Schrambling says NY scene is back

[alacarte]

from the LA Times: Dining Frenzy Takes Gotham

I know I've read this story before -- where was it, NY magazine? The description is more dramatic this time around though:

...the '80s are back as unabashedly as Donald Trump's hair-like appendage. The city is still struggling economically, but credit cards appear to be melting down on every corner as new restaurants open...

Schrambling's Hot List of NY restaurants ("for food or for the scene"):

Spotted Pig

Spice Market

BLT Steak

Oceo

Landmarc

Asiate

Schiller's Liquor Bar

Davidburke & Donatella

[jeunefilleparis]

I would have to say that lots of those are "scene" only!!

[docsconz]

It's funny, but the only when I really have astrong interest in trying is BLT Steak and that primarily for the descriptions of the veal chop. Spotted Pig could be interesting, but I'd rather do MOno. As for the others...

[Kim WB]

well, even if you are not impressed with his food, you have to admit Burke is an original when it comes to cuts of meat...See Fat Guy and Ellen's report here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...=0entry524276

ps, disclosure, fond ex wife!

Edited April 22, 2004 by Kim WB (log)

[marcus]

It's funny, but the only when I really have astrong interest in trying is BLT Steak and that primarily for the descriptions of the veal chop. Spotted Pig could be interesting, but I'd rather do MOno. As for the others

I feel largely the same way. All of these restaurants seem to feature attitude and novelty rather than substance. It's very illustrative of what the NY restaurant seen is all about and why some love it and others view it as second rate. I am a lifelong New Yorker, born and raised, but I belong to the latter group.

[Fat Guy]

Were that the entire list of new New York restaurants, viewed against a backdrop of no restaurants, I'd be inclined to agree with Doc and Marcus. But viewed in context I don't have any objection to some restaurants focusing on scene and others focusing on substance -- especially when the scene places are serving some terrific food. I think the energy of davidburke&donatella is a great thing, and Burke is an amazing chef -- a true innovator. Meanwhile Per Se, Cafe Gray, and Masa appear to be substance-heavy, significant, serious ventures. Hearth, Citarella (being relaunched), Union Pacific (making renewed effort), Lever House, etc. -- there's a lot of new substance out there, and it's not like ADNY, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges, and Bouley aren't still anchoring the four-star end of things. There's room for all kinds of restaurants in New York, and thankfully we have all kinds.

I found the article itself shallow in its optimism and in its content, though, but that's no surprise. When the New York Times covers restaurants in Philadelphia, those pieces are just as scatterbrained and heavy on stereotypes, generalizations, and conventional wisdom as this one.

[marcus]

Meanwhile Per Se, Cafe Gray, and Masa appear to be substance-heavy, significant, serious ventures.

Fair enough, I am looking forward to these restaurants as well. But I also think that Schrambling actually does have her finger on the pulse of the principal driving force behind the NY restaurant scene. Her being an out of towner is not really irrelevant, because this whole scene is largely driven by transplanted New Yorkers.

[Fat Guy]

Just to be clear: the piece may as well have been written by someone based in LA, but she's not an out-of-towner. She resides here and reports for the LA Times, a move she made around the same time Michalene Busico switched from the NY Times to the LA Times food editor position.

[alacarte]

I can confirm that the LA Times considers Schrambling to be a NY correspondent.

Edited April 22, 2004 by alacarte (log)

[docsconz]

Just to be clear, my comments above were based on the restaurants specifically mentioned in the opening post. Scene is ok, there is nothing wrong with it if good food goes along with it. If I still lived in the city, I would probably be more excited about visiting the other restaurants on that list. Since I do not and I don't get down there as often as I would like, I tend to be very picky and need a particular reason to visit a particular restaurant. Most of the restaurants I've been to within the past year have been because of eGullet for one reason or another, from Amma to Blue Hill to Hearth etc. There has always been something discussed on these boards that have piqued my interest. Needless to say there are still many more that I would like to try that I just haven't been able to yet. So for me, substance is weightier than scene, though I don't mind an interesting scene too.