Nathan

I stopped in here last night for drinks and had some impressions: 1. In terms of decor and general aesthetics they have sunk a lot of money into this place, a lot. Right down to the metal cocktail straws, the menus, etc... 2. This is a beverage destination, or should be, without question. The wine list is superb, with excellent choices by the glass or tasting (no quartinos), including very well-priced flights. The liquor selection is superb, combined with some interesting ales from Piedmont. The bartenders are knowledgeable and proficient. I had an excellent Negroni, made with Carpano Antica; this was a revelation, herbal and complex, one could scarcely believe Antica is a vermouth -- making Punt es Mes (by the same producer) seem cheap and sour. 3. The menus (dining room and lounge) are immense, one wonders if the sheer number of choices overwhelms the kitchen. Nevertheless, I was impressed with the fact that one could easily eat for $50 or $200 in the main dining room (or any point in between).... 4. The lounge menu looked like a superb deal, $10 apps, $12 pastas, $18 entrees and a $41 lounge tasting menu which can be combined with a $19 wine pairing. 5. Based on all the foregoing, unless something is seriously wrong with the food (any of which I have yet to try), I wonder if this place isn't a victim of the expectations raised by those behind it. In other words, if an unknown opened a restaurant of this nature, with this kind of menu (and sheer multiplicity of options, in terms of food and price), I think people might treat it very differently.

bastards.

I was there a few years ago before I even moved to NY. not sure how long it's been open but it's certainly one of the older Chodorow factories. like other Chodorow restaurants, it's possible to get some competent food there (at least it was then)...but like the others, it's designed more as a scene...which of course means that its day is long past. thus you won't see much commentary on it.

Haven't been yet...all of these rooms seem to morph together after awhile (Morimoto, Japonais, Buddha Bar -- which I'm stuck going to tomorrow, Buddakan, Spice Market)...but I know several people who have eaten there and their comments on the food are very mixed. I'm not sure what your "word on the street" is....cause it's not what I hear.

"I've been to only two other restaurants in the city (Per Se and Alain Ducasse) that make a point of presenting two contrasting butters, with the server explaining the characteristics of each. I particularly liked the unsalted butter, which I believe came from Vermont (the other was from France). Bread rolls were served warm, but I would have liked a choice of breads, to go along with the choice of butters." sort of off-topic, but are these the only three restaurants in NY that serve more than one butter as part of the bread service? When I was recently in Prague I ate Alcron where one of the highlights of my otherwise disappointing meal was the bread service: 8 wonderful breads, 4 kinds of butter, including a truffled one.

Now if they dropped those mediocre bloodys to $8-10 as opposed to 12 I might actually check it out for brunch again.... Yeah, the wine program's nice, but with surf shack style food....

the Coquille St. Jacque (at half the price you would pay at La Grenouille) the "duck shepherd's pie" the Friday bouillabaisse anything from the bakery the steak frites (I know you don't like eating fries with steak....and you call yourself French!) the oyster bloody mary's (compare one of these with the oyster-less, more-expensive bloody at Ditch Plains to see why that place is such a cynical attempt at fleecing the unsuspecting...) and the polished bartenders in general... any seafood entree... any brunch item... its not a great restaurant...but it might very well be the best of its genre...and that's not faint praise.

"Oh, I agree Nathan. I was referring to eGullet (and I guess other similar sites). My fault for not making that clear. " your "P.S." indicates otherwise.

Rich, I'm going to disagree in the strongest possible terms. I can assure you that the vast majority of the moneyed, dining population of NY cares a great deal what the NY Times food critic says (whoever it may be...its not like they notice when it changes). Ask any restauranteur about the effect that Times ratings have on business. Remember that most people give credence to Zagat as well. Don't forget that Egullet is an insular, cocooned, tiny and self-selected community.

I finally stopped in here last night and snacked in the lounge with a friend. Can't believe that I hadn't gotten around to it before. The room, to my eyes, is inviting...perhaps not at first impression...but one definitely warms to it. This is in direct contrast to our next stop, Morimoto, where at first the decor impresses only to leave one cold on the aftertaste. What I tried I loved...both cocktails and apps. The tuna, in its cereal crust and faintly Asian emulsion, was spectacular...like chicken I rarely order it, but here its a trademark dish and should remain so (it bares keeping with the tuna entree at USC). It was leagues better than a similar dish at Bar Room at the Modern. The other apps we tried were also superb, if not quite as memorable...(I'd also had a few by that point).

compared to Grimes, I agree. compared to Hesser....well.....

Ate again at the bar the other day....I'm amazed everytime at the quality/price ratio...

it was intended to be both serious and amusing. (I'm going to lay off now before this goes off-topic. I was "banned" from Chowhound by Jim Leff so I'm not the most objective on the topic.)

I found it to be fine, not especially notable, Cuban food. (but then I lived in Miami for a couple years and never developed much of an affection for Cuban food....) as for Chowhound, well, any cheap place with large portions will get positive reviews on Chowhound and menupages....irrespective of the quality.

I am told that Watermarc was renamed Ditch Plains due to trademark issues or something of the like. I am very disappointed with Ditch Plains (as I have expressed on the relevant thread) and hope that they redeem themselves with Landmarc uptown.

hmmm...I wrote a post and it doesn't seem to have posted...trying again: I noted that I could hardly wait a month after seeing that menu and reading those posts. looks like I need to go to Gilt in the next week or so...to have something to compare Alinea to. looks like the wine pairings are a must. even though I eat (and drink) exceedingly quickly...maybe I should switch to the 5:30 if I plan on hitting the bars by midnight...

I was thinking that...but I have two concerns...one petty, one not so. the petty one being that I'm a NY'er, eating dinner at 5:30 is a completely foreign concept.... the more substantive one being that it seems obvious that a 5:30 table is a table that they plan on turning...and I'm concerned that I could end up not being able to the Tour...which would be extremely disappointing...

a question for those who have been to Alinea on the pacing of the Tour: I have an 8:45 reservation, rejecting a 5:30, .... but I'm really hoping not to be there for 4-6 hours. Can I assume that they accelerate things for solo diners? or should I switch to the 5:30? also, I'm surmising that the standard wine pairing is probably the best way to go under my circumstances....

you think they would? would Per Se? JG? for example, Babbo's not a 4-star but they won't serve a solo diner the tasting menu.... (I guess this is kind of off-topic though)

I was told by someone in the industry and in a position to know that there was indeed a sexual three-way caught on tape in a storage room of some sort. but anyway....

Momofuku Grand Sichuan Bar Room at the Modern Otto Balthazar I do hit Room4Dessert, Pegu Club et al on a regular basis but that's for drinking so I'm not counting it. edit: I'm not sure that Balthazar counts...I don't know if I'd really travel for it..I just live a couple blocks away so its convenient...

I have a res for the Tour on Friday the 28th. guess I'll see what they can do for a wine pairing. can't wait.

they should have played up the orgy thing...might have attracted customers...whatever they were doing wasn't working...

thanks! I'll call them this week. (I don't know of any NY 4-star that would do it)

I will be in Chicago the last weekend of July and would like to eat at Alinea. Does anyone know if they can make any accomodation for a solo diner...is it possible to have a tasting menu in this fashion? eat at the bar or whichever? although I'll be seeing some of my Chicago friends, none of them would be interested in eating there.