Ah, but it’s not like that!

The window for postcards is usually April 1-April 15, and they start drawing names on the 16th. If they draw (or see) a duplicate card, you’ll be disqualified for the season. Yeah, that means that if you get pulled, and called, your reservation is set, and they find another card from you— they’ll call back to cancel the res!

I give credit to Erin and staff for the old school system to keep it honest and give everyone a fair chance. They have way, way, way more demand than they can serve, and I remember seeing an interview where she didn’t want to let the reservations come down to someone who writes a script to pinch reservations online before humans can click through.

I would venture to say it’s one of the most exclusive reservations in the US, and I think that The Lost Kitchen has done a decent job to keep it fair on getting a spot for dinner.