Nathan

the same is true of "Fashion & Style"...which is my point.

It changes the editorial structure which does in fact change the particular standards under which a section is run. I don't know anyone in the food section but I do know several people across other sections...and that's generally how it works (I don't have the foggiest clue what "official" policy is....but simple side by side comparisons will easily prove that different sections have different standards).

I'm going to respond simultaneously to oakapple, rich and JohnL cause I think you're all in error in exactly the same way. You're all taking restaurant reviews way way too seriously and the descriptions of what Bruni does way too literally (no, he wasn't purporting to be Woodward circa 1974 or Hersh circa 1968). "Dining & Wine" is in the Style Section, not the Arts Section. Period. The Style Section is filled with breezy, familiar, even gossipy writing...and has been that way for years. Like I said, if you have a problem with that and think "Dining & Wine" belongs in the serious Arts Section...then take that up with Keller. Nevertheless, that is where Dining & Wine is viewed as fitting by the Times. (different sections at the Times have had different standards for years...just like every other newspaper. For example, I know for a fact that writers for the Sunday Magazine are encouraged, even expected, to take a more sensationalist and less objective approach than regular news writers at the Times...)

Then why is the Style Section different than the Dining Section in the print edition? The Dining Section comes on Wednesday. The Style Section comes on Thursday. (At least that's what we get in Florida.) The Thursday paper also has the (separate) Home and Design section. Note that the Style Section is a relatively new section (can't remember exactly when it started - I'd guess 2 years ago or so). Robyn ← check the Times website..."Dining & Wine" is clearly subsumed under "Style" i.e. see http://www.nytimes.com/pages/style/index.html or www.nytimes.com edit: I believe you are referring to "Fashion and Style" which comes out on Thursdays and is a separate subsection under the Style Section (as is "Dining & Wine")

That suggests that the Paradigm isn't new. If you add bar dining at Babbo and Gotham to the mix, then I basically agree with everything you've been saying. It's just not that new. ← what's new is that whole restaurants are being created around the concept...by young, ambitious chefs...yes, the desire for this type of dining has been around for a while...

← This has nothing to do with butterscotch or Sneakeater's comments.

I think I saw some takeout being done when I was there. Not going to swear to it though.

as I noted up the thread, there was a rather decent steakhouse in a strip club in Boca for years (maybe it's still there). however, the steakhouse had a formal dining room that was kept completely insulated from the strip club...not so with Robert's.

I think some are confusing Journalism proper with restaurant reviewing. the "Dining and Wine" part of the Times is run under the rubric of the Style Section. It's clear that some here would find that to be the real issue if they thought about it. (and maybe it is....). Nevertheless, that's the section under which restaurant reviews run in the Times...and entertaining writing on the "scene" is certainly in keeping with the general focus of that Section. in other words, your real dispute should be with Keller.

1. well, I think oakapple is on to something in that if a new Paradigm is emerging (which I think, certainly hope, it is)...that Ssam Bar is the first unquestionable prototype of the category. (cases could be made for Chubo, Degustation and Knife & Fork...but they simply haven't excited people to the same extent.) I think we will see more of them. 2. of course the Paradigm emerged from the bar-dining scene at haute restaurants. that's how paradigms start..they don't spring up ex nihilo. 3. the number of people interested in the Paradigm would fill up a lot of movie theaters...its the same people that have been dining at the bar at Babbo, Gotham, etc. for years (at least those who chose that method of dining by choice)...and now fill up these new restaurants every night. 4. if they charged the same prices I probably would find Bouley "better" than Bouley Upstairs. but that's hardly relevant. the point of the new Paradigm is that it's serving three and four star dishes in a casual and cheaper environment. no one's claiming that they can achieve quite the consistency and level of Per Se, Jean Georges or Alinea.....not without the massive kitchen staff, etc. of those restaurants. but they can achieve 90% of that quality at 40% of the price. that's what's exciting. It's haute cuisine made accessible (sort of).

terrific! the food anyway. the "scene" is minimal...its never been that kind of place.

if someone else is paying I'd go with the Modern proper. there certainly are plenty of people who prefer the Bar Room (Bruni's not the only one)...especially considering price...but in this situation you've made the right call. the Nougatine room is boring.

I didn't say they were the same. I know for a fact that they are somewhat similar though. cheez. Issan is the Thai province bordering Laos, it used to be part of Laos and many/most residents of Issan are ethnic Lao (Hmong is a different thing altogether) therefore, Issan cooking is the closest thing we have to Laotian in NY.

Zabb is Issan...but Issan food is relatively close to Laotian. indeed, most people in Issan are Lao.

I'm sure Sneakeater will use it soon...and just won't tell us...he's always complaining about not being able to get in anywhere

I think you're entirely correct. Well, David Burke did more-or-less the same thing at Hawaiian Tropic Zone, and there hasn't been a peep out of Bruni. We're well past the opening period, so I would guess it isn't getting reviewed. (New restaurants are usually reviewed in the first few months, or not at all.) The Robert's Steakhouse review looks like a one-off to me. Keens Steakhouse, V Steakhouse, and Wolfgang's Steakhouse all got full reviews. It is not really clear how Bruni decides when to do double-reviews, but from this one example you can't infer very much. This isn't the first time Bruni has reviewed a restaurant that had been open for a long while. ← the only way Hawaiian Tropic Zone gets reviewed is if there are rumors that the food is actually very good. which isn't happening. Robert's got reviewed because the word on the street was that its steaks were very good. I'd been hearing that since it opened actually. my surmise is that Bruni gave it an initial visit to see if this was really the case...when he loved the steak, he decided to return for repeat visits and write it up. I'd put money down that's exactly what happened.

Bruni wrote up Hooters in an amusing Diner's Journal piece.

Rich, that's just wrong. Bruni has 33 months of reviews behind him, for a total of around 143 reviews. Exactly one had an overt sex angle.Moreover, Bruni made it clear that it's the superlative steaks that drew him there. Without that, there's no review. ← I think Rich is talking about the front page placement and the photos...not Bruni.

You can't be serious!!! ← I'm totally serious. ← Of course it was about sex. When you're writing a review about a restaurant in a strip club, how do you avoid that? Similarly, the review of Waverley Inn was about "scene." How could it not be? ← see, I don't think strip clubs are about sex...but anyway....

You can't be serious!!! ← I'm totally serious.

You're taking this a little seriously don't you think? (yes, the Times' overall bent has changed since the days of the late Abe Rosenthal...but I don't think that has anything to do with the restaurant column)... I agree that the next time Bruni reviews a steakhouse located inside a strip club that people will be perusing it for inside references. But until that happens...I don't think this will change a single thing as to how the vast majority of us breeders read his reviews.

Here's the thing...none of this was about sex.

I ate at a Sri Lankan restaurant in Flushing a while back with EatMyWords. One thing I'm craving that we seem to lack is a Laotian restaurant (the closest thing is apparently Zabb).

fwiw, the Penthouse Club has been the site of more than one art-world party or event in the last couple years. It has a rather different status in the city's social scene than say Scores (I'd be flabbergasted if there was a prostitution bust at the PC). as for sensationalism and luridness....Rich, the Voice covered the Terry Richardson opening a couple years ago with an entire article...which is just sick.

I think it's probably more accurate to say that although Bruni's orientation was common knowledge among those of us who were paying attention...as well as among those who keep tabs on that stuff in general (which I'm not one of), this is the first time it's essentially explicitly come up in a restaurant review written by Bruni (there have been hints before). edit: The only reason that I can think of why any of this matters at all is that it does provide a foundation for the humor evinced in today's review....I suppose it is a necessary basis for the joke. As for the more important matter of the food at Robert's...Bruni's not alone in his opinion that the steaks are superb....I've heard that since it opened over three years ago. (heck, the best steakhouse for years in South Florida was in a strip club)