Excerpts from the book Cad by Rick Marin:

If the Upper West Side of Manhattan was suburbia-in-the-city with its strollers and sweats and PBS tote bags and unearned complacency, then Isablella's was its Le Cirque. Which is to say: If you were young(ish), single, on a first or second or whatever date and at least one of you was Jewish, by birth or ability to quote Seingeld, you went to the southwest cornder of Seventy-seventh and Columbus to sit inside Mediterranean-washed walls and be served fennel encrusted tuna medallions by waiters recommending you "do" a wine with an etching of Tuscany on the lable and a "death-by" dessert, then slipped the stiff plastic of your frequent-flirter gold card (ribbed for her pleasure with your "memeber since" date) into the see-through slot with the check and asked,

"Your brownstone or mine?"

....

Kay 2 and I were waiting at the bar of Isabella's for our 8 o'clock reservation ... Kay 2 was annoyed about waiting for our table.... FINALLY, at 8:27, a hostess led us to our table.

My question is: What the fuck Joel was thinking when praising Isabella? does he get some sort of discount to promote stuff like this?