Sneakeater

This is where I disagree with you. I think the way NY does it now is more "nuanced" than the star system. The reason is, NY Mag's current system solves the famous "Four Star Hotdog Stand" problem. The way NY does it now, there's a blurb describing each restaurant. The ones that are especially recommendable, no matter what they are, get a "critic's pick" star. This enables the reviewers to flag places that are particularly good, without submitting them to a unitary grading system that compares apples to oranges. Take, for example, that deli on 10th Ave. between 47th and 48th with the great great great taco/torta/sope counter in the back. I don't think it's currently listed in NY Mag. But if it were, it would have to be a "Critic's Choice". Under a star system, though, it would have to be given either one or no stars, cuz after all it's just a counter in the back of a deli. A reader would easily skip it -- or else get confused by the fact that the descriptive blurb is so much more favorable than the blurbs for some of the two-star places. Unless you really think about the star system and its application, you wouldn't get that this place is much better, for what it is, than other places that get more stars. As has often been said, the star system is good for ranking luxury dining places -- but that's about all it's good for. The so-called "binary" system, which identifies notable choices in all categories, is to me much more useful as a general matter. (If the moderator thinks this discussion should be in the "Bruni and Beyond" thread, I apologize for starting this separate one.)

How come the Times and now New York have star rating systems for restaurants, but not movies, books, theater, and dance?

I wish people wouldn't feel the need to do that.

If you're going to go into Park Slope, I'd also have to put in a plug for Al Di La on Fifth and Carroll (sp?).

Dec. 15, 2005 entry: http://www.beansbeans.blogspot.com/ (New Yorkers will want to know that this is the author of the Bruni Digest.)

God, I can remember a great lunch at the Berghoff several years ago with my mother-in-law, my wife, and me. Now, of the four, I'm the only one left.

Is it considered rude to post comments on these things? If not: I thought that piece was terrific. Just great. Absolutely fantastic. (I would say "absolutely fabulous," but that would bring up all the wrong associations.)

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=66221

Fourth voice for the navy blazer. It goes anywhere.

Believe me, I understand that (I mean, shit, I'm a litigator). I just think that it's actually worthwhile to explore HOW and WHY we differ. You learn things about your own views that way. Also, I think that in some cases it's just heartening to know that others agree with your minority view.

Still does. Not any more. It's now a gym for children or some similar type of yuppie place. (That's what I meant about that neighborhood's changing.) A tragic loss. PS -- Sorry I got Ferdinando's name wrong.

Or just differences of opinion?

And then of course there's Extra Heavy Malaga, which has its own meaning for Jewish wine fans.

If you're thinking of Schnack, you might also consider Fernando's Foccaciaria, also on Union right over the BQE. It's a relic of the days when that neighborhood was sort of like Skull Island: a prehistoric enclave cut off from civilization (in this case, by the BQE in the fifties) and frozen in time. The neighborhood's not like that anymore. But Fernando's is. Everything's good, but I have to give special shout-outs to the spleen sandwiches and the fried chick pea sandwiches. And the celestial caponata.

What happened to the bolito misto cart?

I think this quote ought to be engraved in stone somewhere.

Maybe this has been done here before and my search skills weren't up to finding it, but some items in recent threads made me reflect that there are some restaurants where I can't understand why they don't get more attention than they do from the NYC foodie community, and some others that I can't understand what the big deal is. I thought it would be interesting to see other people's lists of those categories. Here are a few of of mine, just off the top of my head. If this thread goes anywhere, I'll supplement as I think of more -- but really I'm interested to see what others have to say. Why Don't They Get More Play? Sumile Oceana What's The Big Deal? The Tasting Room L'Impero Moderator's Note: The "Overpraised/Underpraised" thread was merged here.

It is difficult for me to articulate how much I admire that review.

This is carping, but as a longtime Brooklyn resident, I would dispute that Saul opened "long before" Smith Street became a Restaurant Row. I'd say Saul was part of the second wave (OK, maybe the first-and-a-half wave) of the Restaurants to open in that Row.

Unless maybe the Bobby Van's steakhouses serve hamburgers?

I think that last suggestion is a little dangerous. I know that I'm comfortable with spending more for wine than I'd assume others would be. I frankly think it's a little unfair for a host to put a guest in this position. When it happens to me (although it's rare that I get treated to dinner, I reflect), I usually end up ordering something toward (never at, obviously) the lower end of the list's price range. (As someone noted, if you know anything about wine, you can almost always find good bottles at that price point if the list is any good.) I personally think that even the tactic of offering your host three choices at three different price points is a bit wrong, as it puts your host in an awkward position.

Bistro du Vent in New York serves something they call a French Manhattan, with Pineau de Charantes instead of vermouth. It's very good.

For non-steakhouse-type burgers: Burger Joint in the lobby of the Parker Meridian Goodburger on Second Ave. and 44th St. (or so) Shake Shack except it isn't open (Those all serve California [or "In and Out"] style burgers, if that information helps you.)

I enjoy Perry St. so much for its relative lack of pretention along with the extremely high quality of the food. It's never been transcendant, but for me it's always been excellent or nearly so.

This sort of carping is really silly, but I don't understand a universe where Red Cat gets two stars and Jovia gets one star. Or where Ici gets one star and Jovia also gets one star. If star ratings weren't stupid to begin with, I'd probably even get a little worked up about it.