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Spice Market


grillboy

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That was great that they got back to you quickly.

Gives one a little faith that owners only care about the Nicole Kidmans and such.

Are you going to take them up on the dinner offer?

Good Luck and Congratulations :biggrin:

2317/5000

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We were uninspired by our lunch at Spice Market. Our enthusiastic

response to the setting, ended with our feeling that this was over-themed

and over wrought destination. The staff was costumed but their outfits were

rather grungy; tee shirted waiters? The special cocktails were good...the appetizers very good [peppered shrimp & chicken samosas], the entrees [charred beef and lime noodles] seriously disappointing. We so lost interest

that we didn't even remain for dessert.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Purely for reference, I will mention here that a colleague at work was supposed to go with family this past Friday, but the phone reception was so rude that they cancelled the reservation. On a summer Friday night, when le monde fabuleuse is out of town or heading out anyway, the only reservation they could get was 6PM, and were told in no uncertain terms that the place doesn't open before 6, and that if they were more than 5 minutes late their table would be given away.

Fabulous is a highly subjective and flimsy state of being, and while I was perfectly happy with my meal on my one visit back in February, word of mouth about the attitude and service at Spice Market is going to doom this place faster than a visit from the GOP convention. But since JVG gives the impression that his newer ventures are not meant to be long=lasting, maybe management doesn't care.

Food, glorious food!

“Eat! Eat! May you be destroyed if you don’t eat! What sin have I committed that God should punish me with you! Eat! What will become of you if you don’t eat! Imp of darkness, may you sink 10 fathoms into the earth if you don’t eat! Eat!” (A. Kazin)

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But since JVG gives the impression that his newer ventures are not meant to be long-lasting, maybe management doesn't care.

Where did JGV say that? As far as I know, JGV has yet to fail anywhere in Manhattan, and Spice Market continues to be one of the toughest reservations.

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From yesterday's New York magazine list of August wait times for bars and restaurants:

"The wait for an upstairs table at Spice Market, per the maître d’. - 2 hrs. 30 mins. Downstairs, a predicted wait of “at least 45 minutes” takes only 18 mins. 11 secs. But then it’s 36 mins. 5 secs. until drinks arrive. A “mix-up,” says the waitress."

The list was in order shortest wait to longest (full list here). Spice Market made the bottom of the list.

Food, glorious food!

“Eat! Eat! May you be destroyed if you don’t eat! What sin have I committed that God should punish me with you! Eat! What will become of you if you don’t eat! Imp of darkness, may you sink 10 fathoms into the earth if you don’t eat! Eat!” (A. Kazin)

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Sad to say this has devolved from good food to a "scene" which is the attraction rather than food/service. As such, it'll be hot today but what will tomorrow bring? Too bad as I had liked the food. I was out to dinner last night with a friend in the restaurant biz, and I was telling him of my recent Spice Market woes, and he said, "Wow, my last time there I had terrible service too. Thought it was a fluke."

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Sad to say this has devolved from good food to a "scene" which is the attraction rather than food/service. As such, it'll be hot today but what will tomorrow bring? Too bad as I had liked the food. I was out to dinner last night with a friend in the restaurant biz, and I was telling him of my recent Spice Market woes, and he said, "Wow, my last time there I had terrible service too. Thought it was a fluke."

You know, that's bullshit!!!

How can a place that started out so well spiral down into a morass of bad service and not so swell food?

You would think SOMEONE from the JGV org would be following this.

If I was JGV, I would be kicking some major ass.

C'mon, get it together...

2317/5000

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  • 2 weeks later...

Many on the management staff are still wet behind the ears; Spice Market was designed and planned to capitalize on the earning potential in the M.P. district. The restaurant didn't plan to take itself very seriously and the three star review from the Times has proved to be a double edged sword of sorts. As someone who has experienced what's going on behind the scenes, I can assure you there are restaurants with far more integrity that deserve your dollar.

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  • 3 months later...

Before I give me opinion on Spice Market, i need to say that Jean Georges refused to write the foward to my book, so i might be a little bias.

I was looking for a place to go last night and was hoping that the lighting of the tree and the horrible weather would get me in somewhere.. Well it worked, i called at 7 o'clock and was told they would be able to sit me at 730.

The space is absolutely beautiful. Its like what the furniture at ABC carpet must look like before its used, destroyed, and marked up 1000 times. Its carvernous, romantic, and really warm. I was hoping to love this place.

For such a huge place i was really surprised how everything came so quickly. We order the chicken samosas. With in 5 minutes they were served. This was a really good start, had lots of flavor, were crispy, tasted almost like a pastry filled chicken empanada.. (great) We then moved on to the pepper shrimp. Served with a pineapple on top. These were coated in coarse cracked pepper and had a lot of spice. Imagine throwing a mouthfull of toasted peppercorns in your mouth with piece of shrimp. (Eh). We then had the mushroom egg rolls.(ok) How bad can a deep fried thing filled with mushrooms be?

We then moved onto the "squid salad". Perfectly fried calamari in a soggy, over sauced collection of vegetables. The water chestnuts and peanuts were the next thing i picked out after all the calamari was eaten. I could have lived with out this.

At this point in the meal I had a couple of good deep fried things and a bad salad.. Does Fridays comes to mind?

We ended with lime noodles and duck curry. The lime noodles sucked. Soggy, tasteless, boring. (poor)The duck was stewed so the meat wasnt the crispy duck i was hoping for.. It easily fell apart and my date actually thought we were eating beef. The curry itself was good, a basic curry that i often make at home. (ok)

All in all, besided the chicken samosas, you could easily get any dish i ordered prepared better and for much less at . I dont think its was horrible, I would compare it to a Thai/Indian Friday's. (Not to insult fridays lime noodles if they have it) :biggrin: The space is worth going for alone.

Edited by Daniel (log)
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Refuse to waste my time. Spice Market is strictly for the Sex and the City set. Shame on you JJ. And shame on the NY Times. It's time NY stood up and yelled "were not Las Vegas!!" We deserve and should demand better. If we don't we never will. Say no to crass commercialism. And expect more than mediocrity from NY's most talented chef's!!

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It's time NY stood up and yelled "were not Las Vegas!!"  We deserve and should demand better.  If we don't we never will.  Say no to crass commercialism.  And expect more than mediocrity from NY's most talented chef's!!

There are many restaurants in NY that are far more crassly commercial than Spice Market, e.g., just about any restaurant in Times Square. We live in a crassly commercial city. Spice Market fits in well, methinks. Of course, it's not for everybody, but luckily, you have plenty of other options. Had Amanda Hesser given the right rating (two stars, perhaps), we wouldn't be having this conversation.

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It's time NY stood up and yelled "were not Las Vegas!!"  We deserve and should demand better.  If we don't we never will.  Say no to crass commercialism.  And expect more than mediocrity from NY's most talented chef's!!

There are many restaurants in NY that are far more crassly commercial than Spice Market, e.g., just about any restaurant in Times Square. We live in a crassly commercial city. Spice Market fits in well, methinks. Of course, it's not for everybody, but luckily, you have plenty of other options. Had Amanda Hesser given the right rating (two stars, perhaps), we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Spice Market is JGV for the masses

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It's time NY stood up and yelled "were not Las Vegas!!"  We deserve and should demand better.

Supply and demand, Cru. It's all fine and good to try to inspire us to open our windows and shout "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not taking it anymore!" But the people who aren't interested in going to Spice Market (which would include me) aren't doing anything to lower their profits. Furthermore, Las Vegas generates a heck of a lot of income, and I'm not so sure people in that growing city are spending much time being upset that they're not New York. As my grandmother used to say, "You pays your money and you takes your cherse [=choice]."

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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It's time NY stood up and yelled "were not Las Vegas!!"  We deserve and should demand better.  If we don't we never will.  Say no to crass commercialism.  And expect more than mediocrity from NY's most talented chef's!!

There are many restaurants in NY that are far more crassly commercial than Spice Market, e.g., just about any restaurant in Times Square. We live in a crassly commercial city. Spice Market fits in well, methinks. Of course, it's not for everybody, but luckily, you have plenty of other options. Had Amanda Hesser given the right rating (two stars, perhaps), we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I am too new to NY to really say this, but what the hell.

I don't know that the rise of the Spice Market, Megu, Vento places has decreased the quality and quantity of the neighborhood, non-commercial places.

Perhaps I'm wrong...

Time past and time future

What might have been and what has been

Point to one end, which is always present.

- T.S. Eliot

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considering that JGV's opening 1 or 2 star joints, is he just in it for the money?? spreading himself quite thin these days. oh yeah, what's that dessert called..the one that's beverage style and eaten with a straw that pastry chef pichet ong has on the menu?

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considering that JGV's opening 1 or 2 star joints, is he just in it for the money?? spreading himself quite thin these days.  oh yeah, what's that dessert called..the one that's beverage style and eaten with a straw that pastry chef pichet ong has on the menu?

I'm sure JGV has always opened restaurants with the intention of making money, so that part of the equation isn't new. He has yet to fail in New York, so for now you'd have to say that he's successfully juggling his many responsibilities—economically, at least. Whether the food has suffered is an interesting argument. It's worth pointing out that Spice Market had several raves in the local press—not just from Amanda Hesser. At least one other critic gave it three stars (either Lape or Cuozzo; I forget which), and I believe another was 2 1/2. The NYT gave V Steakhouse 1 star, but that was lower than any other publication that gives out stars. The NYimes rating doesn't really have the influence it once had. It's now just one of several data points, and perhaps not even the most dependable of them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes Times Square is more crassly marketed than Spice Market. But Times Square restaurants really arent for New Yorkers, are they? And as for the comment about Vegas not wishing it were New York. Have you noticed they rebuilt every succesfull NY restaurant there and a replica of the skyline!!!? Everyone seems to think it's ok to do it for the money. I'ts not. Is it ok for our overpaid sports stars to just do it for the money? No. It builds up resentment and anger with the fans. JJ has given NYC the finger. He's turned his back on us. And he's in it for the money. And I don't think that's acceptable. He's talented and important. Ive been going to his flagship for years. It has become so mediocre that it brings tears to my eyes. What happened? You tell me. Sit with any group of NY restaurant workers and chefs and you will find us all agreeing on the same thing. NY restaurants, especially service in them, is a thing of the past. Thank God there are people out there planning new and great restaurants. Restaurants driven by passion. Not cynical overblown arrogant palaces like Spice Market. What horrifies me about favorable reviews is that the NY media is not raising the bar. Their telling JJ that its ok to run your restaurant this way. So why should he improve? I've been here twice. I've spoken to dozens of people in the business whom i respect and we all scratch our heads in disbelief of the reviews. Welcome to the new friendly New York that praises mediocrity.

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  • 6 months later...

Hello,

We just happen to catch the Spice Market on Saturday at a good time as they had a few seats available downstairs for drinks and appetizers. Friends of ours have been calling for weeks to get in, so we were really excited. As you all know, this was voted in the top 25 as one of the best resturants in the world.

It's in the new trendy meat packing area of the village on 13th st between 9th and 10th. However, we had to park a few blocks away and unfortunately the area smelled, but we didn't let that discourage us.

The decor inside is beautiful, exotic, indian influences and the lighting is perfect. They have upstairs seating including the ability to sit infront of the kitchen, but since it's like an assembly line set up, I wouldn't recommend it. Downstairs they have a bar with small tables around to eat appetizers as well as some isolated family rooms that seat 10 for intimate parties. This was really done well.

We ordered the chicken samosas and the pepper chicken and "spice" is clearly in every dish. We eat lot's of spice in our family but this was a bit much. The chicken in the samosa was not that appetizing and the shrimp was very over cooked and very very small.

OK you say, we had a bad night but Emeril L. himself was sitting right next to us and I don't think he didn't like his appetizers either, apparently the chicken wings their table ordered were "burnt".

We didn't stay for dinner, which I'm sure would have been better.

LIMA BEAN

Edited by Lima Bean (log)
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As you all know, this was voted in the top 25 as one of the best resturants in the world. 

Just goes to show that these lists aren't always right.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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