Are We Underdressed?
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the new L’Espalier, and how things have shaken out since its summer move to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. By most accounts, the food continues to be divine.
But concerning the the ambiance, the response has been more mixed. It’s not just that the renowned restaurant is now a [insert sneer here] hotel restaurant, or that the expanded space is more modern than the old Back Bay brownstone. No, the common complaint has been about its scaled-down dress code.
Used to be, L’Espalier was a place you’d get all gussied up to visit. A fancy place. An “I just got engaged/promoted/a big new client” place. But as I’ve observed diners entering in frumpy sweaters and read reports of patrons in jeans and sports apparel, I’ve wondered: Is it still that place?
Come to think of it, how many of those special-occasion spots are left in our city?
I can only think of a few restaurants where proper attire—jackets, collars, et cetera—is suggested, if not mandated, and which the dining public typically reserves for Big Nights Out. Locke-Ober, No. 9 Park, and Clio, definitely. Mistral, maybe, but that’s due more to the crowd than the menu. (Pizza ain’t anniversary fare in this context.) Jackets are suggested at Aujourd’hui as well. Am I forgetting anyone?
I do have high hopes for chef Barbara Lynch’s forthcoming fine-dining spot, 354 Congress, but haven’t been inside. Still, that’s just six places, and even most of these list their dress codes as “business casual.”
I suppose the shift away from super-exclusive dining experiences owes largely to our never-ending fascination with casual eating à la Stella, Gaslight, The Buttery Bar-Bistro, Franklin Cafe, Hungry Mother, and more. We love our steak frîtes, and we don’t want to put on actual pants to eat them. (Are trousers that much harder to put on than jeans?) Boston used to be a buttoned-up place, but these days we seem to be looking a little more Velcro.
I know that the economy is down, and that restaurants are in no position to turn away diners. But while we’re focusing so heavily on good food for the masses, I hope chefs and restaurateurs don’t forget that we still need places to go for our milestone birthdays. Call me old-fashioned, but when I have something to celebrate, I want to put on a nice dress. Even if I do spill wine on it.
What about you? Does the lack of jacket-required places in Boston bother you? Or would the death of the dress code be a blessing in (elastic-waisted) disguise?
December 4th, 2008 at 11:04 am
HI- definitely agree that there should still be places of fine dining where one dresses ‘to the nines’ .
One hears of diversity in our way of life so I feel it should apply to entertainment/dining as well.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Yes, Yes, Yes!! Bring back the “getting dressed up” dining spots of old! That is not to say that my husband and I don’t still get dressed up, no matter what the dress code is, because we do…our feeling is that it is a matter of respect. If one is going to spend that much money on such exquisite food and surroundings, then one should dress for it. That goes for the theater as well, by the way! Call us old-fashioned, but jeans just don’t cut it….no matter how expensive they are!
December 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Sorillena is dressy, I think. And no. It doesn’t bother me that jackets aren’t required. Boston is a different kind of city than New York, and fashion isn’t as high on the list here.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Interesting. But is a dress code really about fashion or propriety? I’d argue the latter. (We’re talking fine restaurants, not nightclubs.)
December 5th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
I find it totally objectionable that places like L’Espalier allow people in jeans etc. It shows a complete lack of respect for the establishment and the quality of the product. I know some places are afraid that they will lose business by enforcing even a minimal dress code but I suspect they would gain as much as they lose. A simple “no denim” policy would probably do the trick.
December 6th, 2008 at 12:40 am
You have reminded me of the dinner I had at Tavern on the Green 10 years ago. We got dressed up for a special occasion dinner on a Friday night, and I was so disappointed to see a man in jeans and a denim shirt sitting at the next table. The restaurant was lovely, food and service excellent, but that did take away from the experience a tiny bit.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I moved recently from New Orleans, Louisiana, where there are still restaurants that require gentlemen to wear coats and ties. Thank heavens.
I’m surprised by the casual attire in Boston restaurants. I always thought this was a formal city.
January 4th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I love sewing and making clothes and dresses, and I also run a small tailoring business.I find inspiration from fashion televion programs and magazines. Children dresses also attracts new ideas for me. I feel every dress has its own beauty and uniqueness which cannot be replicated. I apply this thought when I design my own clothes.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Inutterably silly.
I’ve worn jeans to all of the above for a long time, its nothing new. Including L’Espalier in the previous venue. And looked far more appropriate, frankly, than people whose idea of a celebration requires dressing up in ill-fitting “formal” clothes.
If people pay me, they can dictate the attire. Failing that, I’ll wear what I please. Or go elsewhere – like I did last time Commander’s Palace wanted me to put on a jacket. Frankly, that’s the only place with decent food in New Orleans that wants one, and I’d take Cochon any day.
Boston would have far better food than it does if people would care less about atmosphere and attire and more about food quality. And it needs it – it is still a second rate food city.
I’d rather see less pretense, and better food.