New NJ Restaurants

[fatcatbrew]

I'd like to know what your opinion is regarding the following:

If there is a restaurant that just opened, when do you feel the best time to try it is? Opening night? After a month of working out the kinks? After it has been reviewed?

[tommy]

why rush into it? give it a year.

[Lreda]

why rush into it? give it a year.

Wait a year and they'll be out of business. Someone's gotta be the guinea pig early on. I'd walk in the 1st couple of days they're open, grab a menu, maybe have a drink and if everything looks good have an app. Otherwise, wait a month or so and give it a shot on a Wednesday or Thursday.

[tommy]

why rush into it? give it a year.

Wait a year and they'll be out of business. Someone's gotta be the guinea pig early on.

let nature take its course to weed out the crap.

although, i'd dare say that a good amount of good places go out of business long before the crappy places do.

i usually wait a few months. never right after a review, as restaurants tend to get hit hard (if it's a good review).

[glenn]

Insist that the fearless forum leader go there promptly and issue a detailed review post haste. If that fails, be adventurous, be a guinea pig, and you issue a detailed review.

Seriously, I love checking out new places, as long as they're within MY geographic sphere, which is pretty limited much of the time. As far as giving a place a chance to iron out the kinks, baloney. If their doors are open and they're taking your loot, they better be offering something of value in return.

[tommy]

As far as giving a place a chance to iron out the kinks, baloney. If their doors are open and they're taking your loot, they better be offering something of value in return.

not sure about "baloney". the reality is that kinks often need to be ironed out.

[jhlurie]

I think, maybe two months in or so is standard. Then, if they show some promise you visit at some later time to revaluate.

Of course if you are a big-time "foodie" (Ack! That term!) there's another potential reason to visit early--as early as possible in fact. If they really are shaking out the bugs you can often (diplomatically, of course) make suggestions. Of course this is going to go over much better in a smaller place. I know for a fact that our pal Fink, for example, added a lot of stuff to his menu based on early customer input.

I suppose the real question is... are you going as a critic or as a potential regular customer? The attitudes can be totally different.

[Rosie]

Insist that the fearless forum leader go there promptly and issue a detailed review post haste. If that fails, be adventurous, be a guinea pig, and you issue a detailed review.

Seriously, I love checking out new places, as long as they're within MY geographic sphere, which is pretty limited much of the time. As far as giving a place a chance to iron out the kinks, baloney. If their doors are open and they're taking your loot, they better be offering something of value in return.

This fearless forum leader does try to get to new NJ restaurants ASAP. But I do limit myself to eating out 3-4 times a week so I need the fearless eGullet NJ posters to help me out.

I edited the topic title so that we can keep this discussion on the NJ board.

Yes there are kinks to be ironed out in a new restaurant but "not such new" restaurants can also have an off night. If management is told about a problems I would hope that they would address them.

[Rosie]

" I think, maybe two months in or so is standard. Then, if they show some promise you visit at some later time to revaluate."

If you wait 2 months the professional restaurant reviewers may get there before you and if the restaurant gets a good review you will have trouble getting in. I have noticed that the Star Ledger on occasion reviews a restaurant early on.

[jhlurie]

" I think, maybe two months in or so is standard. Then, if they show some promise you visit at some later time to revaluate."

If you wait 2 months the professional restaurant reviewers may get there before you and if the restaurant gets a good review you will have trouble getting in. I have noticed that the Star Ledger on occasion reviews a restaurant early on.

Heh, often based on tips they see HERE.

I suppose you are right. If the goal is to beat the review rush than the sooner the better (as well as for the reasons I already gave about possibly influencing the menu). Then again, if you are like tommy and don't want that role, then you'd have to wait for the post-review rush to ebb--a period which can be from 2 months to never, depending on a variety of factors.

Also, the rules might be a bit different with ethnic restaurants. Some of those don't get reviewed for years--if ever.

[glenn]

Then again, if you are like tommy and don't want that role, then you'd have to wait for the post-review rush to ebb--a period which can be from 2 months to never, depending on a variety of factors.

Based on that philosophy, hereafter known as THE tommy PHILOSOPHY, he'll get around to eating at Fascino sometime in 2006 or so.

I'm surprised at some of the responses coming from a bunch of eglutton elitist foodies (is that what we are?). I think it's pretty pansy ass to wait until you have the security of reviews and other people saying it's ok to go eat somewhere. No sense of adventure.

[jhlurie]

C'mon glenn, don't generalize based just on tommy!

Then again, he's got a right to that opinion. I think he's just very time-management oriented--he doesn't like wasting it. Well, at least when it comes to meals.

Me, I'll take a risk sometimes and other times not. It's just an unpredictable impulse based on some intangable things about the menu, location or appearance of the restaurant sometimes.

[tommy]

Then again, if you are like tommy and don't want that role, then you'd have to wait for the post-review rush to ebb--a period which can be from 2 months to never, depending on a variety of factors.

Based on that philosophy, hereafter known as THE tommy PHILOSOPHY, he'll get around to eating at Fascino sometime in 2006 or so.

LOL! i was going to say that myself.

i'm all for trying most places when they first open in NJ, assuming it's not fine dining. so i don't know about my philosophy.

but a place like fascino, for some reason, i'll give some time. i think places like that can only get better. and no, i won't be waiting til 2006.

as far as waiting for reviews, i rarely do that. i mostly don't care what reviewers, especially in NJ, have to say. in fact, i'd rather not have their thoughts influence my experience. a good example is NY's Mix. i recently visited, had what i thought was an excellent meal, and came home to read a piece in Gourmet that ripped it apart. mrs. tommy commented that it was a good thing we didn't read that review before going, because we might not have gone, or at the very least, it would have tainted our experience.

the only NJ reviewers i trust are me...and Rosie. and sometimes the perlows.

Edited January 25, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Rosie]

"the only NJ reviewers i trust are me...and Rosie. and sometimes the perlows. "

Thanks Dad.

[fascino]

I always try to hit new restaurants when they open....maybe give them a few weeks to work out any serious problems.....but I love to try them within 2 months. Of course, after a review it may be tough to get in but don't forget, there's always a week night.....

[Rosie]

Fascino--You have received consistly very good/excellent reviews. Did it bother you that you were reviewed so soon after you opened? How much have the reviews impacted your business? Also, does it make any difference that most newspapers and magazines will not review you again for three years?

[Kim WB]

I try to get there within 2 months..simply because I hate it when people find a good thing before me! Really, I'm kind of the "foodie" in our circle of friends, so I almost see it as a responsibility to try a place out. There is a place in New Hope, Marsha Browns, that I just haven't been to for dinner yet..and its killing me. People are giving opinions, and I don't have one...and I'm just so used to being FIRST!

If I visit in the first month or so and it sucks, but seems like maybe it would someday not suck, I will go a few more times. If people ask what I thought, I diplomatically respond " the jury is still out on that one".

[rhubarbd]

I'm pretty much with Glenn on this one - if a restaurant's open and charging full price, they're fair game; at least, that's how the critics view it. Which is why - as restaurant marketing consultants - we always advise clients to offer a substantial discount to guests during the first two weeks or so.

The only way for a restaurant to really shake out is with actual customers on premise, but we all know that invariably, mistakes get made. So by offering something nice (whether it's 20% off on food, or dessert & coffee on the house, whatever), you're saying, in effect, bear with us while we get it all together. Nobody really objects to mistakes being made when it's clear that the house is eager to make things up to you, to show you how gracious they can be while they're in a launch period.

What's disturbing to us - as Rosie alluded to - is how quickly critics arrive on the scene, and how rapidly reviews appear in print. In their defense, there's much greater emphasis now than ever before to be the first to review a place, both here and in Manhattan (and probably everywhere else). We have actually had reviews run in major papers while the client is still in "preview" mode - meaning that the critic was there three times within the first two weeks of operation.

I don't think that's really fair - either to the restaurant or the reader - but there you have it.

[fascino]

I was kind of stunned we were reviewed within 6 weeks of opening. Especially since it's our first restaurant. BUT I can honestly say that after getting the first good review business really took off, so I didn't mind getting reviewed so early. I would really like publications too space out their reviews though. Too many close together have a diminishing effect on each other.

[Rosie]

" I would really like publications too space out their reviews though. Too many close together have a diminishing effect on each other. "

Ah--but Macy's doesn't tell Gimbels!