The new Russian Tea Room

[ulterior epicure]

We both had the chicken kiev -- hard to justify at $45, but it was a damn good chicken kiev.

I'm a little in shock... was this organic chicken raised on vodka and flown in from St. Petersburg... or was it just stuffed with white truffles?

... well, at least it was "damn good" chicken, Kiev or no...

[Sneakeater]

You know, Kiz's post shows just how misguided it was for them to hire Gary Robins to helm their revivication.

The kitchen couldn't make it clearer that they have no interest in cooking and serving Chicken Kiev, that that's not what they intend to be about now. Yet, even someone here -- where everyone can be assumed to be considerably more sophisticated than the average tovarich on the street -- orders it. Because everybody knows that's what you order in the RTR.

What's the over/under on the current iteration of this place? Six months? Four months? (I'm going to have to go back a lot, because unlike most others, I like it.)

[oakapple]

What's the over/under on the current iteration of this place?  Six months?  Four months?  (I'm going to have to go back a lot, because unlike most others, I like it.)

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For those who've been there—regardless of whether you liked it—is the restaurant full?

[Sneakeater]

Well, if you're gonna put it THAT way: the restaurant was crowded one time I went, and full the other. (But those were both in the very early days of this iteration, before it started getting slammed by reviewers and, for all I know, word of mouth.)

Edited January 16, 2007 by Sneakeater (log)

[Sneakeater]

I mean, even Daisy ordered the Chicken Kiev.

Can't work.

[oakapple]

Yet another one-star review, this time from Bob Lape in Crain's:

The saddest thing is that the amateur hour up front totally undermines whatever gifted chef Gary Robins does in the kitchen. I've given this chef ratings of up to three stars at his previous ports of call, but he can't overcome this comedy of errors.

I would note that Lape is the most generous of the critics that award stars, often being a star higher than the Times. Can an Eater deathwatch be far off?

[Mikeb19]

We both had the chicken kiev -- hard to justify at $45, but it was a damn good chicken kiev.

I'm a little in shock... was this organic chicken raised on vodka and flown in from St. Petersburg... or was it just stuffed with white truffles?

... well, at least it was "damn good" chicken, Kiev or no...

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Whats wrong with Chicken Kiev (Kyiv)? Chicken breast (Suprème de Volaille) appears on many menus in 'haute' restaurants (for much more money), whats wrong with a chicken breast stuffed with butter and herbs?

[Nathan]

"Chicken breast (Suprème de Volaille) appears on many menus in 'haute' restaurants (for much more money"

which restaurants? they're charging much more than $45 for it?

[oakapple]

From Eater via Restaurant Girl comes the news that Gary Robins has been fired as chef at the Russian Tea Room, after the owners dismissed one of his sous chefs and ordered him to start using cheaper ingredients. Business has dropped from $40,000 a day during the holiday season to just $10,000 a day.

[Nathan]

This is good news. Robins is seriously talented ... he won't be looking long for a job...and hopefully the next concept will use his talents better.

[Todd36]

I feel vindicated. I knew something was wrong.

[chefboy24]

so what's going on there recently

is the dining room empty

they have been hiring on craigslist very agressively?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Anyone been there recently? I have an event there this evening, so I made reservations for dinner beforehand, just to see what's become of it. I haven't been since the early/mid-1980s under the ancien regime.

[David A. Goldfarb]

A sad story it turned out to be. Better to get chicken Kiev on a stick in Brighton Beach on a summer day and eat it on the boardwalk. It would be at least as good, much less expensive, and more fun.