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Bid Brasserie


robert brown

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Welcome, Matt!

Dee and I were pleased to dine at Bid the night New York magazine stopped by to execute a photo shoot for their review. You thoughtfully took a few minutes to discuss with us the many items as they were being lighted and styled adjacent to the bar area.

Watching the parade of delicately executed, wonderfully plated marvels march over to the photo area was an event in itself.

Whatever you choose to do in the future, what you and your team accomplished at Bid stands out as adventurous food, well executed, by individuals who truly engaged their customers on many sensory levels. We were delighted by our two dinners and regret we won't have more with that team in the same venue.

Thanks for the experience!

Apparently it's easier still to dictate the conversation and in effect, kill the conversation.

rancho gordo

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If I'd gone through what Matt just went through, I'd take a globe, find the point on the Earth that's exactly opposite 71st and York, and open my restaurant there!

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I prefer not to reveal my relationship with Bid but I will say that Bid has been very near to my heart. I feel very strongly that the team assembled at Bid was one of the finest in NYC. There were many obstacles in the way of their success and not the least of which was Sept. 11. Regardless of the $ success and strictly based on the standards of hospitality Bid was tops. The staff was kind and accommodating the food was some of the best fare on earth, not every time, but on several occasions I felt that the preparations were the best I had ever had. For example Matt's Guinea Hen wrapped in Pancetta was the best I have ever had. In fact Micheal Rostang (?sp) had done a similar preparation with rabbit but it was pale in comparison to Matt's. The pure creativity and respect for ingredients has allowed Matt to highlight the best of a particular ingredient. His use of multiple cuts of the same animal like the entire Rabbit; Kidneys and all or his use of different preparations on the same plate like his Roasted Sirloin and Braised Shoulder of Lamb makes you appreciate the best the product has to offer.

I think that in all fairness the Pastry Chef Chika Tillman deserves accolades as well. Chika's creativity and love for her craft make her one of the best Pastry Chefs in America. Her menu changed almost as often as Matt’s and it was always about the ingredients. Her use of herbs like lavender, sweet basil, basil seeds, earl grey tea were exemplary. Her unique Petits Fours were never the same and each one was better than the last. And her love for the craft could not have been more evidence than in her Fresh Cherries and Cinnamon Macaroon with Cherry Sorbet and Tarragon. She let the Cherries stand on their own and provided interesting and delightful compliments that challenged your taste buds and left you wanting for more.

As they prepare to shutter the restaurant I want to simply say that a better team could not be possible and all associated with the project should hold their heads high, be proud and continue to peruse the trade that they make look and taste so good.

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well i ate at bid when it first opened and it was really really bad. It wasn't so much that the food was horrible i mean it wasn't really good either but the service was the worst. One corse everything was put down in front of the wrong person then on the second course my friend got nailed in the back of the head by a plate. The desserts were good but agin nothing through the whole meal was explained. Not a good experience at all. By the way it sounds maybe i was there on a bad night but i wouldn't have ever gone back again.

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The following note on Bid appeared in the August 2002 edition of Food & Wine: "York Avenue, no restaurant row, now lays claim to Bid, on the ground floor of Sotheby's auction house. Gramercy Tavern veteran Matt Seeber's French-American creations --buttery seared scallops with bacon; sauteed black sea bass with bok choy, fennel and saffron-tomato broth -- should keep Upper East Siders and visiting collectors happy."

The above discussion was placed in the "Best New Restaurants" section (together with Atelier, Blue Smoke, Fiamma, The Harrison, Kai, Olica and Washington Park) of an article by Salma Abdelnour entitled "Where to Go Next in New York City". :blink: Other sections of the article discussed Next-Door Spin-offs (Cantinetta, Craftbar), Menu Overhaul (La Caravelle), Bar Scene (Butter, Industry, Meet) and Cheap/Snack (aKa Cafe, BB Sandwich Bar).

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  • 2 months later...

Tentation has always run Bid -- the restaurant is basically a concession, though it's more complicated than that. So it's the same management, just a different chef and level of culinary ambition.

As for Chef Matt, I'll e-mail him and see if he's got anything to say on the subject of his plans.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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  • 1 month later...

Just wondering, if you read this piece assuming no prior knowledge, would you know one way or the other whether Matt Seeber is still the chef there?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Just wondering, if you read this piece assuming no prior knowledge, would you know one way or the other whether Matt Seeber is still the chef there?

i have little prior knowledge, but my assumption, after reading the article, is that he is still there. although, i found it odd that the menu has made such a notable departure from its original version, in my subjective understanding.

so is matt still there? sounds like *i* could cook that stuff pretty well.

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I would think he's not there anymore.

The thing that bothers me about the fries description is the only word that is french is the avec. If you're going to throw in some French why stop with just one of the conjunctions? Shouldn't the and be et? And you can't spell out mayonnaise?

I think Asimov is peeved at the owners for shutting down Matt's creative cuisine in favor of high-end cafeteria food, and still not doing anything new to draw in the customers. I know I am.

Before, Bid was a destination for which it was worth going out of your way. Which many people happily did once they heard about Matt's menu. Now it isn't. And from what I know about the neighborhood, it doesn't sound like there's enough clientele for it to be supported without the creativity.

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Considering the dearth of places to eat on the Upper East Side (it's my hood,) the one place that is always packed it Quatorze on 79th street. And they have, you guessed it, a French brasserie/bistro menu. So I am not that surprised that Bid opted for a similar approach. Besides Etats Unis, it's one of the few restaurants on the UES that is actually busy.

As for the old Bid, I know that many here were enamored with Matt Seber's cuisine. I ate there twice and for the life of me, I couldn't tell what everyone was raving about. And even if I was wrong, certainly there was nothing so special about his cuisine that it would overcome the circumstance of having to enter through the the lobby of an auction house.

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Just to be entirely clear: Matt is no longer associated with Bid. My point was simply that the Asimov piece could be read either way. Actually, that wasn't even my point. I suspected that the piece was unclear on the issue of Matt's presence or absence, and I wanted to see if you all read it the same way. The answers above indicate that, yes, it is definitely unclear.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Mr. Seeber is NOT there. The new chef is a Mr. Leff, Jonathan, that is.

And the name should be changed to...Bad.

Went. Hated it. Uninspired, auction-house grub. Service confused--told us WHEN OUR MEAL(S) ARRIVED that one of them was "sold out." My med-rare requested salmon was well-well-and-then-some. Everything sucked..I so don't want to relive it.....

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I surprised everyone is being so kind, so forgiving, to the writer or editor of this piece--one or both of them screwed up by not specifically mentioning whether Matt was STILL the chef in this new incarnation. I'm sorry, but perceptions, if not careers, hang in the balance when chefs and restaurants are mentioned in the Times' Dining Section. It's important to get it right--explicitly and clearly--and not to tar by association or obfuscation.

Matt either is or is not the current chef--to not address this question directly is, well, sloppy and inconsiderate of Matt and the readership. For all we know, this information was included and was cut out for length.

I'd like to see the Times print a clarification in next week's section. It seems reasonable to me.

Agreed?

Steve Klc

Pastry chef-Restaurant Consultant

Oyamel : Zaytinya : Cafe Atlantico : Jaleo

chef@pastryarts.com

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Yes; that was my ulterior motive. I was trying to determine whether this was just me being nit-picky (I both know the facts and am a personal friend of the former chef) or if it was worth a letter to the editor.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Whether or not this guy is as big as Rocco Dispirito or not is irrelevant. Whether or not you like his food or not is irrelevant. I've never eaten there, I don't know the guy. I even missed the original Bid two-star review. All that matters is that Asimov brought his name into the review, and then didn't clarify whether or not he was responsible for the current cuisine. By mentionaing the (former) chef by name, Asimov is taking responsibility for being clear. Since I have no prior knowledge, Asimov gave me a piece of information and then left it dangle. Bad journalism, period.

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To get back to discussing the RESTAURANT (forgive me for shouting): when I googled on Jonathan Leff, the supposed chef at Bid Brasserie, all I came up with before I got bored was that he was the executive chef at BAM Café and was doing a special Australian menu a year ago. Does anyone know anything more about him? (I really feel sorry for him, given what Asimov said. :sad: )

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An "Australian" menu? What? Lamb pie? :blink:

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Wilfrid: that Q was asked on CH, but I don't think there was an answer. (For Jonathan's sake, I hope not. :rolleyes: )

Jin: Yabbies in Chardonnay, butter, and shallots; Kangaroo chops with quince chutney; pan-seared Emu with parsnip purée and a vegetable mélange. It was for a month-long "Next Wave Down Under" -- Next Wave is the Brooklyn Academy of Music's annual "new music, dance, and drama" festival, and last year they focussed on Australia.

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