Terrance Brennan's Seafood & Chophouse

[cabrales]

Grimes describes Terrance Brennan's Seafood & Chophouse in today's NYT (Diner's Journal). This is the restaurant in the Benjamin Hotel that has replaced An American Place.

Grimes notes that the restaurant is "the culinary equivalent of a Cadillac with tail fins", an American restaurant "harking back to an era where meat came in enormous portions . . . and desserts were either frozen or on fire." The described entrees include sirloin, filet mignon, porterhouse and rib-eye, with six potential sauces from which to choose or to be served with flavored butters or other items. Side dishes are $12 each. Seafood appears to be simply prepared with a sauce.

Apparently, appetizers are heavy in raw bar items, although other items are available. Desserts include Baked Alaska and pecan pie cheesecake.

Grimes concludes: "Mr. Brennan, a very refined chef, is obviously having a great time cruising right down the middle of the great American culinary road. His new restaurant is all text, no subtext, like that imposing charred lump of chateaubriand that arrives on a trolley, like the return of the repressed."

I'm glad Grimes is back. I don't agree with many of Grimes' assessments, but, for me, they are better than Asimov's and his writing is more pleasing than that of Asimov.

Edited December 14, 2002 by cabrales (log)

[weinhen]

What I'm surprised about is that nobody has picked up on Grimes' return on E-Gullet. He did just sneak back in with a Diner's Journal write-up. I assume he'll do the main review on Wednesday. I also assume Asimov will go back to the 25 and under spot, replacing Sifton who never caught my imagination much.

Speaking of Sifton, what did others think of him. Seems that when he started, he tried to do his old NY Press shtick of "review noire." They must have leaned on him quickly since he promptly abandoned that style for the Times.

Andrew

[cabrales]

Andrew -- I believe Grimes had previously written subsequent to his absence.

[Ron Johnson]

What I'm surprised about is that nobody has picked up on Grimes' return on E-Gullet. He did just sneak back in with a Diner's Journal write-up.

His return has been addressed extensively on eGullet.

[Wilfrid]

I usually have some gripes with his writing. How such a restaurant, thus described, can be said to have "no sub-text" just leaves me scratching my head. I wish he wouldn't try to be smart.

[weinhen]

On which board was his return discussed?

Thanks

Andrew