GUY FIERI comes to Times Square..amusing review
Nov 15th, 2012, 03:31 PM
#42
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While we are on the subject, let's take a look at another review, written by a former NYTimes restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, that incited even more of a brouhaha:
http://events.nytimes.com/2007/02/07...pagewanted=all
And the response? An $80,000 ad in the same newspaper, defending the besmirched restaurant:
http://nrn.com/article/restaurateur-...ut-me%E2%80%99
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/restau...-review/49104/
And here we have ANOTHER NYTimes review, this time by Bryan Miller in 1987, that generated a kerfluffle:
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/30/ar...ted=all&src=pm
http://events.nytimes.com/2007/02/07...pagewanted=all
And the response? An $80,000 ad in the same newspaper, defending the besmirched restaurant:
http://nrn.com/article/restaurateur-...ut-me%E2%80%99
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/restau...-review/49104/
And here we have ANOTHER NYTimes review, this time by Bryan Miller in 1987, that generated a kerfluffle:
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/30/ar...ted=all&src=pm
Nov 16th, 2012, 04:36 AM
#43
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But Ekscruchy, you really can't compare those reviews. Both of them actually heap some high praise on some things, and clearly neither of them seemed to come from someone who actually couldn't find a single good thing to say about the places. Nor did either one even approach the nastiness in tone and style of the original review in question. Neither one seemed to be mainly a platform for seeing how many witty zingers one critic can put forth in a single review.
Nov 16th, 2012, 05:41 AM
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My take. GF won some reality show on either the Food Channel or the Travel Channel and is now a tv host. He visits diners. While he does have a pretty strong educational and experienced background, he is pretty much a tv host.
The startup to open a 500 seat restaurant in Times Square had to be in the $5-$8 million dollar range. His rent alone is at least $2 million a year (I know this for fact).
Deeper pockets than his have failed in Times Square. Anyone remember ESPN Zone?
Times Square restaurants are vanity projects.
The startup to open a 500 seat restaurant in Times Square had to be in the $5-$8 million dollar range. His rent alone is at least $2 million a year (I know this for fact).
Deeper pockets than his have failed in Times Square. Anyone remember ESPN Zone?
Times Square restaurants are vanity projects.
Nov 16th, 2012, 05:54 AM
#45
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But then there's Carmine's -- 20 years strong in an equally huge space and still going strong. And by the way, it's had its share of scathing reviews -- but that doesn't diminish the fact that it remains wildly popular -- and has many return visitors.
Nov 16th, 2012, 05:58 AM
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Neo, Carmine's has a few things going for it.
1. I'm sure they have a long term rent structure in place and are probably paying a fraction of what GF pays.
2. Carmine's does have a reputation for being a NYC 'landmark' restaurant so to speak.
3. NYC is expensive and Carmine's is reasonable.
I have to say I've eaten there and while certainly not stellar, I was impressed. It was pretty decent for the price especially for the location.
1. I'm sure they have a long term rent structure in place and are probably paying a fraction of what GF pays.
2. Carmine's does have a reputation for being a NYC 'landmark' restaurant so to speak.
3. NYC is expensive and Carmine's is reasonable.
I have to say I've eaten there and while certainly not stellar, I was impressed. It was pretty decent for the price especially for the location.
Nov 16th, 2012, 06:13 AM
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There are thousands of restaurants in Manhattan and also in the boroughs that are not expernsive with excellent food. If you stay in the tourist areas you pay for that previledge. You also get a distorted view of NY and NY restaurants.
If visitors were more adverturous and tried the scores of different ethnic cusines, besides Italian and Chinese, they would be pleased with the food and the price.
If visitors were more adverturous and tried the scores of different ethnic cusines, besides Italian and Chinese, they would be pleased with the food and the price.
Nov 16th, 2012, 06:31 AM
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But Golemtoo, you're missing one of the things that tourists love to do (and again, I don't mean this negatively).
Back home, talking or remembering their trip, which sounds better?
"We ate at this huge fun restaurant in Times Square run by Guy Fieri from TV."
OR
"We ate at a cute little place with good food on some street in the village -- it reminded me of Smith's here at home."
Sometimes when traveling it's about more than just being a good place to eat at reasonable prices. When in Venice, sure I'll pay more to sit right on a canal and get the atmosphere and I really don't object that the food might be better and will certainly be cheaper at some little off the beaten path place. Is Mama's in Maui the best food in the islands? Of course not, and it's way overpriced for what it is. But who cares -- it's a wonderful experience. Many of us travel to find places totally different from what we have at home -- especially when we have lots of great little restaurants at home -- why look for the same type place when traveling?
Back home, talking or remembering their trip, which sounds better?
"We ate at this huge fun restaurant in Times Square run by Guy Fieri from TV."
OR
"We ate at a cute little place with good food on some street in the village -- it reminded me of Smith's here at home."
Sometimes when traveling it's about more than just being a good place to eat at reasonable prices. When in Venice, sure I'll pay more to sit right on a canal and get the atmosphere and I really don't object that the food might be better and will certainly be cheaper at some little off the beaten path place. Is Mama's in Maui the best food in the islands? Of course not, and it's way overpriced for what it is. But who cares -- it's a wonderful experience. Many of us travel to find places totally different from what we have at home -- especially when we have lots of great little restaurants at home -- why look for the same type place when traveling?
Nov 16th, 2012, 06:46 AM
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I have read just about all of Pete Wells restaurant reviews in the Times. I find him to be accurate and quite fair in his reviews and I understand his standards. Readers should be aware that a restaurant reviewer for the Times is not only expected to give knowledgeable reviews but also be an engaging and good writer. Wells fills that bill and this review is a good example of that. It may well be that this chef is treated a little less kindly since - after all -- he is a celebrity and supposedly knows something about food. I don't buy the stuff about -- it's a tourist destination -- so don't expect much. I think customers at any restaurant should expect that regardless of the price or type of menu -- that the restaurant does what it does -- well. That goes for a diner or Le Bernardin.
Nov 16th, 2012, 07:23 AM
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Back home, talking or remembering their trip, which sounds better?
"We ate at this huge fun restaurant in Times Square run by Guy Fieri from TV."
OR
"We ate at a cute little place with good food on some street in the village -- it reminded me of Smith's here at home."
___________
You are creating false arguments and false assumptions. I mentioned ethnic restaurants not the easily duplicated Smith's.
____
Whenever and wherever we travel we ask the people who live there about their regional and local foods and restaurants. To us, it is part of the fun and reason for traveling. It is not to emulate home. But that is us. And if the food is not good, I will not pay extra for the view.
"We ate at this huge fun restaurant in Times Square run by Guy Fieri from TV."
OR
"We ate at a cute little place with good food on some street in the village -- it reminded me of Smith's here at home."
___________
You are creating false arguments and false assumptions. I mentioned ethnic restaurants not the easily duplicated Smith's.
____
Whenever and wherever we travel we ask the people who live there about their regional and local foods and restaurants. To us, it is part of the fun and reason for traveling. It is not to emulate home. But that is us. And if the food is not good, I will not pay extra for the view.
Nov 16th, 2012, 07:30 AM
#53
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I just finally got to read the review and laughed my ass off. To all of my facebook friends forgive me for having to see it again because I posted it on my wall.
By far the most hilarious review ever.
I'm pretty sure the restaurant will take a massive hit from this review. Will it survive? Who knows.
I'd say they probably have a new GM and a new Executive Chef by now.
By far the most hilarious review ever.
I'm pretty sure the restaurant will take a massive hit from this review. Will it survive? Who knows.
I'd say they probably have a new GM and a new Executive Chef by now.
Nov 16th, 2012, 07:47 AM
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I'm pretty sure the restaurant will take a massive hit from this review. Will it survive? Who knows.
____
My guess is the majority of the people who would frequent the joint do not read Pete Wells. And the more Fieri draws attention to it, the more bad publicity he and it will get. If I were him, I would let it die.
And unless Wells gave it a spectacular review, I doubt many NY'ers would travel to it any way and only eat there if they were in the area.
There has been a Bubba Dump, Red Lobster, Olive Garden and other chains in the neighborhood for years and they all seem to thrive since they are still there.
On the other hand
There was a new high class pizza joint that was reviewed in the same week by the NY Times and Time Out NY and both thought it was one step above Papa John's. It remans empty.
____
My guess is the majority of the people who would frequent the joint do not read Pete Wells. And the more Fieri draws attention to it, the more bad publicity he and it will get. If I were him, I would let it die.
And unless Wells gave it a spectacular review, I doubt many NY'ers would travel to it any way and only eat there if they were in the area.
There has been a Bubba Dump, Red Lobster, Olive Garden and other chains in the neighborhood for years and they all seem to thrive since they are still there.
On the other hand
There was a new high class pizza joint that was reviewed in the same week by the NY Times and Time Out NY and both thought it was one step above Papa John's. It remans empty.
Nov 16th, 2012, 07:59 AM
#55
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His restaurant seems perfectly geared to bus tours from the midwest who have come to the Big Apple and have also heard of him from his TV show.
I imagine it will do OK, if they don't overextend themselves in overhead, with a place so huge.
I imagine it will do OK, if they don't overextend themselves in overhead, with a place so huge.
Nov 16th, 2012, 09:48 AM
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"Whenever and wherever we travel we ask the people who live there about their regional and local foods and restaurants. To us, it is part of the fun and reason for traveling. It is not to emulate home."
Yes, Galemto, in a way you've echoed exactly what I said. To most people from the "provinces" a place like Guy's IS true New York -- just like to most of us Times Square IS true New York. And it IS the type of local place that we can't find at home. So thanks for agreeing with me even though you didn't mean to.
But I was not omitting ethnic restaurants. While NYC clearly has one of the best assortments -- most of us are in towns where there are some ethnic places as well. And Smith's was not an actual place -- I merely used a name to suggest that any little out of the way place is more likely to be duplicated at home than a place like Guy's! My whole point was that almost none of us would have anything at home even remotely like this place that Guy opened -- yet alone a restaurant owned by a "famous" chef. But most of us have many really good small restaurants of all types with good food. The point was that sometimes tourists WANT the hype or the atmosphere -- not just a well priced, good food type place. Get it? It's fine that you wouldn't pay for a view -- but let's face it MANY people would! At home in Naples, Florida we have some great restaurants, but I totally understand when tourists want to be at an "on the water" open type place even though it may not be the best or best priced food in town. Maybe you don't understand that, but I certainly do. This Times Square is much the same type of thing.
Yes, Galemto, in a way you've echoed exactly what I said. To most people from the "provinces" a place like Guy's IS true New York -- just like to most of us Times Square IS true New York. And it IS the type of local place that we can't find at home. So thanks for agreeing with me even though you didn't mean to.
But I was not omitting ethnic restaurants. While NYC clearly has one of the best assortments -- most of us are in towns where there are some ethnic places as well. And Smith's was not an actual place -- I merely used a name to suggest that any little out of the way place is more likely to be duplicated at home than a place like Guy's! My whole point was that almost none of us would have anything at home even remotely like this place that Guy opened -- yet alone a restaurant owned by a "famous" chef. But most of us have many really good small restaurants of all types with good food. The point was that sometimes tourists WANT the hype or the atmosphere -- not just a well priced, good food type place. Get it? It's fine that you wouldn't pay for a view -- but let's face it MANY people would! At home in Naples, Florida we have some great restaurants, but I totally understand when tourists want to be at an "on the water" open type place even though it may not be the best or best priced food in town. Maybe you don't understand that, but I certainly do. This Times Square is much the same type of thing.
Nov 16th, 2012, 10:40 AM
#58
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Whether or not the place is a success may not be too imporant to GF, since he probably just sold his name to the Heartland Brewery folks who appear to be the actual owners. Who knows if the deal even stipulates that GF even work in the kitchen....??
I did not mean to compare this review with the older ones I posted above..just meant to point out that the Times has run laughably poor reviews in the past, that have ignited lots of chatter..
Another recent opening that took a lot of hammering in the food press was the big-ticket Chinese restaurant, Hakkasan, also in the TS area; the Times (Wells) gave it one star:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/di...town.html?_r=0
And I did feel a little sorry for the Le Cirque crew after reading this one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/di...pagewanted=all
Shortly after that review was published, word was out that they (owners of Le Cirque) were on the lookout for a new chef:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.c...or-a-new-chef/
I did not mean to compare this review with the older ones I posted above..just meant to point out that the Times has run laughably poor reviews in the past, that have ignited lots of chatter..
Another recent opening that took a lot of hammering in the food press was the big-ticket Chinese restaurant, Hakkasan, also in the TS area; the Times (Wells) gave it one star:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/di...town.html?_r=0
And I did feel a little sorry for the Le Cirque crew after reading this one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/di...pagewanted=all
Shortly after that review was published, word was out that they (owners of Le Cirque) were on the lookout for a new chef:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.c...or-a-new-chef/
Nov 16th, 2012, 03:55 PM
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I have been traveling for 50 years and I just travel, eat, sightsee, and stay at places with an entirely different set of objectives. That was when I had little or no money and now when I have a little more than no money.
And I hope visitors do not think Times Square is NYC. It is clearly part of NYC but a small part and they would be missing the wonders that are NY.
And I hope visitors do not think Times Square is NYC. It is clearly part of NYC but a small part and they would be missing the wonders that are NY.
