Nathan

"Whenever people visited Rome, Bruni was (allegedly) like a walking Zagat Guide, so encyclopedic was his knowledge." He was writing restaurant recommendations for Rome long before he was the Times restaurant critic. And along that line I'd suggest that his reviews of Italian restaurants in NY, as a body, have been the least flawed. Unfortunately, there are several restaurants in NY which are not Italian in orientation. one quibble: he clearly wasn't recognized at RTR -- of course, that just goes to show how sloppy the front of that house must be.

you have to call ahead for the bo ssaam...so I would imagine so

If I recall correctly, McInerney said he was offered the job. I don't doubt that he is an excellent amateur gourmet, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that his technical knowledge is anymore broad than that of Grimes or Bruni before they started their jobs. but my only point is that the Times clearly has gone after people who were writers first and gourmands second.

like I said, they offered it to Jay McIrnerny before Bruni. Jay may have a decent amateur's knowledge about wine but nothing about food to the best of my knowledge....but he is a good writer (albeit I think his nonfiction is better than his novels). As for Bruni, he at least knows Italian food (which is more than McIrnerny)...unfortunately, the rest of his culinary knowledge is problematic. edit: This is also why I think he only really sounds enthused when he's writing about Italian restaurants.

Grimes actually wrote a couple of the best cocktail books ever written...he can sustain his style at length (as can Bruni). remember that the job was offered to McIrnerny as well. there clearly seems to be an emphasis on writing for the position of late.

they have Tanqueray Rangpur at the London Bar in NY. I'll check it out.

hmmm...they didn't blink an eye. maybe they've adjusted to NY customs by now. btw, I just checked, the retail on that 97 Yquem is $275 for a bottle (if you can find it...it seems to be out of stock everywhere). that makes that glass price an extraordinary deal.

its a nice after-dinner sipper. It's actually widely available at liquor stores in NY..and I imagine elsewhere in the U.S. as well.

I ate at the London Bar last night. The room was never more than two-thirds full. Crowd was 98% over 40 (the exception being a couple of young dates -- I mean "nieces" -- with older gentlemen). A fair amount of solo diners at tables. I ate at the bar. The bar tenders are somewhat competent (decent sidecar, poor Old Raj martini -- even with my specifications), the cocktail list is composed of relative classics -- Pimm's Cup, Diablo. Wine by the glass list tends expensive ($12-49) with most being in the $20 range. I had a very nice Albarino that I would have liked more if it hadn't been $20. I did notice one "bargain" -- 97 Chateau Yquem for $49. I imagine that there are similar relatively well-priced glasses and bottles at the high end. menu is composed of small plates, very small plates. prices range from $12 to $20. two tasting menus are available: 4 courses (3 savory, one dessert) for $55 or 6 (4 savory, two desserts) for $75. these save you a few bucks over the alacarte pricing for the same dishes (one or two were not on the alacarte menu), but not much. I had a late lunch so I went with three dishes alacarte. began with the white onion velouté with duck ragout and shaved Pèrigord truffle. this was terrific. creamy, smooth, velvety, redolent with truffle...presentation was very classic. Technically sound but earthy. I liked this a lot. at this point I'm thinking this place is a better version of Bar Room at the Modern, at a higher price point (the dishes are quite a bar larger at Bar Room). then I had the arctic char and pork belly with sauerkraut and raisins. this was pretty good but not especially interesting. the arctic char dish at Bar Room (the place most roughly comparable to the London Bar) is better. finished with the twice cooked poussin with prunes and in a foie gras velouté. The velouté was terrific (Ramsay really does these well by all accounts), the poussin was not. flavorless and over-cooked (is that the point of twice cooking?). obviously this is just a small sampling of the menu. there is much that I wouldn't mind trying. but I'm more interested in the main dining room now...for the price of a full meal here (six-eight courses), you might as well eat in the main dining room and get the full experience. overall, I have to prefer Bar Room at the Modern....although individual dishes may well be better at the London Bar (that white onion velouté for instance).

I actually don't like the ssaam. but anyway, once the Bruni gives it two...they'll get plenty of business.

"Of course, what worries me is that the crowd is only likely to get worse over time, given that this place is in NoLIta." That's one reason why I left the neighborhood. I first moved there at the end of 02 and loved it. Still my first NY love. It was exciting at first when the bars and restaurants started opening but now the crowd has just become annoying. Vig Bar is entirely composed of the 2nd Ave and 80's bar crawl (why they would come all the way downtown to hang out at a bar filled only with people they know is beyond me). They've killed Spring Lounge, which was my hangout. And they're making some pretty good restaurants avoidable. ok, rant's over. In the EV, Grapes and Grain (or something like that) is also a decent option. Agreed that the wine list at The Room is only ok, but the beer list is spectacular (the vibe is better at The Other Room, but that's probably further than they want to go).

Sheraton's review of the QG had about 1800 words. Bruni's review of RTR had about 1330 words. So I misspoke. it's certainly not double. But they also clearly have about 25-30% less space to work with today (FG was right on the money).

just a quick note: its clear that Sheraton had 2 to 3 times as much space to write in as Grimes or Bruni.

correct...but it is still seltzer. the more interesting part is that the first known recipe STIRS in the lemon peel with the the other ingredients...not as a garnish. hmmm...

uh oh. Drinkboy (Robert Hess right?) has convincing evidence that the first known Old Fashioned had something like a muddled lemon peel and that one of the first known Old Fashioneds used seltzer water! http://drinkboy.com/Essays/RenewingAnOldFashion.html hmmm......guess a splash of soda....

http://www.delposto.com/enoteca.htm#tasting

relax dude. I didn't criticize the prices. if it was just one group they were using two booths...but anyway, who cares? I'm all for a ratio in my favor. and of course you're going to get a buzz crowd that's not interested in cocktails for a while. that's the way this city works. nothing that I said was intended to be a criticism. when I find a legitimate criticism I'll make it. I haven't as of yet.

"stars "chart ever-increasing levels of excitement" (or words to that effect). This doesn't really suggest that he has a conscious "strategy" stemming from the rising tide of restaurant quality." no, that one out of context quote suggests that he doesn't. however the very next sentence listed four factors that determined his level of excitement. we went round and round on this before because everyone refused to read the next sentence (this was and is unfathomable to me)

well, I think this helps prove my point about nostalgia for old critics not being realistic: if Bruni gave a restaurant three stars, down graded it to zero and then gave it one in the space of a year and a half..... we are more critical today because as I noted earlier in this thread, even though there have always been critics of critics...they didn't necessarily find each other. talking to like-minded people inevitably both reinforces and (here's the key part) exacerbates one's views.

hey...I would never put soda or fruit in my OF. just saying that if someone wants a little soda, it won't kill it (especially if you reduce the ice)

Word. Edit: I happen to enjoy the occasional night at the Russian Vodka Room or the Russian Samovar...drinking straight shots of either chilled vodka or of the house infused varieties. But I don't use it in cocktails. and Bloody Marias are damned tasty...

I note that, like the Pegu Club or M&H, D&C is an excellent place to try new variations on a familiar classic (or "new classic" like the Red Hook)....just ask.

I was specifically told this by someone within the JG empire....who was in a position to know. edit: of course, this information may be inaccurate....but this was what I was told by someone "in the know" (i.e. not a busboy)

In SoHo, NoLIta and the lower WV (all areas that I either reside in or have resided in), I'd recommend the following wine bars: as noted above, Otto the unnamed wine bar below Peasant. Epistrophy Xicala The Room Centovini Ino These are all "neighborhood" spots (well, except for Centovini due to is highly trafficked location). I have not sampled it, but the new Monday Room at Public would probably also be interesting. Its too bad that della Rovere closed, they had a 100 wines by the glass. You could also sample the excellent collection of half bottles at Landmarc (many unavailable at retail) the front room at the Tasting Room is also a good place to sample their eclectic wine list. alas, the food tends toward the mediocre.

I love that scallops dish....yeah, people have copied it everywhere...but the original is still really really good. JG Shanghai is not a JG restaurant. It is a franchise. He was paid for his name, the recipes and for staff training. It is not part of the JG empire. (with that said, I know many people that swear by it)