A Dish Best Served Cold is a quest available in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.
Prince LaCroix wants his newest neonate to take care of some business in Hollywood for him. He wants to acquire the Cavoletti Café but the owners are refusing to sell. The restaurant is about to be reviewed by well known food critic Tommy Flayton. If he can be convinced to write a bad review the restaurant will be ruined and the owners will be forced to sell to LaCroix. It is up to the neonate to ensure this plan succeeds.
Acquisition[]
This quest is given to the player by LaCroix via email after Hollywood is unlocked. Simply read the email "Business in Hollywood" to accept the quest.
Walkthrough[]
Brief[]
- Check the email in your haven.
- Go to the Cavoletti Café in Hollywood.
- Convince Mr. Flayton to write a bad review.
- Return to your haven and check your email. +2 Exp
- Collect your reward from your mailbox. +$100
- Quest Complete
Detailed[]
Go to Hollywood and make your way to the Cavoletti Café. It's on the far end of town, next to Isaac's jewelry store. If you're traveling through the sewers, exit through Access Point B. Now find Tommy Flayton. He's in the outdoor seating in front of the restaurant.
When you speak to Flayton be polite, tolerate his ego, and use it against him. There are many ways to get him to write a bad review. You can use persuasion, seduction, domination, dementation, presence, or just the power of gross. Intimidation, however, will have no effect on him even if the feat is maxed out and you beat him senseless.
Persuasion[]
The persuasion option (6+ in v11.0) appears a few dialogue options in after you say whether you've heard of him or not. Tell him he needs to give a bad review to protect his reputation and then either that the restaurant employees practice poor hygiene or that he can't give good reviews to everyone because people will think he's gone soft.
Seduction[]
If you have a seduction feat of five or more you can use it to convince Flayton to write a bad review. It's possible that this option is only available to men as Flayton says it's "Always good to meet someone with... Similar tastes." after you flirt with him as a man. This seems to imply that he's gay. Tell him you love his work but that you think the restaurant is horrible and the two of you should get out of there. He will eagerly agree and ask you out for a drink. You can then feed on him if you choose or blow him off. Feeding on him won't effect the outcome of the quest either way. He'll still write a bad review and you'll still get paid.
Dominate/Presence []
If your dominate or presence skill is high enough the dialogue option will appear after you say whether you have heard of him or not. If you try to intimidate him and fail you can still dominate him and make him write a bad review. Dominating Flayton costs two blood points.
Dementation[]
Similarly, if you're playing a Malkavian you can use dementation to make Flayton hallucinate that there are maggots in his food. He will be absolutely revolted and promise to take his revenge on the restaurant by writing a bad review.
Nosferatu Special[]
This quest might be difficult for a Nosferatu if it weren't for the fact that the very sight of you will gross Flayton out so thoroughly that he refuses to ever eat there again and blames the restaurant for your existence in his general proximity. Play it up as best you can and ask him to look at your boil to see if it's oozing. His misplaced blame will the land the restaurant a scathing review and you $100.
Completion[]
When you've successfully convinced Flayton to write a bad review of the restaurant by whatever method suits you return to your haven and check your email. There will be a new email from LaCroix thanking you for your assistance and telling you to check your mailbox for a reward which is $100 and 2 Exp. Quest Complete
Quest Log[]
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Notes[]
- The Malkavian option of making Flayton visualize maggots in his food might be a reference of the 1987 film The Lost Boys, where the vampire David offers some rice to Michael and then he asks "how are your maggots?" and then realizing his rice looks like live maggots as part of a cruel illusory prank.
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