New York business-owner. He gets to know his customers, he does love kids and Sundays are sacred to him. He takes his one or two weeks vacation per year and closes the place.

I have to say it really bothers me that people think that somehow they're entitled to Tom's on Sundays. Whatever his reasoning, whatever his and your religious belief, it just ain't open. Deal with it.

caaahyoko

Subject: Re: Shane

Carnivore wrote: [quote=nybt]i ate there for the first time, over the weekend. we had brunch- the food was good, but "the best damn food in the neighborhood" (i think that that's what the sign reads)? it's a stretch at best... but it's advertising- i personally didn't see it as an attempt to degrade the competition.

I don't know about degrading, but I do find the whole tone of the place to be sort of smarmy and annoying.

No kidding about the annoying bit. My boyfriend often tells me about how the staff (girls and guys) always strike up an inappropriately personal line of questioning with him. He just wants to eat his breakfast omlette and read the paper, people.

smokin joe

[MOD NOTE]Topic moved.[/MOD NOTE]

tom, who founded the restaurant, was gus's father.

i too wish tom's were open on sundays, a day i like to go out for breakfast. and certainly gus knows he could make a bundle adding another weekend day. it may seem unamerican that someone who has a hot business going simply passes on an easy opportunity to make a buck, but i have a lot of respect for someone who isn't in life just for the money. if he responds to a higher authority than the almighty greenback, more power to him.

as to his friendliness, i've never found the slightest suggestion of inappropriateness. it may be hard for some people to get their heads around, especially in this city, but there are still some people in the world who are just nice. not because he's trying to sell you something, not because he's trying to generate good p.r. (although that may be a side effect), not in a smarmy, ingraciating way, it's just that he's friendly and then people are friendly back and that interaction feeds off itself and makes both parties genuinely happy. that's one reason tom's is a refreshing oasis of civility in this busy, rude metropolis. i've been taking my daughter there since she was 3 and he has always treated her as though she's his favorite grand-niece. that (and the waffles) make my daughter happy. and that makes me happy.

as to shanes, they are lucky to be on the same block. they have built a business on the overflow from tom's, the fact that a steady stream of hungry foot traffic passes in front of their door en route to tom's and especially the fact that tom's is closed sundays. and they know that. it's a shame that they would feel the need to disparage the hand that feeds them, but i can only assume it's out of desperation.

sweet vs. savory: yes, the pancakes are good, but if you just want a classic plate of eggs, toast and grits, cheap, quick and good, tom's can't be beat. and the spinach and swiss cheese omelette is a winnner.

and not to take a shot at shane's which, as posters have pointed out, does a good job doing what it does, but they could learn a thing or two about service from tom's. at shane's, on a busy sunday, i've waited 20 minutes just to get my coffee. at tom's, the coffee appears when i sit down, or, on saturdays, while i'm in line before i even get a table. i cannot tell you how much i appreciate that.

i'm not saying tom's is the best restaurant in the neighborhood or that gus is a saint, but it's a damned fine diner and gus is a good guy.

(request to moderator: can this thread be moved to or linked to the ph bulletin board, since tom's is in ph?)

smokin joe

wow. i asked if this thread could be moved or linked to the ph forum and no sooner had i posted than it appeared there. not sure how that happened, but cool.

axel foley

I go to Tom's almost every Saturday, and appreciate the food and atmosphere a great deal. It's a staple of life around here. But Gus's behavior, in my opinion, can sometimes border on the inappropriate--or if not the inappropriate, the annoying.

I usually go to Tom's with my roommates, but a few weeks ago I went alone, and Gus made a joke about Carla (one of the waitresses) liking "single men" or something. I laughed as he made both of us feel a little uncomfortable, but didn't think much of it. But just about every time I've gone there since, he mentions Carla and how she's my "girlfriend," etc., and it's just tiresome. A couple weeks ago I went with a female friend of mine, and now he's talking about how I "cheated" on her and about how things are all over between us. I play along, but it's actually pretty annoying. I will continue to go there because he's obviously not trying to be annoying (in fact, he probably thinks I go there enough and he knows me enough to say this) and also because I feel like Saturday is not complete without huevos rancheros... but this seemed relevant to the discussion.

Again, not trying to be negative about Tom's for the sake of being negative--overall, I love the place, and I think Gus is a really nice guy who just has trouble with boundaries sometimes.

steve austin

Thank you Axel because I had a similar experience with Gus but I thought that it was too stupid to discuss in public. I used to work out at Eastern Athletic at 6:30 am and grab a cup of coffee at Tom's to wake me up before my workout. For some reason Gus thought that because I came in everyday in workout clothes I was unemployed, which unfortunately I am not. So he started making jokes about my finding a job everyday. He would actually say stuff like "It must be nice not working and just going to the gym", which pissed me off because I work about 10-12 hours a day. I got so annoyed that I eventually bought a coffee maker with a timer so that coffee would be ready by the time I went to the gym. Then I stopped going to the gym and put on a lot of weight. I am not, however, blaming Gus for my weight. But it should be pointed out that he gets a little too familiar at times and makes inappropriate comments. If I on the other hand pointed out that his voice is a little high and if I had to put money on it I would bet that he is a little light in the loafers then I would be the bad guy. By the way, I am not really sure where this argument is going.

oiseau

Steve Austin wrote: I used to work out at Eastern Athletic at 6:30 am and grab a cup of coffee at Tom's to wake me up before my workout.

Some of the weakest coffee east of Flatbush. There is are too many American flags in there as well.

apollonia666

Steve Austin wrote: If I on the other hand pointed out that his voice is a little high and if I had to put money on it I would bet that he is a little light in the loafers then I would be the bad guy.

Yeah, it might. Is making insinuations about his possibly being gay as a dig rather than focusing on the annoying behavior really necessary?

thesordidaffair

What in God's name did Gus do to half of you?

Are you people really, like, actually complaining that a kindly old man from the neighborhood has the indecency to (ugh!) talk and joke around with customers in his own restaurant? Am I somehow misinterpreting something? I mean, I know everyone's really busy and all, and I know it really must sting to have an old man suggest a waitress is someone's girlfriend, but do you people really think he's, like, a bad guy because of it? That type of shit makes me sick.

The guy's an Orthodox Christian. He doesn't believe in working on Sunday. Case closed. Money isn't his primarly motivation. He's an old man and he has enough of that stuff. Maybe, just maybe, you hundred-dollar pants-wearers (have they impressed anyone yet?) could wrap your vicious, money-grubbing ganglions around the notion that a kindly old man might like kissing children, meeting his neighbors, and seeing people enjoy the food in a restaurant he and his father made a landmark? Is it possible for ya'll to even consider that money isn't the most important thing to everyone on earth?

Maybe I'm naive. Maybe it's, like, lame of me to criticize people who go on the internet to complain that some old man doesn't know his place enough to realize his brand of friendship isn't good enough for the iPod and SODA set. I know my wife and I like talking to Gus, "inappropriateness" be damned. I know I'd rather talk to him than virtually any of my peers.

Oh, and I've lived like two or three blocks away from Tom's for some time. I've never seen him dump anything on the sidewalk in any but the most gracious sort of way. What type of retard walks into a stream of streetwater anyway?

dailyheights

I think you need to cool down a little. 8)

In any case, at least try to be nice. Don't jump to conclusions and take out your hate on "half" of us.

1. In this discussion, there is a single comment from some anonymous guest who finds Gus creepy and is incensed because his/her pants got ruined.

2. There is also a single question from someone who very innocently wanted to know about the Sunday thing... which unleashed the wrath of another anonymous guest (a very famous one who is legendary around these parts) with a very large axe to grind.

I think pretty much everyone else understands that Tom's is a neighborhood treasure and that Gus is one of the nicest and hardest working business owners on Washington Ave. (besides WhyFi's wife, of course)

young snitch

dailyheights and thesordidaffair:

step your pants game up.

dailyheights

I don't understand what that means but I laughed anyway.

apollonia666

I would like to add that I LOVE the burgers at Tom's. That's all.

Oh, and the lemon ricotta pancakes. Man, I may have to go over there tomorrow!

doctorj

thesordidaffair wrote: Maybe, just maybe, you hundred-dollar pants-wearers (have they impressed anyone yet?) could wrap your vicious, money-grubbing ganglions around the notion

This wins my vote for most evocative put-down of the week.

ana.log

doctorj wrote: [quote=thesordidaffair]Maybe, just maybe, you hundred-dollar pants-wearers (have they impressed anyone yet?) could wrap your vicious, money-grubbing ganglions around the notion

This wins my vote for most evocative put-down of the week.

do hundred-dollar jeans count?

whyfi

ana.log wrote: [quote=doctorj][quote=thesordidaffair]Maybe, just maybe, you hundred-dollar pants-wearers (have they impressed anyone yet?) could wrap your vicious, money-grubbing ganglions around the notion

This wins my vote for most evocative put-down of the week.

do hundred-dollar jeans count?

Mine didn't cost a hundred, but they are fancy... does that count?

bigguy

Please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is an Orthodox Christian? I've heard of Greek and Russin Orthodox but not just plain "Orthodox". Is it sort of a fundamentalist, born-again kind of thing?

Here's Wiki, but I'm not sure either of these apply:

The term Orthodox Christian refers to two Christian traditions:

* Oriental Orthodoxy, the Miaphysite Christian Church which separated from the Chalcedonian Christian Church in the 5th century; accepting only the first three Ecumenical councils.
* Eastern Orthodoxy, the name of the easterly continuation of the Chalcedonian Christian Church following the Great Schism with the Western Church in the 11th century.

doctorj

BigGuy wrote: Please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is an Orthodox Christian? I've heard of Greek and Russin Orthodox but not just plain "Orthodox". Is it sort of a fundamentalist, born-again kind of thing?

Here's Wiki, but I'm not sure either of these apply:

The term Orthodox Christian refers to two Christian traditions:

* Oriental Orthodoxy, the Miaphysite Christian Church which separated from the Chalcedonian Christian Church in the 5th century; accepting only the first three Ecumenical councils.
* Eastern Orthodoxy, the name of the easterly continuation of the Chalcedonian Christian Church following the Great Schism with the Western Church in the 11th century.

I never heard of reborn evangelical/pentecostal fundies calling themselves Orthodox.

Suspect the guy is Greek Orthodox, which is a national church under the general category of Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, Serb, Cyprian, Romanian etc.). Very similar to Roman Catholic, except that the Eastern and Western churches slowly grew apart after the split of the Roman empire into Byzantium and Rome, using respectively Greek and Latin. They have an Eastern Pope, currently Bartholomew I. Only doctrinal difference really is over the insertion of the words "and the son" vs. "through the son" into the creed, i.e. whether the Holy Spirit comes from both Jesus and God (West) or via Jesus from God (East). If it weren't for a lot of slaughter in the middle ages, and that no one could agree who is ultimately in charge, then Rome and Constantinople could probably kiss and make up at this point.

Eastern Orthodoxy is very different from Oriental Orthodoxy, which reflects much older and deeper differences over the human/divine nature of Christ, which I find fascinating but won't expound on here since they're of peripheral importance to pancakes on Sunday.