New York's Most Over-Rated

[zeitoun]

zeitoun - i loved ari nieminen's food at firebird (he did cook meatless meals us though) but couldn't see how it would fit into cafe des artistes so never went.  i think he is a very talented chef but am probably  going to sit water's edge out, too.  hope he finds the right place in the city soon, i would love to see him do more personal, as opposed to  "an institution" type of cooking.

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I haven't eaten his food at firebird, and given the path he is currently taking, I also think that he hasn't quite found his niche yet. Like you, I hope he opens his own restaurant soon.

I actually got to chat with Nieminen a few months ago after a cooking demo he was having at williams sonoma in the Time warner bldg. Just by talking to him, you could tell that the man has talent, he is also extremely amiable. My wife really liked him!!!

[WestOrangeFrank]

I'm polling my inner zeitgeist here. i'm working on a vibe and maybe word of mouthish place. purely opionion (and practically fact  )

Nobu, used to be good and exciting, fresh and alive. It is now attributed those qualities without maintaining them. The food has not continued to evolve and now it stagnates. I also feel there has been a decline in the quality of the fish (or perhaps the rest of the city has just stepped up?) Even with omacase, this restaurant needs the vitality of an invetive leader to keep the "shiny and new" feeling that defined it's once splendid cuisene. I'd still eat there..just with lowered expectations.

Mesa grill. ugly space, cold high ceilings, neon green and tangerine walls. flavors that have not been reinvented since the 8o's (or so it seems) there was nothing "special" about this place except the prices...people say "yippe elevated southwestern!" I say "whuts this chip-i-toe-lay pepper? some newfangled ingrediant?" BORING. Dont be mistaken, the food is fine, just not watercooler talk.

blue water grill. like a seafood cafeteria. waiters who don't know about the oysters, tables too close, feels like a stepped up chain restaurant new york style. There is also rarely a somollier on hand, yet plenty of expensive wines. bah.

Union square Cafe. Where to start? Everything is fine. the service is nice on time etc. food comes hot blah blah blah. what? you have the fish? snore.

bubby's. this popular "brunch spot" is an unpleasant delve into 3 year old drool and waitors who get next to nothing right. You could wait longer on the sidewalk, and at the table for your food to arrive that it takes to eat it. the faux rustic quaint thing placed in the middle of tribeca is perhaps the restaurants way of thumbing it's nose at our gullibility 'ha! you thing you are in hastings! pay 200.00 for this omlet the other table ordered'

Cafeteria's macaroni and cheese. It's just not that good. though there is in fact quite a bit of cheese in it and a nice crust, it's just not that tasty unless you have been drinking all night. they shouold also scrap the chive garnish, it's just wrong.

there will be more...later

edited to add., I can't spella nd my punctuation stinks. not going to change it.

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Second Peter Lugaes, and mostly EVERYHTING Luckylies says. Please - Bobby Flay is a jerk - he's cool on TV, but has lost touch on being a person. The rest of these places have been riding on a spark of reputation: Union Sqare Cafe, Nobu - better sushi at Sushi House in Hoboken and same supplier, Blue Water Grill - and I'd like to add One if By Land... to that list.

Please don't hold this against me, but I've moved to New Jersey (where I can bring my own wine), and have had some wonderful experiences making me wonder what lure of NYC is left.

Edited March 16, 2005 by WestOrangeFrank (log)

[WestOrangeFrank]

There's a common theme is many of these posts..... celebrity chefs. Emerils, Marios's, Wolfgang's, Bobby's, etc. What does that say about NYC?

It might be time to start a listing for NYC's most UNDER-rated!!

[Bux]

Bobby Flay is a jerk - he's cool on TV, but has lost touch on being a person.

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I'm assuming you're acquainted with him as a person. I mean I know his TV image, but people who have worked with him, tell me he's really a nice guy and a pleasure to know and work with, so I'm wondering if your criticism of him as a person is based on knowing him as a person.

[Bux]

There's a common theme is many of these posts..... celebrity chefs.  Emerils, Marios's, Wolfgang's, Bobby's, etc.  What does that say about NYC?

I don't know. If all of those chefs were in NYC, it might say celebrity chefs come here or are born here, but in fact only half of the chefs on your list has a restaurant in NYC.

It might be time to start a listing for NYC's most UNDER-rated!!

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It might be a redundant thread. I suspect we'd see some of the same names.

[Pan]

In fact, there's a preexisting thread in this forum called Overrated/Underrated. When this thread started, I considered merging it with that one linked above but decided the threads were different enough to stand on their own.

[bfr]

Daniel.

[Pan]

Daniel.

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How many times have you been there, and in what ways do you consider the place overrated?

[Daniel]

Daniel.

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Me? What did i do?

[bfr]

Daniel.

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How many times have you been there, and in what ways do you consider the place overrated?

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On this basis: there are a select few restaurants whose experience stayed with me for a very long time (and continue to do so) after eating. This is usually the result of inventive dishes with robust and overwhelming flavor (leading to a higher level of satiation and euphoria). One such restaurant was the old Lespinasse.

I've only been to Daniel once (so feel free to attack) but other than the room, it was completely forgettable and blended in with a whole host of other overpriced nyc restaurants. As its been over a year since I ate there, I can't point to specifics. However, don't you think a four star restaurant should be memorable? I still remember nearly every course of Lespinasse's 10 course prix fixe.

[sdelgato]

Daniel.

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I totally disagree. I have eaten there the last three times I have been in NYC and each time it was better than the last. IMHO Boulud is one of the finest chefs working in the US today.

[Todd36]

Nobu. Low grade sushi and iffy cooked food. And I've been told by someone who used to work in their business office that they order the lower grades of fish offered by their suppliers. And I've eaten there a bunch of times (it's near my office). A friend of mine would add Le Cirque, which I guess is not now an option.