Nathan

although it is unfortunately located in the MP: this steakhouse has an intriguing menu. http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails...d=0&cuisineid=0 the "small" steaks and the decent looking (and decently priced) list of other entrees appear to be aimed at making this a date place. the specialty cocktail list (although a little heavy on sweet drinks and vodka (again, think "date steakhouse")) is also of interest.

I said that Kim has demonstrated that "some critiques of Bruni are fallacious"; not all.

bechamel: I agree. I get killed for this here...but I think some of Bruni's early missteps have resulted in him being held to different standards than prior critics. If Grimes had not reviewed Cafe des Artistes near the end of his tenure and if Bruni instead reviewed it, I have no doubt that he would be killed for it here. Leonard Kim has done a yeoman's job in statistically demonstrating that some critiques of Bruni are fallacious (for example, he doesn't indulge in "star inflation" compared to his predecessors...unless you believe that his 100 reviews are of a materially different sample than that of his predecessors...something I find unlikely due to the numbers involved)... now, does Bruni have a bias toward Italian cuisine? yes. does he have a bias toward "neighborhood restaurants"? yes. but then the Freeman's review appears to deliberately set out to demonstrate that there is such a thing as a mediocre popular neighborhood restaurant. is he impressed by celeb-heavy "scenes"? well, he does like writing about and commenting on them...much more so than Grimes. but he actually tends to pan those restaurants when all is said. now, if like FG and others here, you hold the classic French model in high regard...its easy to argue that Bruni doesn't understand or appreciate that model enough, especially compared to Grimes. however, considering a changing NY restaurant scene and a changing dining demographic...I'm not sure that any critic in the old Grimes mold (still my favorite restaurant critic) would fly with the general dining public....as compared to the self-selected sample of the NY egullet set. P.S. as I've noted before: if Bruni reviewed Otto de novo and gave it two stars...I can't even imagine the accusations that would fly of favoritism toward Batali, Italian-centrism etc. of course, in fact, Grimes gave Otto two stars. (and by that standard, the three stars for Babbo and Del Posto seem a little harsh.) P.P.S. I've developed some appreciation for Bruni's critical acumen, and even courage, after he gave Sriphithai a well-deserved two stars (I think a case could almost be made for three -- give it a better decor and some sort of wine list and it would be entitled to three). That still upsets the Platonic ordering of the culinary universe for many here I realize.

I'd say the review was explicitly intended to function as a meta-review. He said as much. I quote: "Although those of us in the criticism business like to talk in sweeping, definitive terms, many establishments resist such reduction. In particular, many establishments like Da Silvano do. The context of my visits was a mini-survey of Italian restaurants that are neither proudly hokey red-sauce joints nor stylized, self-conscious destinations. I was curious about long-running restaurants that combined classicism or rusticity with lofty prices and currency on Page Six. I went to Il Mulino, where half the food was fantastic, half not. To Il Cantinori — so pleasant in some ways, so forgettable in others." People, you may disagree with his reasoning, but he's telling you flat out why he chose to review it.

interesting comparison on Shanghai v. NY on this thread: http://www.liaoyusheng.com/archives/food_d..._bao_survey.php

oakapple, I agree.

I guess my only point here is that any restaurant that is reviewed right now will provoke a response of "why did he bother to review that?" there literally is nothing new to review. (ok, the Tasting Room and maybe InTent are ready.)

I've never seen it packed.

one other thought: before one starts suggesting an overlooked neighborhood spot as deserving a review...take Freeman's as a lesson in being careful what you wish for. sure, Little Owl was clearly good enough to get at least one if not two stars. but many other "neighborhood joints" would get "satisfactory" ratings...do you think they really want them? and even some better places...sure, Grocery is good enough to get a star or two...but they're probably better off without a review poking a hole in their #1 ranking in Zagat.

oh, I agree with you. like I said, Il Mulino would have made more sense... but, I'm basically saying that yes, they actually have run out of restaurants to review....temporarily...later this fall there will be plenty to review.

It is mass hysteria, that is all. Trans fats, like other fats, are bad in terms of the overly voluminous diet that modern humans eat. The real problem is that our bodies were engineered for subsistence diets and not equipped for the time of universal plenty that we live in now. so, we seek succor from the mommy state.

actually, why not? as I pointed out above...there haven't been very many high-profile summer openings (there never are): The Tasting Room will get a review sometime soon. L'Atelier needs about another month or so. Porterhouse, STK and Lonesome Dove will get their reviews in a couple months. I don't think I'm missing anything notable here. Bruni specifically stated in the review that he also looked at Il Mulino and another old-school Italian place as possible reviews. I'm surprised that he didn't choose Il Mulino instead of Da Silvano...but I don't find it a travesty either.

upon my glancing over this thread I see that slkinsey has the thread well-covered. I'll only note that any purported benefits from "organic" ingredients are definitively lost through distillation and other such processes. (This is why I find "organic" shampoos and the like to be especially amusing.)

Here were the parameters of my meal at L'Atelier: one tasting menu only was offered: for $165. most courses were offered in either tasting menu or appetizer sizes...(prices were $18-30 for tasting portions and $30-72 for appetizer size). the place was almost entirely full (completely so by 9ish)....on an extremely rainy Labor Day weekend night. bread was provided upon request but no basket was left. it sounds like they may have modified the menu since then...which could change matters. edit: I was subtlely encouraged to order more than I did. what day of the week were you there? it is good news if they have changed the format. but if you read up this thread, your experience was the singular one. (albeit, you seem to have had the most recent experience)

this exposes the existential conundrum at the heart of Atelier. although it purports to be a casual kitchen counter....it is much more formal than that. considering the work that one would go through to actually get a seat at the bar (making a reservation or drinking $20 cocktails at another bar while waiting for two hours to get a seat)...no one is ordering a 3 bite $20 taste and leaving. (none of the plates FG listed are appetizers in any sense of the word)... I understand what you're saying, but your understanding of what Atelier is (I'll grant that it purports to be so) is not accurate. and I think Joe Gerard is vastly underestimating what people around him were actually paying.

(as an aside, one could do that at lunch at JG for even less) one would have to a darn thick skin to order those three (very tiny) tasting plates (they are one-quarter the size of the slightly lower-priced plates at Bar Room at the Modern), no wine, and walk out. And I highly doubt anyone here has seen anyone actually do that. in terms of a realistic meal, Atelier is quite simply not cheaper than any four star restaurant in town (except for Per Se and Ducasse -- and its tasting menu is at that price level) and, though very good, is not serving food at that level. yeah, I could theoretically show up, order the langoustine fritter (which is great and a bargain by the way), say that I need time to think about my other courses and the wine, eat it, make up an excuse, ask for the bill and leave....but I sure as heck hope that no one here would actually do something that gauche. edit: one more point, FG, those three items you listed above...at those prices are tiny tasting portions, not appetizers (they are not equivalent to the small plates at Bar Room at the Modern). you'd need more than a slice of pizza after. those are literally portioned the same as early courses in a 12-16 course tasting menu....

I'm very curious as to how one could manage to dine for less than $150 at Atelier. I certainly didn't see anyone doing so. I ate there "on the cheap." had the langoustine, the squid (both very small tasting-menu style courses), split the pastrami and then had the quail. thankfully I had a large lunch that day...none of these were large courses. a cocktail and two glasses of wine, tax, tip. total? $148 I really liked the food at Atelier...but was it as nuanced, complex, consistent or indeed, simply as good as the food at JG? we have very, very different palates I guess. the whole point of Atelier is that the cuisine is stripped down and simplified. The closest comparison to Atelier is Bar Room at the Modern, except that Atelier is better and much more expensive.

although I often disagree with him, I think Adam Platt's new review of the Tasting Room in New York magazine captures the place accurately: and this one quote says it all: "A pile of chanterelles with an egg broken into them tasted fine, but $32 seemed like a lot to pay for what is essentially a side dish." he ends up giving it two stars on a five star scale (while noting that he was giving them the benefit of the doubt for reputation)...which I see as roughly equivalent to one star on the Times scale.

true...and I noted that in my review earlier in this thread. but there's also no question that by far the best experience is the tasting menu...and it is simply overpriced....(the chef's tasting menu at JG is $30 cheaper and I don't see how there can be a smidgeon of an argument that the cuisine is not more complex, refined and indeed, better, than at Atelier....) actually, hmm...I'd also point out that even a meal "on the cheap" at Atelier is simply not going to be less than $150....one can eat dinner at JG, LB and Daniel for $150 as well. so, I question your premise altogether.

or even LB....or Luger's

If you want decent Italian near the compost pile known as "Little Italy"...eat at Peasant on Elizabeth between Spring and Prince. echo the Chinatown suggestions.

Put it this way: I would give it two stars. (By the way, the service, though very good, isn't four-star service. It can't be...the format makes that impossible.) Could Bruni do so as well? Since the star ratings officially take price into account he certainly would have the cover to do so. Were I to bet I'd probably bet on him giving it 3...but I wouldn't consider it a travesty or entirely uncharacteristic for him to give it 2. The fact of the matter is that Atelier is charging as much as two or three restaurants in NY...but isn't serving food at that level (by design).

The Blue Owl is a good choice. Gin Lane sucks. Its the typical MP b&t crowd and the drinks are not well-made. DeGroff took his money and ran. (I'm not blaming him...I'm sure he designed the cocktail menu for a fee and that was the extent of his involvement.) The rest is just their PR firm.

"As for Bruni, if he awards two stars it should put the final nail in his coffin." It is very high-three-star-level food at 4 star prices. That makes it a two-star restaurant. With that said, I enjoyed my meal there very much.

my understanding is that they are not serving anything close to the full menu yet.