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So how many things are wrong with this poster for a new steak place?
By adamg on Sun, 03/09/2014 - 6:16pm
Poster advertising Nick Varano's new steak place in the Park Plaza. Guess he's not too concerned about how many women patrons he'll get - or about his spelling.
The photo of the poster is by Charles Draghi, who knows something about the restaurant business himself and who has some choice comments about the poster in the comments under the photo.
UPDATE, Monday morning: The poster is gone, replaced by one showing a woman balancing on one high heel on an uncooked steak .
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Comments
Hi I'm Nick Varano and
"Wheah the veal chop is t'die faw."
Just this
Nice
Nice to meat her. Does she have a steak in this too?
Well done!
Well done!
Rare
On rare occasions, she is.
do you have a bone to pick
with the creator of this ad?
Bone
They could use a good grilling, yes.
Hmmmm...
I filet more substantial pun is in order, but I'm not sure I want to become embroiled in this.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Good move
You wouldn't want to be flamed.
If you don't go to this restaurant
That would be a mistake
The goomahs will love it!
The goomahs will love it!
What's It Supposed To Be?
It appears to be a lady who's just been knocked unconscious. So they're draping a piece of raw meat on her face so she doesn't get a black eye?!!
Someone should first check to make sure the unfortunate looking woman doesn't have a concussion, and whoever designed and approved the poster should also have their heads examined!
Photoshop
I bet that they Photoshopped the meat and the hook in later. I bet that she probably had no idea what the finished product would be, though I am sure that they could find a model to do such a thing too.
I actually find this to be pretty hillarious
In and of itself, this image seems kind of shocking ... the problem is that these sorts of images with superimposed text to try to lure you to restaurants, to get you to use services of the hotel, to sexify otherwise banal generica - all of it is so commonplace as to be almost background noise.
Walk through three airports in a week and stroll through three upscale convention areas and there are numerous sorts of images like these ... adding the steak, on a hook, is actually a pretty funny twist. Over the top, but hillarious.
Hilarious? Yes. Appetizing? No.
.
OK, Now I Get The Steakhouse Pun, SwirlyGrrl
It took me a moment there ...
... another +1 win for you!
Nick Varanos
Where we will knock you down, and steak the shit out of you.
Nick Varano's
Where the meat falls off the hook!
Nick Varanos
Putting the loins back in sirloins
Nick Varano
put the "oof" back in roofies.
Maybe she's a vampire
And they just don't know how to spell.
Why are dees broads
mad? Maybe dey jus donn get the arthuristic value of a broad on her back waiting for her 350 pound valentino to get back from foswoots so he can bring her out for a t-bone.
As an Italian American myself
As an Italian American myself, that is a pretty accurate portrayal of how a lot of italians speak and I got a laugh out of it. Not offended at all. But would you imitate maybe an Asian or African American like that? I highly doubt it. You would 100% be labeled racist on here.
As an Italian American myself
I can tell you that Nick Varano spent many years in front of a mirror practicing that particular dialect. You think it;s easy saying Sh-trega all the time?
He's certainly has, and it is
He's certainly has, and it is funny, but they still would not imitate Asians or African Americans like that.
Ex State Rep Carlos Henriquez
Was going to be the Celebrity Spokesman, but the Billerica House of Corrections was in lockdown the day of the photo shoot, so they went with Plan B.
What's wrong with proclaiming
What's wrong with proclaiming your sexuality in a public place? Like a restaurant ad or maybe even a parade? This is "disgusting" according to you people, and it is a bit racy, but you will call someone a bigot for not wanting sexuality flaunted at a parade?
So you're unable to tell the difference?
Between a woman being paid to spread her legs next to a piece of raw meat on a hook and a veteran who wants to march in a community parade?
They don't just want to walk
They don't just want to walk in the parade. They were allowed to march just like everybody else. But they didn't just want to just march. They HAVE to
push an agenda. Not the first agenda driven group denied and certainly not the last. Pro-Life/Pro-choice groups, and even an anti-busing ( which EVERYONE in South Boston agreed about, you liberals might not know) have also been denied without much circumstance.
Um...didn't we already discuss this?
Ad nauseam. And wtf does it have to do with steak? Seriously--enough already.
Poor Anon
Can't see a woman in a sexualized image and a piece of steak together without thinking about what the gay people in his neighborhood must be doing in their bedrooms tonight.
Most of us would take that as a sign that we needed professional help.
Give him a break
Out and Proud has totally ruined the Down Low for him. No dicks on display at L Street anymore gives him a sad.
How happy
are you going to be when St. Pat's is over and the Southie homophobes crawl back under their rocks?
those rocks
are million dollar properties.
That advert
That advert isn't so much about sexuality, it's more about subjugation, in my opinion. And I'm someone who isn't as attuned to the feminist view of things and not as sensitive to what they are sensitive to.
Look on the bright side
At least it's a print ad.
No audio.
Nothing turns on a woman more
Than being used as bait for the kill. Honestly, these images are unoriginal and do nothing but make the Nick Varano brand kind of cheesy. I hope they have plenty of Viagra to hand out to the horny men who will hope to get lucky and dangle their own piece if meat and the end of the night. I think men who get turned on by these images are a bit full of themselves and kind of douche-baggy.
"These images make the Nick Varano brand kind of cheesy"
I think that ship sailed the minute Varano launched the first Strega, the restaurant where you can watch Moe Greene get shot through the eyeball on 20 TVs while you enjoy your $43 veal chop.
The Nick Varano brand has
The Nick Varano brand has never not been cheesy.
Verano should have included a second female atop the first
Nick Verano's only mistake was not including a second female or better yet, a transgender atop the first woman. Verano would have been a shoo-in for the Caroline Kennedy (sometimes Schlossberg) "Profiles in Courage" Award, just two months away. Instead, the picture of the woman solo is met with disgust.
Leave it to the trolls
to respond to disgust at the vulgarity and degradation inherent in this image by suggesting an even more exploitative one would be an improvement. If you think you're a wit, you're half right.
Upscale steak houses were the
Upscale steak houses were the rage 6 or 7 years ago, Strega is a day late and a buck short, when it comes to food trends.
more like 60 to 70 years ago
more like 60 to 70 years ago
You'd think, but not really
The upscale steakhouse is still most Americans' first or second choice for a big-ticket meal out. It's also the bulwark of business entertaining, much to my chagrin. (It's a first-world problem, admittedly, but I'm bored shitless by luxury steakhouses; I can wet-age and grill prime beef at home.) Nine out of 10 visiting clients, given a choice of venue, will opt for a steakhouse, and worse, it's usually a national chain that has an outlet in their own hometown. I occasionally win with a gentle suggestion to try something with a bit more local flavor and/or adventurousness, but only rarely.
The number of them has only grown in the last few years; every time one closes, two more seem to pop up in its place. Let's see: Morton's, two Smith & Wollenskys, The Palm, Del Frisco's, Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris, Fleming's, the various Met whatevers, Abe & Louie's, Mooo....., The Stockyard. If I'm lucky, I can get them to a good locally-owned one like Bogie's Place, Grill 23, or Boston Chops. The Italian chophouses are a good alternative, too: preferably Prezza, Davio's in a pinch. Varano isn't necessarily misjudging demand here, and the fact that the concept isn't trendy is a big part of the appeal of this category.
Is Moo a chain?
Didn't know that..
Mooo.... is not an outlet of a national chain,
and neither are a number of other entries on my list. It is part of a small regional restaurant group, Columbus Hospitality, which includes non-steakhouses Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina, L'Andana, and Ostra.
Slim, I have to ask
Grill 23 is still my favorite, and I've been to all of the places on your list. What's your take on Grill 23?
Still a fan of everything about Grill 23
except for the punishing noise levels (it's a little quieter upstairs). Superior boutique-ranch prime beef, a couple of dry-aged cuts (which I favor -- most places only wet-age), a great bargain of a steak frites (prime skirt), and excellent bartending if you stick to Rat Pack classics; they don't subscribe to the Drink/Hawthorne craft school.
Grill 23 is the greatest and
Grill 23 is the greatest and their staff meal Mac and cheese is one of the best dishes I've ever had. I used to work nearby and sometimes employees would hook me up with some leftover staff meal and it was always beyond amazing.
I understand where your
I understand where your coming from, I do not know how well the Strega steakhouse in Woburn is doing, But, If I were the owner of a chain of resturaunts , I would use this approach before opening up a new establishment, I would not associate my brand name or (Owners name)to the newest resturaunt, I would keep it hush until the reviews come out, if the reviews are extremely positive, then and there the owner should come foreward and wow the critics..also, I would simply give it an obscure name that's not tied to the brand name. There maybe people who are critical towards Varano's ways and methods of running an establishment , look at it this way, people in Boston should praise him for his endeavors, he is helping the economy by hiring young adults in Boston, who knows, he could be Boston's next Anthony Athanas(Anthony's Pier 4 )
Well that seals it for me
I've never eaten at a Varano restaurant because I always thought he seemed like a ridiculous, over-the-top sleazeball. I could never really put my finger on it, but his commercials always rubbed me the wrong way. Now I know that I never will patronize any of his establishments.
I'm not sure if he's behind the creative of this ad, but I'm assuming he must have approved it somewhere along the way. What a piece of garbage.
Paulie Walnuts " I'll do
Paulie Walnuts " I'll do anything for Nick" at his grand opening day at Strega waterfront location. Lol
Will he have movie stars for his grand opening back bay location , red carpet the whole nine yards.
Will the cast of Sopranos be at this grand opening, red carpet whole nine yards, and all the how youse doin, good luck Nick videos.
Wow!
A woman in a somewhat provocative pose eating steak dangling from a string. Doesn't quite appeal to me, but I also don't quite get the big offense here either. Hey, let's have a big internet hissy-fit about it anyways.
willfully obtuse much?
Look again: it's not a string, it's a metal chain and a meat hook. I can see why you wouldn't get why some people are offended seeing as you can't even detect the difference between a string and a meat hook on a chain.
Stop having a hissy fit about
Stop having a hissy fit about my hissy fit. Which wasn't really a hissy fit to begin with, I was just saying I never liked Varano from the beginning.
Raw Meat Models Inc
Actually if anyone bothered to do any research into this they would have found out that this particular model will only work for raw meat on a hook.
And they really really wanted to use her for this.
Oh and she is famous for the laying on her back with the look that says, "Gee I can't wait for this meat place to open."
So everyone just back off a little and get ready for Passover!
http://cappyinboston.blogspot.com/2014/03/forget-st-paddys-day-its-passo...
Aaaand, poof!, it's gone!
Boston.com is reporting via Facebook that the ad has already been taken down.
Oh goody!
They'll just fire the intern responsible for it, offer Mother's Day specials and all is forgotten.
Obviously people aren't
Obviously people aren't really be offended by this they just want to be.
More obviously,
some people don't have the wherewithal to understand why someone might genuinely consider it offensive.
By "wherewithal", I assume
By "wherewithal", I assume you mean "brains God gave a gnat".
It what we all want really
Isn't being offended what we all want really? If we are really being honest with ourselves.
Being offended. It's what the smarter people really want.
Update: Poster is gone
I wonder why?
Reason
I am sure it was because the meat had expired. You know, health codes and all that....
Honestly confused
Is this a steak joint or a strip club? I'm not particularly offended, but both posters seem to be telling me that this is a place aiming at the Old Boys Club crowd...
The concept is luxury steakhouse
The sniggering innuendo inherent in the name (and underscored by the early marketing) is thrown in free of charge. I think it will be Classy with a Capital C in the same way all Varano establishments are.
Old Boys
I am the Vice President of the Old Boys Club and liking things like this was not in out original charter.
Imagery may offend, but spelling shouldn't
You can't really ding them for their spelling, Adam. 'Ambiance' with an 'a' has always been a perfectly legitimate alternate spelling for the borrowed french word, even if it hasn't been as popular as the 'e' version since the 1970s. Suffixes in english versions of borrowed latinate words are often spelled with more open vowels than their progenitors.
ambience/ambiance
"ambience" was the norm, until the mis-spelling "ambiance" became so common that people stopped recognizing it as a mis-spelling.(the "a" version may be right in French, but the "e" version was the English language spelling for almost 200 years)
That is not the word you seek
Try "alure."
Ambiance was spelled okay
Alure is misspelled.
It's a lure
Have you never been woman fishing?
Geez
Well, now it's on Mediaite!
With the sizzling header of "The Most Disgusting Steak House/Rape Dungeon Ad Ever in Boston"
So its only a matter of time before Jezebel picks it up. After a few more articles on the genius of Lena Dunham.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-most-disgusting-steak-houserape-dunge...
Re: Updated Poster - So Now, She's Tenderizing The Steak? Eww!
.
There's no place like home
It's not merely tender, it's most sincerely tender.