Restaurant review [Archive] - Simple Living Forums

Gregg

11-15-12, 3:00pm

puglogic

11-15-12, 3:06pm

Fasten your seatbelts!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/reviews/restaurant-review-guys-american-kitchen-bar-in-times-square.html?_r=0

Read that yesterday, and thought the writer was a mean-spirited, self-important little jackhole doing a very poor David Rakoff impersonation - all the vitriol but none of the skill.

And funny thing, I still think so today.

I guess when the object of your derision is a TV chef, you have carte blanche to be as snotty as you wish. The place might be awful, but then say it, don't spray it.

ApatheticNoMore

11-15-12, 3:48pm

bunnys

11-15-12, 4:14pm

I think it's funny and entertaining and pretty clever and absolutely acidic. The goal of restaurant critics really isn't to guide eaters to and best and away from the worst restaurants. It's to get people to read their review. Apparently, this guy succeeded.

I think he did a good job pointing out the hype in the hyperbole of Fiore's descriptors. It's food after all, not an actual "boulder" of ice cream.

peggy

11-15-12, 4:23pm

I pay no attention to reviews of any kind. If I did I would never have seen one of the greatest cinematic triumphs of our time. Talking about the Kevin Costner movie, "The Postman", of course. One star my a$$!

Oh yeah, yeah! And my favorite scene was when he is riding hard and the little kid holds up the letter so he turns around and rides ba--s out and snatches that letter from the kid!...course, then he would have to turn around, again, and ride ba--s out past the kid again...and, well, they didn't show that...>8)

redfox

11-15-12, 4:26pm

It's actually unreadable (the review). I doubt anyone reads it in full. It might have read better had it been about politics or something worth going on a sarcasm (and question mark!) bender for, but nah even then it would still probably be unreadable.

I read it in full, to myself, then out loud to my DH & our guest, last night after dinner. We all laughed & laughed & laughed. The language is hilariously biting & so, well, evocative. I love this piece.

Jilly

11-15-12, 5:02pm

Mean. But, then I would not be able to understand the humor or subtleties, being a simpleton and all.

But, now I want to see The Postman.

Jilly

11-15-12, 5:14pm

Just reserved at the library. :)

iris lily

11-15-12, 5:18pm

Mean. But, then I would not be able to understand the humor or subtleties, being a simpleton and all.

But, now I want to see The Postman.

Not The Postman, but Costner's Water World got the same treatment by critics and DH and I enjoyed it a lot.

I pay attention to movie critics (less so, restaruant critics) and have learned which ones will steer me in the right direction. There are always expceptions because there are certain KINDs of films that I like and will always watch regardless of the critical ratings.

There are certain genres, or certian kinds of tv shows that I dislike and will not watch but for those that rise to the top of the critics' lists such as Deadwood (western) The Wire (Cop show) the Sopranos (mafia.) Normally I avoid all three, so critical input was important in getting me to see these great shows.

iris lily

11-15-12, 5:24pm

This review was posted on our local food/restaurant chat list by our city's newspaper food critic. I guess people like it for its caustic writing.

In our local alternative newspaper where profesisonal standards aren't very high, one food critic chick had the same style. She was writing in a "look at me" way. She shut down one restaurant in my neighbhorhood prematurely, that's for sure.

But the professional food critic at the big newspaper is very careful about his reviews. He visits each place 3 times taking others with him to experience a variety of dishes. I will say that I recently vistied a restaruant soon after he had given it a bad review, and I saw nothing of the problem. He had written about a lack of staff and service.

Critics serve a purpose, it's not an easy job, but a few are full of themselves.

sweetana3

11-15-12, 6:13pm

I read the review and it just sounds like the reviewer does not like the guy, period. Really sounded like someone who likes the sound of his own voice and was so over the top, people are going to go and see if the place really is that bad. I also wonder how many made it to the end of the review?

bae

11-15-12, 6:23pm

Not The Postman, but Costner's Water World got the same treatment by critics and DH and I enjoyed it a lot.

For him to make two such timeless films in only two years is a stunning accomplishment! I shall always remember his career fondly for this epic contribution to the C-list films that are my secret dirty passion.

"I tried to be an actor when I was young. I wasn't a good actor, but now after seeing you at least I can die knowing I wasn't the worst one."

Wildflower

11-16-12, 12:13am

I think this scathing review just drummed up a whole lot of business/publicity for Guy's restaurant!

The worst Kevin Costner movie, in my opinion, was Robin Hood. His acting, lack of accent, etc. was just so not good. But then again, I have always loved (drooled over) Kevin Costner. One of my alltime favorite movies ever is Dances With Wolves.

AmeliaJane

11-16-12, 1:00am

Ooh, you could do a double feature of the Kevin Costner "Robin Hood" AND the Russell Crowe "Robin Hood" (another cinematic, er, masterpiece). And throw in a couple of episodes of the recent BBC Robin Hood series. I started watching that while I was visiting a friend to help with her newborns (yes, multiple). I tell you, on four hours of sleep a night, it was AMAZING. :) Thanksgiving weekend, here we come...

The paper in my former hometown had, for a short time, a critic who wrote amazingly evocative reviews. Some people hated it and wanted a more traditional format, but you always knew exactly what the experience of eating in a restaurant he reviewed was like (and the times I went to places he reviewed, he was right.)

lhamo

11-16-12, 6:19am

I can understand where the review is coming from. We just got Food Network on our new satellite service, and I've watched Fieri's shows -- one is indeed about great diner food, and the other one is him cooking with lots of spice. If that is what he has made his name promoting as a celebrity chef, then it is indeed scandalous that he would put his name on something that is so clearly about corporate profits and the TM behind his name than the real quality American food he says he loves/makes. Did you note all the references to his many other references? Not so subtle way of saying "why the hell is your name on all these places when you probably never set foot in the kitchen yourself?"

I remember when the whole wolfgang puck thing started way back when. I'm sure his original restaurants were probably pretty good, but does that mean you have to expand into the frozen pizza market? It is hard to run a variety of really good restaurants and maintain quality and originality. Tom Douglas and Thierry Rotereau in Seattle seem to do a pretty good job of it, but I would hate to see them go national.

lhamo

Gregg

11-16-12, 1:24pm

Not The Postman, but Costner's Water World got the same treatment by critics and DH and I enjoyed it a lot.

Books are great, but on a snowy Saturday afternoon when football is over there is nothing better than a cheeky little post-apocalyptic movie and some popcorn. Jilly, a word of advice: make extra popcorn for this one.

Blackdog Lin

11-16-12, 9:17pm

Thread-drift fer sure.....but yes! Both The Postman and Water World are both awesome post-apocalyptic movies. Postman my favorite - but probably only 'cause I'm Postal. Never did understand the critics panning of them.....

Edited to add: well, Kevin Costner is a hottie, too. Or was, for my generation. Maybe that has something to do with it. :)

Jilly

11-22-12, 9:20pm

Well, I did not make popcorn, and I watched part yesterday and the rest tonight, but I did watch The Postman. It was good, worth the wait for it to be sent to my library. I have it until next Wednesday and plan to watch it a few more times.

My favorite parts were watching people do the right things even when it seemed impossible to keep moving in that direction. For me, that holding to our ethics and actually doing what is right is the most difficult part of being a part of our families, community, even to being a world citizen.

Thanks so much for the recommendation, you guy, as this is not a film I would ever have chosen on my own.

steve s

11-29-12, 6:06pm

Fieri owns a restaurant here in Sacramento. It's called Tex Wasabi's. Locally known for crummy food and high prices (http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/lone-star-state/content?oid=327192).

Thus I am not surprised his NY place sucks as badly.

boss mare

11-29-12, 7:30pm

On another note Guy was here in Puyullap, WA here a few weeks ago doing his DD&D show at Crocketts Public House I don't know when it will be airing though Also Mr Gordon Ramsey is in Seattle right now at a Greek Restaurant called Yanni's There was a restaurant that I would have loved to nominate when they were announcing that they were looking for place in the Seattle-Tacoma area, but I chickened from doing it, as I know someone who is good friends with the owner

puglogic

11-30-12, 11:55am

I have a lot of tolerance for the big, extraverted, ego-driven chefs that everybody else seems to hate (Fieri, Symons, Rachael Ray, Nadia G, Jamie Oliver, etc.) It's like looking at an exotic animal in the zoo, something I will never, ever be. As long as they're not hurting anybody, I don't care how "arrogant" some people like to accuse them of being. Show me someone who uses the word "arrogant" a lot, in fact, and I'll show you someone who has self-esteem problems. If someone knows their stuff and isn't afraid to put themselves out there to talk about it, I have no problems with that.

Do I watch reality TV on Food Network? Nope. But I do like DDD and B*tchin' Kitchen :D

Tiam

12-8-12, 3:04am

Not The Postman, but Costner's Water World got the same treatment by critics and DH and I enjoyed it a lot.

I pay attention to movie critics (less so, restaruant critics) and have learned which ones will steer me in the right direction. There are always expceptions because there are certain KINDs of films that I like and will always watch regardless of the critical ratings.

There are certain genres, or certian kinds of tv shows that I dislike and will not watch but for those that rise to the top of the critics' lists such as Deadwood (western) The Wire (Cop show) the Sopranos (mafia.) Normally I avoid all three, so critical input was important in getting me to see these great shows.

Funny, those, I haven't been able to get into any of those.