36 replies to this topic

[weinoo]

As the NY Times fabulous Flo reported yesterday, Guy Fieri will be opening a restaurant with a new concept, sometime this fall and somewhere in Times Square.

As he might scream, "that's money." My prediction - there's a lot of money backing this one, and it'll last as long as Jekyll and Hyde and the ESPN Zone.

Will you ever set foot inside? I won't.

[KennethT]

I don't think they're gearing this restaurant for the foodie set... I think it's for the hordes of tourists who love GF and will go anywhere he tells them - especially if it has his name on it! So, it's good that it's in Times Square, which is perfect for their target audience - and will have 0 impact on most NYers who actually care about food...

[CaliPoutine]

The same people who will eat at The Olive Garden or Outback or Red Lobster while in NYC( Times Square) will eat there. Still, for the life of me, I dont get it.

[Hassouni]

Does he even cook? Ostensibly, I mean.

[gfweb]

It might even be OK. Probably better than Hard Rock et al.

[DanM]

Pardon me for being a pessimist, but shouldn't it read "Guy Fieri sells his name to a restauranteur looking to make an easy buck of tourists in Times Square"

[gfweb]

God help me, I'm beginning to enjoy the bleached blond sod. At a certain time of night, after a few beverages, his show is visual drunk food. I usually end up making a sandwich with bacon in it.

I still won't go in any of his places though.

[heidih]

Oddly I remember watching the Next Food Network Star program he competed in and can not remember a single thing about his food or style. Fame sells food. Some of the places he features on Triple D actually make interesting dishes so I think one must wait and see what this "new concept" is and how it cooks up.

[weinoo]

...so I think one must wait and see what this "new concept" is and how it cooks up.

Must one, really?

[janeer]

...so I think one must wait and see what this "new concept" is and how it cooks up.

Must one, really?

No.

[ScoopKW]

I know one of his culinary professors from UNLV. This professor wasn't particularly kind about Mr. Ferry's skills as a cook.

But, let's face it, he's the one making the big bucks shouting catch phases ("I'm taking the express train to flava town!"), while looking like a photo-negative of Mr. T. So in that regard, he's quite successful. Who knows what's he's like when the cameras stop rolling...

[Mjx]

...so I think one must wait and see what this "new concept" is and how it cooks up.

Must one, really?

What, like anyone has choice?

[wanderingtaoist]

You might have read the review already, but just in case: NY Times gives it "Poor" grade. The writing is superb though.

[gfweb]

Review was so bad I feel sorry for GF.

Another case of the elite at NYT being out of touch with real Americans.

[weinoo]

Interestingly enough, here's what I wrote in July, 2008 - when he was on TNFNS...

What was Guy Fieri's "point of view"?

To be the biggest d-bag possible?

And even if he cooked for the show, he doesn't now, does he? I can watch that diners show for about 1 minute.

Funny thing, the other day there was an early episode of Molto Mario on, and it was so great.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm amused that the review is currently the most e-mailed article in the NYT.

[gfweb]

The review is pretty over the t op as far as snark and venom. Are we seeing a switch to the British-style review?

[patrickamory]

I could have done without the gimmicky question format.

But I liked that Wells didn't pull his punches. Fieri clearly deserved what he got - it's not just middle-American food, it's middle-American food done poorly, with bad service.

[weinoo]

As Woody Allen once said..."and such small portions..."

Which I'm sure is not the case here. Let's face it, Fieri got what he deserved, in my opinion.

[radtek]

I don't even think it's middle American food. What an awful review. But it's what I would have expected from the few times of watching his hackneyed clumsy cooking.

Planning on hitting NYC soon but I'll eschew Times Square and instead hit some deli's, bistros and cutting edge Asian places.

[Alex]

Not that social behavior in this country (or any other) is expected to make logical sense, but I love how incessant political trash talking often gets by with just a wink and a nod while the NYT review--which, for all its snark (or creativity, depending on your point of view) was basically a statement of fact--lights up the blogo/Twittosphere and, for just one example of misplaced reaction, gets called a "sucker punch" by an AP writer. What, Wells was supposed to warn Fieri that a skewering was imminent? Granted this place was ultra-low-hanging fruit, so the review might have been just a bit of overkill, but with Fieri being a food celebrity, so to speak, I can understand why the takedown.

[gfweb]

I wonder, has anyone we know eaten there?

Weinoo, you're in the neighborhood; You should take one for the team and go on a fact-finding visit.

[Mjx]

I wonder, has anyone we know eaten there?

Weinoo, you're in the neighborhood; You should take one for the team and go on a fact-finding visit.

Heck, to see your review of it, I'll happily stand you a couple of drinks (or a fifth of Jack?) first, to get you suitably primed for the experience!

[gfweb]

J. Daniels? ewwwww

But probably in keeping with the joint.

[Dignan]

I wonder, has anyone we know eaten there?

Weinoo, you're in the neighborhood; You should take one for the team and go on a fact-finding visit.

We have a motion and a second. I call the question even though that's not really proper procedure.

[larryroohr]

In case anyone else might enjoy it, here's a link to a SNL sketch about the review, funny. This was a rehearsal they released, they didn't air it.


http://www.salon.com...that_didnt_air/

[ScottyBoy]

And also an interview with him on the Today Show.


So are we going to begin a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for weinoo's trip there?

Edited by ScottyBoy, 19 November 2012 - 03:31 PM.

[Brown Hornet]

I have mixed feelings about the NYT review.

On one hand, the disturbing menu descriptions certainly make the restaurant sound like a hillbilly Applebees with a raging meth habit. On the other hand, why would the NYT review what is clearly a tourist trap aimed at patrons who are looking for a hillbilly Applebees with a raging meth habit?

Personally, I find the 2.5 star average for Yelp reviews far more damning. There's a disgusting all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant (think about that for a minute) near my office that managed a three star average on Yelp.

[weinoo]

I wonder, has anyone we know eaten there?

Weinoo, you're in the neighborhood; You should take one for the team and go on a fact-finding visit.

I trust Pete Wells implicitly...also, I never go north of 14th Street.

I wonder, has anyone we know eaten there?

Weinoo, you're in the neighborhood; You should take one for the team and go on a fact-finding visit.

Heck, to see your review of it, I'll happily stand you a couple of drinks (or a fifth of Jack?) first, to get you suitably primed for the experience!

I'd prefer to have a few watermelon martinis.

J. Daniels? ewwwww

But probably in keeping with the joint.

I'll bet they have a couple of high-priced bourbons at least.

I wonder, has anyone we know eaten there?

Weinoo, you're in the neighborhood; You should take one for the team and go on a fact-finding visit.

We have a motion and a second. I call the question even though that's not really proper procedure.

See - that's the problem; I need proper procedure.

And also an interview with him on the Today Show.
So are we going to begin a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for weinoo's trip there?

I'll take the kickstarter for a visit to my cardiologist and gastroenterologist after it's all over. Also, my shrink.

[gfweb]

Sounds like a "yes" to me!

Go get em, Weinoo. You ARE the man!