Nathan

my meal there was pretty decent though...

Perry Street.

Bruni's take seems to have been similar to mine.

frankly, I'd deathwatch any restaurant in the MPD as a serious dining destination. 5 Ninth used to be taken seriously...anyone gone in a while? if Bagatelle was located anywhere other than the MPD it would have been reviewed by every major critic and mentioned as part of the current "French revival"....but no one takes it seriously cause of its location.

No different? I beg to differ...the food just isn't that good, and I doubt you'll find that at Per Se, The French Laundry, Daniel, Jean Georges or Perry St. when the chef isn't in the house. ← but you will at Mercer Kitchen.....

Spicy & Tasty to start. and everyone who likes S&T who has been to Little Pepper loves it too.

oh, sure, Robuchon or Ducasse are more famous than JG, but less famous than Bobby Flay or Emeril (mainstream TV makes an exponential difference). and JG is more famous than Wylie. but I'm not sure what the point of this all is. Samuelsson is a relatively well-known chef and like most prominent chefs, he probably doesn't do much cooking.

they're both sort of famous in NY, yes. obviously the Bobby Flay level is another matter altogether...but by that standard, Jean Georges or even Ducasse or Robuchon aren't famous.

well, a lot of people are misled by the name "Noodle Bar"....plus, that's the way it started out. that's why you often see comments along the lines of "I don't get the Chang hype. He just serves ramen and it's not even that good!"

good point on WD-50 and Sam. but I should rephrase, most famous chefs do visit their own restaurants...they just don't do much cooking.

I highly doubt he is. the only prominent chef in NY that I'm aware of who is in his kitchen all the time is Pasternack. (on the prominence rung below...Nawab is in the kitchen at Elatteria all the time) famous chefs don't cook once they become famous.

I like Aquavit.

What's a bit amazing to me is that we're at a time when $140 for two, without booze, is considered very reasonable... ← word, with that said, that was a heck of a lot of food apparently. looking at that menu, I don't see any reason why I wouldn't get out for $80-90 for two after tax and tip but before wine. same as Balthazar. 1 app, 2 $25 entrees. simple enough.

fwiw, Bruni mentions a bunch of rum-based drinks in his review. those weren't on the list when I was there...

no tie at JG, a jacket is a good idea. there are hostels in NY but quality?..... the White Hall is downtown.

I don't think anyone has levied any criticisms since the full menu became available. my only problem with it (until I eat there) is that it's in midtown

As FG observed, the whole point of such a restaurant is to execute classics skillfully. By its own terms, the only way such a place could "suck" is if the execution were poor, which could not be assessed until after it opens. It's not the kind of menu that can "suck" before any food has been served. ← there are classics and there are classics. it'd be hard for any level of execution to overcome how limited that menu appeared to be.

the original comments were prompted by the original posted menu...which, frankly, sucked. the current actual menus are quite a bit more interesting.

the classic Sazerac would be rye....although the uber-classic Sazerac (circa 1860-1880) was made with cognac. one of the best contemporary versions uses equal parts rye and cognac. but Sazerac should never meand bourbon.

Trick at Babbo- do not talk to the host. Go directly to the bartender. If you talk to the host you will wait much longer, even though they may tell you that you are supposed to talk to the host. ← I got into a long argument about that recently....cause that was always my position and talking to the bartender had always worked for me. others insisted that you have to go to the host. well, the last two times I went (since that conversation), the bartender did in fact direct me over to the maitre'd. take it up with Sneakeater.

this is really really annoying. take a look at the cocktail list: http://www.benoitny.com/benoit/PDF/BarBenoit.pdf not only is the French 75 most certainly not a Benoit creation, but the Champs Elysees listed there has nothing to do with the great original. this is really quite problematic.

at most restaurants in NY, you simply walk in...either take open seats at the bar or order a drink while waiting for barseats to open up (it's a good idea at this point to tell the bartender as you order your drink that you're planning on eating at the bar). at Batali restaurants, the bartenders (or the maitre'd in the case of Babbo) have a list of people waiting to dine at the bar (merely drinking at the bar is highly discouraged at these restaurants (with the exception of Del Posto where bar dining is not allowed)).

yes. though many of us eat at the bar at Babbo or at the walk-in tables rather than bother with reservations. (bar-dining is a big deal in NY)

isn't there a 3 day metrocard?

1. Casa Mono is a good idea. Les Halles isn't. it's basically a tourist trap and really has nothing to do with Bourdain (it's possible to have acceptable food there but there's no reason to come to NY for it). 2. what days are you here? this makes a MASSIVE difference for your lunch plans. there are all sorts of top-notch restaurants with great lunch deals during the week...but not on Saturday and Sunday. if you're only here on the weekend...then Perry Street is your best choice for lunch. otherwise JG is perfect. 3. Babbo for pasta... 4. Momofuku Ssam Bar for sweetbreads (and lots of other stuff...see the thread) 5. Katz's 6. I'll leave the pizza to others. 7. Chelsea Market. 8. Murray's. 9. JG if during the week, Perry Street on weekends.