Has anyone eaten at Opaque in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego?

If so, How was the food.......is it worthy of a visit?

http://www.darkdining.com/index_main.php

Whoa! I wasn't even aware of one in SD and I live near downtown. Food is getting mixed reviews.

i wonder how it works, theres no way that the place is pitch black

it is.
i believe the waiters are blind, correct me if i'm wrong.
i've seen this being reviewed on t.v. at least 3 times.
i remember the food always getting subpar ratings,
but they say it is worth the experience.

it sounds like the kitchen is also in the dark

Yes, waiters are legally blind. From what I've seen on the travel channel you're not supposed to know what's being served. Looks like you order from a prix fixe menu though.

Stupid gimmick if you ask me.

I'd disagree IF the food was good. I think part of the idea is that the lack of 1 sense would heighten another. Another concept being the diner should blindly trust the chef if the chef is good enough.

BUT since it's getting subpar reviews, yeah, seems like there's too much being put into the gimmick. It doesn't work if the foods not that good.

Yeah, I know that supposedly when one sense is lost others are heightened - but I don't buy it in this sort of scenario. I think it probably takes time for the other senses to refine themselves in order to "pick up the slack" from the missing sense - it's not like you turn off the light and you have the ears of cat or nose of a dog. It's a gimmick.
Personally, I enjoy food more when I'm able to see it and the people I'm dining with.

Oh yeah it's a gimmick, I'm just saying that it'd be a SUCCESSFUL one, a WORTH WHILE one I guess, if the food was actually good.

Gimmicks are fine, I have NO problem with gimmicks, but ONLY if they actually achieve something.

It's like toys. If a toy is GID, that's a gimmick, an extra something to make you want it. If it's a solid figure, it's still a gimmick, but it works, it achieved something. It made something already interesting and cool MORE so. If the toy sucks, GID aint gonna help it even though it might sell because of the gimmick.

My point being that it's not so much dismissable because it's a gimmick, that shouldn't be the reason to shove it aside (or accept it for that matter) but rather because the gimmick has failed in the sense that it isn't making something good worthwhile and to be seen in a new light. Though it's an accomplished gimmick in the sense that it made something lame sell.

I haven't eaten there though, so I dunno. If it was GOOD food it'd be fun, I'd think. Besides I don't like looking at anyone I know except my wife.

I typed "gimmick" too much today, so I'm done hahahahaha.

So are the bathrooms opaque too?

Bathroom, kitchen, same thing here buddy, who's gonna see?

Ok, I get your point BD. Yeah - I do like some gimmicks (sparkers, missile-fire), but I don't like this gimmick.

I went to the website and thought the same thing,
I can't believe people throw money away on stuff like this.
Ok, I can.

There totally has to be more restaurants with thsi gimmick.

You'd think that given the scenario, they would make damn sure the food was beyond excellent...
I can just lock myself in the closet & eat Chili's with the same effect!

With a $70+ price tag per plate (i think) seems a little much for sub-par food that you can't see

$99 per person?! I'll pass!

$99 bucks, $5 bucks. who's gonna know?
cranberries in your salad or roaches. who's gonna know?

now if the food was getting excellent reviews, then I might be tempted to try it out. but eating in the dark sounds kind of dumb. besides, I eat in the dark all the time when I overspend on toys.

Gimmicks with my toys are good. Gimmicks with my food, not good. Don't fuck with dinner. Do they pay for the dry cleaning bills, too?

I'd eat butt-naked.

Just imagine all of the possible creepy crawlies! I like to see my food before I consume it, and I want to make sure the surroundings are also "health safety" sufficient. Wonder who does the vacuuming and cleaning? It helps to see what you're cleaning too (both in the kitchen, i.e. cleaning out fish guts, and in the dining area).

The frugal curmudgeon in me also thinks this is a waste of money

P.S. I don't mind eating dressed in my Birthday suit, but I think being an old hag, I'd spare fellow diners the visual hazard

sight for sore eyes? even if that were true, f*ck-it! all the more reason to do it! your waiters are blind and everyone else can't see a thing.

erm, I meant visual hazard
If you really want to relax in your birthday suit, in a coed setting, go to Kiva in Santa Cruz
At $99 a plate at Opaque, you could splurge on some fancy dancy picnic grub, bring it to Kiva and picnic all day long with hot tubs and good company
http://www.kivaretreat.com/