BREAKING NEWS: Oilers blamed for partially unpaid New Year's Eve tab

[95EagleAWD]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
We should all rush-in an Oilers game and not pay

Trust me, no one here wants to pay right now either!!!!

[Disoblige]

Kinda wish I knew the real story behind this.

[Zhariak]

Originally posted by FlySi
Im willing to bet that since the owner of this restaurant is used to hosting "high profile guests", he is probably used to ripping them off as well. Probably thinks that because they have money to blow and are most likely drunk, they won't notice extra charges.

Not true...

I eat there all the time. It's a nice restaurant, and great food...

If you think that about these types of restaurants, I don't think you'd like some of the nicer places in downtown Vancouver...

It's common sense you pay for what you order. I've had some gong show nights at places like these. If I was on a budget and wanted to pay by the bottle, I'd throw a fucking house party and buy booze at the liquor store...

The one thing I'm surprised is 18K for 45 people... You'd expect it would be more.

[Choice]

Here's the other side of the story:

http://www.630ched.com/Channels/Reg/...spx?ID=1180472

According to the Edmonton Oilers, the owner of a Calgary restaurant is trying to use them as a publicity tool.
After last night's game in Calgary, the entire Oilers team went out for a pre-planned meal with their wives and girlfriends at the upscale, downtown eatery Osteria De Medici. At the end of the night the players were presented with a bill for close to $19,000, a figure that struck them as being grossly inflated for what they consumed over their roughly 90 minute stay. The players, while still waiting at the restaurant, asked for the bill to be re-calculated at which point they were presented with a revised cheque for $12,381. The team paid for the bill with a credit card, and left.

[signature7]

I've eaten here before, food was pretty good. My parents are acquaintances with the owner which up until now I believed was a women, she's really nice and has quite the car collection. Service has always been good, even had a few free desserts lol.

[HuMz]

Good to hear the other side of the story now, the original article was poorly written and didn't add up. Millionaires or not noone likes being taken advantage of.

First according to the owner they didn't pay at all, then at the bottom it says they payed the bill and left. Then theres the classic was going to donate the bill too charity, that gave away the publicity stunt right there.

Tencer also mentioned that the Flames had a simlar experience at this place last year.

[Disoblige]

Watch Global now @ 6 PM.. The story is on the news haha.. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a publicity stunt!

They showed the bill and a couple lines said "Blow jobs" which made me lol.

Edit: Hey, how about the next Flames vs. Oilers game in Calgary, we all chant "Pay your bills! Pay your bills!"

[nonlinear]

i've heard nothing but terrible things about this restaurant, aside from a few comments in this thread, which i take with a grain of salt anyhow.

this restaurant has a well-known reputation for overcharging/inflating the bill. do a google search or look on chowhound. to top it off, the staff is extremely rude and pretentious, and the food is boringly passe.

[Pacman]

I had a similar experience at that restaurant. I hosted an evening dinner program for a large group of customers and felt the bill was inflated as the server purposely opened too many bottles of wine and bottled water than we needed. I decided not to argue it as it was late and I was tired.

Then, as I was giving my credit card to the server, I was offered an "extra service", where he would bill my company credit card for an extra amount, and they would give me 50% of that extra amount in the form of a gift certificate for my personal use.

I spent close to 7k that night, and had 7 more programs booked there over the following months. I canceled all of them and took my business elsewhere.

[swak]

Ive eaten at expensive expensive restaurants such as osteria in Vancouver, and EASILY spent $220/person between 2 people.
.. I HIGHLY do not believe that the owner over charged them.

..I have some very interesting stories about this owner, from personal experiences...
But, VERY PERSONAL (at his expense, and no im not going to go into detail here - if you know me, you know the story), and with that being said, he seems like a very reasonable guy, and rich (so no need to inflate charges).

[nonlinear]

^^you don't believe they were overcharged, just because you've eaten at expensive restaurants before? that makes zero sense. and in all seriousness, $220/person isn't that expensive at all. my parents used to take my brother and I out for $5k dinners for christmas, for the four of us, but when I hear person after person say that they were overcharged at this restaurant, for shit service and food, I believe them. experience with expensive fine dining really makes no difference.

[swak]

Originally posted by nonlinear
^^you don't believe they were overcharged, just because you've eaten at expensive restaurants before?

THAT, due to the fact that $220 is a reasonable amount/person,

AND due to the fact that i know this owner on a personal level... and am i sticking up for ______? No.

Do i expect that to change your mind about what happened here?... Really, i could care less.

But regardless of the fact, these hockey players, regardless of the price, should have manned up and just paid it.
They are all millionaires, whats 18,000 for new years for 45 PEOPLE!!!??
Absolutely nothing!

I bet these guys are the tools that bitch about being charged $0.25 more/apple too at safeway.
Get real.

[G-Suede]

@ pacman, now that's classy!

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by swak
and with that being said, he seems like a very reasonable guy, and rich (so no need to inflate charges).

lol, with your logic, the players would not refuse to pay the bill since they are all millionaires.

From the sound of all this, seem like this isnt the first time the owner tries to pull something like this...

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by Pacman

Then, as I was giving my credit card to the server, I was offered an "extra service", where he would bill my company credit card for an extra amount, and they would give me 50% of that extra amount in the form of a gift certificate for my personal use.

Damn, that's skeezy as hell.

[Danny Meehan]

There are ways to make money on the side ... the above one, as most, shows creativity

[89s1]

Originally posted by swak


THAT, due to the fact that $220 is a reasonable amount/person,

AND due to the fact that i know this owner on a personal level... and am i sticking up for ______? No.

Do i expect that to change your mind about what happened here?... Really, i could care less.

But regardless of the fact, these hockey players, regardless of the price, should have manned up and just paid it.
They are all millionaires, whats 18,000 for new years for 45 PEOPLE!!!??
Absolutely nothing!

I bet these guys are the tools that bitch about being charged $0.25 more/apple too at safeway.
Get real.

So let me get this straight, it's fine to throw your money away as long as you have lots of it?

Sounds smrt

[swak]

Originally posted by 89s1


So let me get this straight, it's fine to throw your money away as long as you have lots of it?

Sounds smrt

As a matter of fact, thats exactly what im saying.

When its at the expense of your prestige, 'name', and social status, yeah... Pay the extra $12.50.

[G-Suede]

Originally posted by swak
As a matter of fact, thats exactly what im saying.

When its at the expense of your prestige, 'name', and social status, yeah... Pay the extra $12.50.

Likewise to the owner of the restaurant...apparently also a millionaire.

[nonlinear]

Originally posted by swak


THAT, due to the fact that $220 is a reasonable amount/person,

AND due to the fact that i know this owner on a personal level... and am i sticking up for ______? No.

Do i expect that to change your mind about what happened here?... Really, i could care less.

seriously, you want us to believe your completely biased opinion over several random reviews on beyond and chowhound - AND the Oilers hockey team? gimme a fucking break.