Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Boycotting Lima's Taste

There is a Peruvian restaurant on Christopher Street called Lima's Taste that looks like it might be a nice place for a ceviche, but I am asking you not to go in there because I believe in punishing bad behavior. Here is why.

After weeks of hearing about the best Thai food in the world, Pinto, I went for their $8 lunch special. It is an awesome deal consisting of an appetizer, salad and main course. More food than I could eat. However, upon entering the almost empty restaurant the waiter told us that their water was off due to a problem in the building so we couldn't have water at the table, and the bathrooms weren't usable. Part one was fine, due to the fine invention of bottled soda, but part two was not. So my lunch companion waited at the table while I ventured outside to find a bathroom. Normally I don't like doing that, but this time I had a reasonable excuse for asking to use the facility without being a customer.

First, the theater across the street wouldn't allow me inside because they were having a rehearsal. Then, the nail salon next store said they also didn't have water. Third try--Lima's Taste. It was EMPTY. Not a soul in there. I gave a lively and friendly shout, "hello is there anybody here?" I could have, but didn't, steal every bottle from their bar which was just sitting there unattended. I shouted again. No answer. I could have used the bathroom without anybody knowing but I wasn't sure if they had water. I walked further in, and stuck my head beyond the bar and saw a woman in the kitchen. I beckoned her and asked if they had running water. She was confused by my question and I repeated it in Spanish. Yes, they had water. I explained that next door there was no water, and could I please use their bathroom, as a favor, in this emergency situation.

Any normal person would have let me in. I don't look like homeless or like a drug addict, I was dressed nicely in casual work attire, I don't smell bad (I hope!) and I am not large, imposing or scary looking. I am a petite skinny white office girl. The kind who goes to lunch frequently in the neighborhood and would be a customer you might like to have.

But no, she said no, it's for customers only. But there were NO CUSTOMERS. I asked her again, nicely, again explaining the dilemma of her neighbors not having water. No. Really? I asked. You won't let me use the bathroom because the one next door can't be used because their water has been turned off? No. One last time I tried to appeal to her sense of possibly being a human being, being a woman who knows what it's like to need a bathroom. No. So I cursed at her twice, loudly and violently and stormed out. Unfortunately their door is slow closing so I couldn't slam it.

Please don't go there. They are horrible. Well, at least one person, the one person working during lunchtime, is horrible.

Also, if you read the reviews at menupages, this is apparently their attitude toward paying customers as well.

2 comments:

Media glut said...

OK, but reading this right away before you really got into it, I found myself thinking, "Would I really want to be eating in a place that has no running water?"
I mean, how do they wash the dishes and utensils?
Do they wipe them off with a towel and hope for the best?
Often restaurants aren't that sanitary to begin with and without hot running water, well. I don't know.

Jill said...

Steve nee Larry - I didn't worry much about the cleanliness because it was pretty close to 12:00 noon, just after they opened and there was only one other table occupied. I figured that they wouldn't yet be on round two of the dishes. It seemed very clean, and the food was really delicious. I recommend it, if you are ever in the West Village. They have a lot of vegetarian options on the menu.