Over the past two days, the now-infamous New York Times review of Guy Fieri's new 500 seat Times Square restaurant Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar caught fire across the Twittersphere, blogs, morning shows and even David Letterman's Top 10, but the boisterous, spike-coiffed chef remained uncharacteristically silent, until now.
Fieri said in a statement released by his PR reps:
“I wholeheartedly disagree with The New York Times’ Review of Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar. My philosophy on life is what drives my attitude towards food. As a kid, I used to make four-course sushi meals for my parents and our family friends. I got hooked on food because I saw the way people reacted; the atmosphere around a family dinner, dining out with friends and family – it was contagious."
“At my restaurants, we always try to live by a very simple notion: that food brings people together. I’ve learned that not everyone agrees with my style. The Times’ critic, Pete Wells, clearly did not enjoy his experience. I normally do not respond to reviews or critics, however, given the tone of Pete’s piece, it’s clear to me that he went into my restaurant with his mind already made up. That’s unfortunate. I take comments from patrons, fans and visitors very seriously, and if there is ever a problem with our service, I’ll fix it."
“We’ve only been open a short while, but I’ve seen countless people come to my restaurant – families, fans, tourists, and yes, even New Yorkers – looking to get away for an hour or two, and they’ve had a great experience and a meal that they enjoyed. Like the hundreds of diners, drive-ins and dives I’ve featured on my show, I’ve incorporated my passion and love for food into my restaurants. I’m proud of the food we put out, and always will be.”
Yesterday, we asked our readers, "Does a bad restaurant review in a high-profile publication sway your opinion?" Over 10,500 people weighed in. By the numbers:
- No, I'll go if I want to 39.68%
- Yes, I appreciate the warning 28.4%
- I might actually want to go to see if it is actually that bad 15.71%
- It might cause me to evaluate other options 14.86%
- Other 1.35%
And commenters served up a hefty portion of opinion.
I'll take a double shot of nope, please
A bad review from a professional restaurant critic is generally a good sign that it's not that bad. Food critics tend to be and like all flash and no substance. If not, then why should one shrimp on a bed of endive cost $100. - Steve Giles
Like I care what some elitist foodie thinks. I'd give much more weight to a review by joe six pack. - Edwin
The snobbish, elitists food critic is a relic of days gone by. A long forgotten dinosaur with no fossil to be found. They were needed when the “Internet’s” didn’t exist and people waited with fevered anticipation for the newspaper to arrive. - bazingaD
I decide whether I like a restaurant or not based on my taste, not the taste of a food critic or a master chef. There are plenty of food items that I don't like that may other people do. Would I still try Guy's restaurant after the review? Sure. Would I return just because it IS Guy's restaurant even if I did not like it? No. The same would be true for a multiple Michelin star restaurant. I know that based on public persona I would really like to kick back and have a beer with Michael Symon, Guy Fieri and Alton Brown... Pete Wells? Not so much... who wants to hang out with someone who criticizes everybody... :-) Note: I do not know any of the players in real life, so it may well be that Symon, Fieri and Brown are all elitist and Wells is a grounded nice guy... but since the chance of me actually getting to know any of them is slight I guess it doesn't matter any more than the review does. - naturalistdiverted
Please sir, may I have some more?
And well, if Wells had that bad of an experience, then the restaurant should do an assessment and make damn sure no one has an experience like that again. - Mildred
I suggest a good critic is able to appreciate those subtle differences, but what makes them good isn't being able to do so per se but rather the ability to then communicate what those differences are and why they matter. Or, to put it another way, to educate the readers and help them/us become more knowledgeable and discerning ourselves. - John
I only let the professional food critics affect my choice of restaurants when I'm going for something really special and expect to spend a significant amount of time and money on the experience. Otherwise, at a place like Guy's? Not at all. - Tesarra
Maybe, if I still have room
I'm all for taking professional reviews with a grain of salt, whether they be for movies, food, or some other service... but who are these people who comprise the majority (!) of poll respondents above that happily spend their hard-earned money on food described, in detail, as disgusting, limp, ghostly, inept, and gross? I've gladly eaten at restaurants or seen movies I was interested in despite a lukewarm review, but my cash is too scarce to risk for the sake of "sticking it to" an "elitist" journalist. I appreciate the warning. - MichaelJ
I thought the review was hysterical and I agree with his point: It's not that the concept is low brow, it's that the food wasn't any good. I love a good Mac & Cheese or plate of nachos as much as anyone but if they're bad, they're bad! As for your poll, I would never go to a Guy Fieri restaurant anyway, so while funny, the review didn't change my opinion. - Mark Rabinowitz
Depends on who the critic is, honestly. I don't agree with all critics, and even specific criticisms of those I like, especially when you base it on an overall collection of reviews. Dining, ordering, and eating are incredibly subjective processes and an "experience eater" has a unique palate tuned to certain levels of salt, acid, spice, etc. of their own preference. But, when it comes to the finer points, I'm usually (internally) haggling over a star or so. - Michelle
I'll just stand on line
I use Yelp and Trip Advisor's reviews more than professional reviews - winterfling
I'm WAYYYYYY more persuaded by actual consumer reviews like people on Yelp than I am with professional food critics. Food critics aren't looking for the same things that regular people who actually love to eat are looking for. - Adrian
Before going to a place I've never been before, I will browse online reviews from regular people. I trust their opinion and tastes more than a professional food critic. Same with movies – critics will often slam and hate movies that the general public really enjoys.
I'll read the comments by the people that ate there and see if opinions are largely positive or negative, and also the reasoning behind it. Unless it's overwhelmingly negative by the vast majority of people, I won't steer away from the restaurant.
From my own past experience, I've eaten at places where a lot of online reviews sucked, but the place actually turned out to be very good.
You just can't trust the internet. - Mark
Previously - Written in the stars: the art of the bad review
and Everyone's a critic, some just call it their day job and Are professional restaurant critics necessary?
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i dont believe all restaurant reviews but i believe this one completely. the author really made solid points about exactly what he was commenting on, and exactly why. in the past he has reviewed other places with equally humble cuisine and shown a propensity to be a fair judge that evaluates based on the standards and expectations that the venue itself sets. he made specific points about why the service and the food were so lacking, all pointing to a blatant and systemic disregard by the owners for the satisfaction of their patrons. if fieri sticks up for his restaurant, there is no need for surprise about that. he can eat another deep-fried snickers bar and relax
Dear cnn,
When using a really long quote over multiple paragraphs, it is unnecessary to use another " at the beginning of each paragraph. It is only necessary to have an end-quote at the end of each paragraph.
Thank you, that will be all.
Dear Ryan,
Not according to our styleguide.
Kat
LOL...if a food critic says it's bad, I make it a point to go. Most critics are freelance journalistic hacks just getting a pay/review until they can get a real job. My 18 year old son used to be a "movie critic" for a newspaper when he was in college.
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The NYT has a very reliable and helpful staff of food critics. I think the crtique was very funny and due to the detailed descriptions, probably very accurate. Also, a real chef doesn't open a restaurant in Times Square. He is targeting the meandering overweight herds from the Midwest. No New Yorker or European would set foot in such a place with all of the amazing options NYC has to offer. Times Square specializes in stadium food, or themepark fried crap. What do you expect?
That's what I like about some of you fine folks from New York. You are so polite and you actually are foolish enough to think that you have "class". Too funny.
nobody would make that mistake about you!
amazing, john clarke. too bad the herds from midwest will never appreciate the truth in your comment.
Paid critics – food, movies or otherwise can't find their butts in a paper bag. Invariably, if a critic pans something I know it's probably something I will actually enjoy because they are all so high-brow, phony and full of themselves. When someone so steeped in self-importance pans something I take it as a POSITIVE and have hardly ever had an experience I didn't enjoy. It's funny that this one came back four times before he submitted his diatribe. As for Guys review, I would certainly try his places. All things being equal, I may like it. Or I may not. That's why they call it OPINION. Besides, it's the NYT. Try to write for something relevant.
Everyone is jealous of Guy's success. It is so obvious! I went there and thought it was great, and fries were hot and drinks tasted great. I think Guy is right about the critic having an agenda. The critic is more famous now for sure.
We love Guy and will recommend this place compared to some of the fast food crud in X Square.
So we have gotten to the point in this country in which the general population is...for some inexplicable reason...so confident in their own uninformed conclusions that they won't listen to people who actually have some training, talent, background, knowledge and will simply shout them down by saying "elitist", "snob" etc., versus questioning why they think a plate of grease is actually good food...or, for that matter, why dogs playing poker is not high art. H.L. Menken said many years ago "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." If he could only see what we have become...pretty sad.
I have never been to one of his restaurants, but occasionally my husband forces me to sit through a few episodes of his show... One thing that strikes me as odd, out of all the shows I've watched, I've never heard him say he DIDNT like something...
haha! point well taken
The reason why you never see him not like something is because when he gets to the restaurant he tries almost everything on the menu beforehand. I went to one of the diners he showed on TV and the host told me everything. She told me how he tries a little bit of everything from the menu and then picks what he wants to show. She told me that he always want to at least show one of the dishes that the restaurant is famous for. But he has already tried the dish off camera. It kinda takes away from the show. Its almost feels like pro wrestling.
How embarrassing- the joke of a persona/image he has created is cringe inducing, who in the world is he trying to appeal to? ughughugh
Of course he'd choose Times Square. No one in their right mind would pay ridic prices for the slop he passes off as food except tourists and die-hard Guy fans!
NYC is one of the greatest food cities in the world–that being said, anybody who visits a restaurant in Times Square gets pretty much what they deserve! Everyone knows it's a tourist trap completely devoid of any culture or food and only surrounded by the real City.
Beyond visiting an over-priced, completely un-authentic restaurant in the tourist trap, this particluar restaurant is owned by a guy with bleached hair, armbands and who wears sunglasses backwards-who became popular by winning a "game show" on Food network!
Since when does the NY Times review a restaurant with a sign at the front door that say's "welcome to flavor town"?
Like I said, anybody who visits a place like this should NOT be surprised when they get just what they asked for!
Why waste money on a $13 PB&J? I'm happy with my New York pretzel and Hotdog stand.
I'm gonna call BS on Guy Fieri. He is the guy that opened up a Olive Garden quality restaurant while claiming to care about food.
I would normally say that the critic was expecting real restaurant style food from a phoney chain restaurant... But I think Guy Fieri set himself up for it. You can't play a chef on tv and then put your name on a Cheesecake Factory and pretend its good.
Critics are just wannabe chefs without the talent.
Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't do or teach, become critics.
I CAN do, and I teach.......I'm betting you couldn't teach!
^^^missed the point
If there were no truth in the critics words, a response would be unnecessary
That being said, if you feel someone is unjustly being a tool about your business, a response may not be necessary but it can certainly be justified.
Like a restaurant in Times Square if supposed to be tops on the Michelin list. Ignore them... go out and have a good time with good friends.
I owned a restaurant in Honolulu. The newspaper wrote a review and never even tried some of the food he so viciously cut down. How do I know he never tried it? I had an Italian section on my menu and because my friends in the same complex ( Restaurant Row ) were opening an Italian restaurant, I agreed not to offer it to my customers. It was on the first run of the menu, but not on the menu after that. He picked up a menu and randomly chose items that he described in detail that never existed. I called the Newspaper and complained , but they could have cared less. I will NEVER trust a food critic ever again. How could I?
COULDN'T have cared less
Boy, Oh Boy I have never read so many NEGATIVE postings, I am surprised of the New Yorkers not supporting this Guy.
Maybe that's why Sandy the Hurricane flooded your City, she was trying to clean all the crap walking the streets.
Yeah, that seems fair: wishing death on all of us in NYC because some of us called a chef out on his subpar food. Sounds about equal.
Congratulations to fat boy for the dumbest comment in the history of the internet. Ever.
Thank you SO much for keeping it classy (and intelligent) fat boy.
Anyone stupid enough to fork out 14 bucks on a pb&j with fries for their snot-nosed brat deserves to be castrated.
That comment was possibly the funniest thing I've ever read on the internet. Actually, funny and true.
Well done!
You have no clue. Maybe your small town critic gets treatment like that but most NY restaurants desire a fair review and do their best to treat the critics like a normal guest. It's considered very tacky to coy favor that way. Those critics make way too much money to worry about freebies.
It's just a dumb family theme resturant in time square.People go there to over-pay on nachos and stuff and to be in an atmosphere,
PLUS,this guy is pretty popular and has lots of other resturants and shows and things that guarantee a steady revenue.
So whateveeeeer
I don't know, Guy won his timeslot in a food network competition, yet the show they have him doing doesn't require him to cook. His show is entirely about other people's food. I'll take food networks opinjon on this, and listen to his views of other places, and steer clear of his food.
What are you talking about? Guy HAS a cooking show on Food Network, not just his review show (Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives). His cooking show is called Guy's Big Bite.
And a TERRIBLE show it is. He's a wannabe who can't cook anything that doesn't have alcohol in it, and what he does show is NOT appetizing.
My wife and I went to his stupid "tex wasabi" restaurant in Sacramento, and got TERRIBLE service. We were stuck at a tiny little table in the dump which had virtually no other patrons. The so-called "food" was really bad, and we will NEVER go back.
There is nothing on his entire menu that sounds good... It's mostly all just bad pub food with onion rings and cheese. 18.50 for mac and cheese with bacon, gross.
Critic's are wanna-be's and can't be, so they live a life of through critiquing what they can't accomplish or have. I don't listen to critic's my past experience's have always been the opposite and it's one fool who thinks they know it all, you go Guy don't ever be discouraged by an ignoramus!
Sure Guy, keep cranking out those 13.95 Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches! Flavortown!
Like many people I'm a "wannabe" critic. I contribute regularly to different social websites regarding the quality of the food and service as well as atmosphere at the restaurants I patronize. I take it pretty seriously. I try to suspend judgement, try not to make up my mind when I enter, however, everyone has an opinion and is entitled to it. Mr. Fieri has a bombastic and sometimes bellicose personality. I don't put stock in a NYTimes critic by themselves nor one person – but I do put some stock in what I do – Yelp.com's reviewers gave the restaurant 2.5 out of 6 stars. So Mr. FIeri really you're right don't pay attention to the NYTimes critics – but Sir, be scared as you can be when customer driven feedback gives you 2.5 out 6 because it's high time to find out what's wrong. I've been going to Dallas eateries for years and here is what I've found – if Yelp.com and 3 or 4 other sites are giving a thumbs down – I usually will too – because people by and large give a restaurant a break. I think Mr. Fieri has problems he's not willing to acknowledge – and to do so in the face of the criticism would be foolish on his part.
#1 I don't follow the food industry/didn't know that the restaurant doesn't know that the critic is coming in and that they don't cover the meal. *
Guy represents everything that is wrong with the culinary world these days. I am trained in classical French fine dining cuisine. The chefs I worked under were extremely passionate about their cooking. I learned more than I will ever be able to describe. I remember hiring and firing people straight out of these culinary schools like Cordon Blue and many other schools. They would always quit because they did not want to put in the work, they only wanted the title of Chef. I bet Guy is one of them. Responsible for crap food and everyone buys into it because he's on TV. Pathetic. He would have lasted 2 weeks in the kitchens I worked in. Now Anthony Bordain knows what he's talking about.
I'm not your Buddy Guy!
I'm not your Guy, friend!
I'm not your friend pal!
I'm not your pal, Buddy!
Boo-Hoo, someone doesn't like my food. I think I'll throw a tantrum.
Who cares about all these elitist chefs? I'll take good short-order cook any day.
If you eat in the Times Square area, chances are you are gonna get crap food. Shocking. Plus, it's Guy "Salt. Pepper. OOOOHHH PAPRIKA! THAT'S SO MONEY!" Fieri.
I tried Guy's Tex Wasabi Grill while driving through Santa Rosa. It was overpriced and mediocre at best. I think it suffered from Guy not being there to oversee operations.
does the proprietor of the place feel he's immune from a poor review just becasue he fancies himself a celebrity?
Pe NIS
...if _anyone_ would know about flaming....it's guy fieri!!!! what a d-bag!
He is a douche! Even changed his last name to be less of a douche. His real last name is Ferry! Guy Ferry.
Here I st, reading these comments, and all I come away with is that there are a lot of jealous people in this world with a whole lot of time on their hands.
*sit
Guy Fieri is the biggest douchenozzle on the Food Network. It looks like he's just mad that someone actually called him out on his terrible, overpriced "food" and obnoxious, fake "personality". Seriously, if you can't handle a bad review without throwing a hissy fit like a twelve-year-old girl, then don't open a restaurant. This whole episode has made me like him even less than I did before, which is pretty amazing.
In the end, people will remember Guy Fieri, but no one will remember the food critic.
Yeah, no kidding - they'll remember his lousy food roaring through their bowels.
I suppose being remembered as the most annoying person in the world, ever, is notable and preferrable to being forgotten.
I doubt anyone will remember either of them. Fieri's just another loud, untalented, self-aggrandizing reality show "star" in a world full of them. Once this reality show trend finally dies, we won't be able to remember the difference between Fieri and 10,000 other people with the same act.
I never rate a place by the chef or celeb running it, I've found that usally I leave hungry and alot lighter in the wallet. I prefer just good ol' home cooking nothing fancy.
Ah good old Donkey Sauce like grandma used to make!
Little spiked jack-ass, you have to learn to roll with the punches when it come to critics, they can rip you apart and leave nothing behind. So if I were you? I'd let them say what ever they want, as long as it dosen't start costing me money for it. We have a thing called the justice system and e have lawyers and courts, OK? now that that's been said, JUST MOVE ON!
I lost all respect for Fieri when he started doing ads for Applebees or Fridays or whatever generic chain bar and grill he was shilling for.
Indeed, just like that Mexican female chef, forget her name, saying her Taco Bell food features wonderful marinated chicken. She no longer has any credibility after hawking compressed chicken nuggets cut into strips.
What's with the stupid rock-and-roll hand sign he's always making? That alone would make me want to hit the gas if I saw him at a crosswalk.
Really, Sparky? Then I truly hope there's a cop waiting for you right around the corner when you pull something like that because you should never be allowed behind the wheel of a car with that attitude.
I think food critics don't have the authority they used to. With services like Yelp people can get reviews from people that are like them, not people that have different expectations.
I decided to try the restaurant after reading the critique, only to see if it was that bad. MAN ALIVE! It was worse! Truly. The man is all mouth and definitely not a chef.
Aw c'mon, it wasn't a "one way trip to flavor town"? I hate all his stupid quips....
The two things I was most surprised by about this whole matter:
1) The New York Times is stil in business.
2) People still read it.
I guess Run Spot Run and How to be a Douche would be your favorite books. It's tough not making it past 9th grade...the NY Times can be so difficult to comprehend with those fancy words.
Way to make assumptions. Typical liberal wanker; someone doesn't like something they like so they must be a) stupid, or b) a racist.
Maybe when you grow up, get a job, and move out of your mommy's basement you'll come to realize that the world is not as simple as eithr/or, this/that, black/white. Until then, hush, child; the adults are talking.
We went to his restaurant last week in Santa Rosa, Ca and received memorable service, including from the busboy, along with great food.
Tourists from the Midwest will probably love the place. However, anyone who wants a decent meal in NYC knows to stay away from places like this.
What the heck is that suppose to mean? Are you seriously saying people from the mid-west have no tastel? Since when does eating from street carts give one a better sense of taste. Most mid-westerns have eaten real food grown in their own back gardens for years which now you Yanks are paying thru the nose to obtain in some organic garden outside your cement walls... so who knows what "real" food should taste like. Hummmm rethink that one
People from the midwest are tourists, not locals, and are enamored with the whole celeb chef joke. Us true New Yorkers are over it.
This midwesterner is not enamored by celebrity chefs. I am also not interested in trendy, overpriced restaurants – or cities, for that matter.
Mid Westerners do often consider Red Lobster fine dining.
Well played, Jen. Well played.
He means if you didn't pay at least $100 and have a waiter that talks like he's got a salt shaker stuck in his butt.
I have lived on the east coast and dined in plenty of NYC restaurants. I have also lived in the Midwest. NYC has a much better variety of restaurants, flavors, and chefs, That being said, I have tasted food in Midwest restaurants that have far surpassed some restaurants in NYC. Bottom line is good restaurants can be found in both places as can bad ones.
Who gives a flying f**k about the midwest and its inhabitants, anyway?
it wasn't the critique of the restaurant which made the restaurant seem undesirable, but rather it was guy fieri's comeback where he showed some of the food and drinks from his restaurant that made it seem like an unattractive restaurant. i've eaten food in good restaurants from all around the world. for a restaurant in new york, his food looked like something you'd expect to see and receive in a third world country restaurant. plus i hope he wears a hat if he ever cooks there...id hate to find a a highly flammable gelled-blonde-hair flake in my food.
It wasn't critic's review of his restaurnt. It was someone just stating the truth. This guy's joint are by FAR the worst. Bar none. My family and I were sick for four days after downing that slop.
Oh please, cut the drama – I highly doubt it.
No drama. This stuff is low grade dog food. He should go out of business.
"This steak still has marks where the Jockey was hitting it"!
When i read bad reviews i tend to go look at Yelp and Urban Spoon to see what others are thinking, both of those sites have this restaurant at 2 stars. This leads me to believe that the critic may be spot on in his critique.
Guy Fieri is a fat dumb redneck whose tastebuds only react well to grease and salt. I've watched a few of his shows. It seems that the more deep fried cholesterol, saturated fat, salt and jalepenos the food contains, the better he likes it. Unfortunately, he's promoting that kind of heart attack diet to the masses.
You use the word "Redneck" like it's a bad thing.
I love diners, drive-ins, and dives ... but I can't STAND Guy Fieri. He seems more interested in cultivating his oh-so-hip IMAGE than anything else.
I viewed the pictures on Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar website, he has lots of smiling fans in the pics. 500 seats is a big place, New York will bring Guy the patrons he will always attract, those that appreciate him and his work.
I'm sure Guy would have had a better review if he had opened in Denver, Colorado first.
Who admit to liking this guy? How embarrassing.
I'm not......... I you don't live half your life in the Kitchen, there is no hope for you
"Striking back at a critic?" The response is anything but. It's an empty, rambling statement that says "I know what you are but what am I" in lawyerese. The critic gave numerous examples of misleading menu descriptions, poorly-prepared food, and unacceptable service. You'd think a FoodTV star like Guy Fieri could say something witty, or something that suggests a knowledge of restaurant management. Or at least a statement that he cares about customer satisfaction and will investigate the claims. But like many young adults today, Guy Fieri seems to have no clue how to deal with honest criticism, so he simply dismisses it as an incorrect opinion. Through his PR agent, of course.
This guy is a joke
The millionaire, boobtube booblehead chefs created by the Food Network couldn't do Julia Child's dishes or mop her kitchen floor, much less, create anything resembling memorable cuisine.
I don't mind that Canadian dude Michael Smith, though.
I have attempted to view this guy's (Fieri) show, and cannot stand the guy. What, would SOMEONE please tell me, is the purpose of wearing sunglasses, all-day and night, cradled on the back of your head?! Pretentious, psuedo-hip.., and the spikey-hair has got to go. This guy reminds me of a roomate I had in-college; partied all night, rarely went to class, a different skank every night, the incidious sunglasses always present..., Oh! and did I mention he flunked-out? Don't like his show, don't care for his style, don't care AT-ALL for the prices of his restaurant, sooooooo. Ugh.
I have a clear rule when it comes to reviews (Food, Movies, stores etc etc).... volume. If it's just one person or one critic then I ignore them. If it's multiple critics (or just people I know) teling me something really sucks then I'll pass.
I don't want anyone who looks like that anywhere near food.
Wow! Stereotype much?
I agree with Joseph – the man looks like an open wound.
My eyes are about to roll out of my head....we get it- you are a HUGE Guy fan! Jeez, you seem to be taking this to heart. Let everyone express their opinion and try not to poo on it.
K, thx!
No that I would ever eat at a restaurant in Times Square....A) its geared towards tourists who are willing to pay these ridiculous prices, because hey, when in Rome.
This reviewer obviously did have a agenda as Guy suggested...and maybe his expectations were too high....And, Maybe, This is why Guy is on the defensive....the bull$hit parade is over.....You want to charge these prices, and what obviously seems like your skimping on some ingredients....maybe you are trying to "play cajun" to scandinavian tourists who find pepper...spicy...
Seems to me, I think the worry comes from a lot of tourists who read The New York Times, and will find this article helpful. Sorry Guy, I love you, but if someone comes in to your restaurant with the notion that its not going to be good, then maybe, you should prove them wrong.......thats your job isnt it?
Been to one of his CA resturaunts, It was terrible, Would neer go back. Why would the NY one be any beter?
you should visit his grammar and spelling school. you'd like that!
lol....bazinga!!!
I love you for this... I hope you have a great day because this comment surely has made my day
Maybe they'll even teach you to use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence.
If you learned to spell, your argument would carry more weight.
Fieri said the Westport Flea Market in KCMO was great but the two entrees we ordered were, in a word, flavorless. The critic might be right.
But I bet TGIFridays does not charge 13 bucks for a kids PB&J with fries or 20 bucks for a top round sandwich.
I don't think you've been to a TGIFriday's in NYC then, because they're ridiculously expensive just because of their location.
You are absolutely correct. The people crying about pricing clearly have no clue about how expensive a city New York is in general.
I found out about Grinders Pizza in KC from watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Thank you for bringing this venue to my attention, Guy. No comment about the rest.
GUY is full of Bull Stuff!
He says he is a hands on chef at 11 restaurants? Impossible, nevermind his busy TV schedule and the fact his places are on both coasts!
The celebrity chef phenomenon is a joke. If he cared about quality, he would have *one* restaurant and stay there.
"across the Twittersphere." Ugh, what obnoxious writing–of course they couldn't have just said "across Twitter." Your poor attempt at being hip is almost as annoying as the guy in these photos looks, CNN!
Fiere is a homophobe and a classless snob. I'd bet the review was right on target. No sympathy for him in my book.
There were allegations by someone suing him that he and others have denied. I have seen him profile restaurants with obviously gay chefs and saw nothing different in his demeanor. My issue is why was this critic so dang harsh with his critique? Especially when this guy gives a lot of breaks to unknown restaurant owners.
Health Inspection Report from 10/27/2012: Violations recorded in the following area (s) at the reinspection conducted on 10/17/2012.
"Critical" violations are displayed in red.
Violation points: 12
Sanitary Violations
1) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
2) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
3) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
I find your post of the health inspection HIGHLY suspect.
They never would have received their C of O to open for business if....
2) "Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
3) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit."
Guy would have been "Red Tagged" on those major infractions and they would NOT have been able to open until they were corrected. I doubt any business in Time Square could open without the Certificate of Occupancy. I think guy is a little smarter than that.
PS...A final Health Inspection is part of receiving the C of O...before opening for business.
Doubt they missed those items on the final inspection...if so, fire the health inspector.
who cares ... he is a has-been.
most critics are failed writers.
No they are not failed writers, you sir are a lousy critic. I have watched Guys show many times he comes to different places then he drove all the way to San Diego for Rubio's fresh fish tacos. I like how he keeps things simple to understand. Though I am now planning to go vegan, If I reviewed your joint (food place) I would like to see more sympthy for writers or food critics. This how I got my start in writing, if you were in a court room, boy would I love to Grill you (hence the food phrase). Think of those who are really not going to get a hot meal or fresh things, Guy is a nice person and yes I like him because he is Italian, and my last name is partial Italian (New Jersey) you mess with Guy, the Food Mob hears and then your toast. HA HA.
This is the most dumb comment I have ever read. Do yourself a favor and never write anything someone will read ever again.
I'd give Nik half a star for that post. Ok, maybe one point of a star.
I think you meant: "YOU'RE toast" and NOT "your toast". Right?
If you actually look at history you will see that most NYT food critics are extremely successful writers.
Everyone hate to see you successful. any given chance to put you down is opportunity for them to feel like there life
is OK and not boring.
There are lots of famous chefs who get good reviews. If you check out the reviews on Yelp, Guy's place is getting slammed. Bad review after bad review.
The only way to settle this is to have a cook off contest Iron Chef style. I doubt anyone will put money on the critic.
I will take on Guy and the terrible Paula Dean at the same time!
If this guy had a brain he would take it out and play with it! What he needs is more earrings and tattoos and a bone stuck in his nose!
You know what. I have read so many movie reviews where the critic pans the movie and it turns out to be a hit because THEY PUBLIC LOVES IT. I don't care who does a review, I want to eat at a restaruant myself and make my own opinion. What the critic doesn't like I might love.
The public hates this place. Check it's reviews on Yelp and you'll see one star after one star.
Honestly I can't stand 'celebrity' restaurants. They are a cash grab rip off. I ate at Emril's in Orlando several years ago; I asked the server if they ever saw Emril, he said he thought he had been there one night two years prior. Oh yeah, but he 'trained' the executive chef. When? In between hawking his cookware on QVC, recording five shows, doing guest appearances to sell his books, etc.? These celebrity chefs are laughing all the way to the bank. Go to a local family-run restaurant, whether low end or high end, put some money into the local economy and help them get famous, then when they turn into the same type, you can at least say I knew him or her when they still cooked lol.
I agree – celebrity restaurants usually suck. They rely on their name to get customers, not the quality of their food. In this case Guy looks like a dick -get some ral hair.
I agree with pdisme... tried Emeril's Orlando eatery. Bill was over $200 and we stopped at Burger King on the way home because portions were ridiculously small. I even questioned the waiter when he was going to serve the rest of the meal. He laughed and walked away. Bottom line... never again.
I too have eaten at the Emeril's in Orlando and for all that it's a celebrity chef restaurant that the chef has rarely visited, the food is very good. The meals that I had there were some of the best that I've ever had. Guy's restaurants, not so much.
I'm not a fan of Emeril, the televison superstar. However, he knows his stuff in the kitchen. I'm fairly certain he was a James Beard Award winner, and I know he ran Commander's Palace in New Orleans, which has a long history of culinary excellence. That being said, I doubt he's nearly the chef he once was due to the fact that he rarely prepares food any more. I would propose that the food served in his restaurants, as well as that of most celebrity chef restaurants, is probably more consistent and delicious because someone else is making it. Still, I'm with you 100% about supporting restaurants that have the top chef in their kitchen most nights.
umm....the NYT was not the only review that trashed the restaurant. EVERY review trashed the restaurant. If someone can find ONE good review I would be interested to read it.
I had to do a plumbing repair at a food critic's apartment here in Toronto. His kitchen was rodent infested & disgusting. One of the most unkept dirty kitchens I have ever seen. He made excuses that he never eats at home etc.. This made me never trust a food critic ever again.
I am not sure what tv show it was but it was either 20/20 or 60 minutes ,had a show in up scale New York Restaurants. With a night vision cameras set up they seen tons of rodents up on the counters and on tables. Really just about any where your food would go. The health department was called ito look at the tapes and had these restaurants closed down like right now. They had to be cleaned up and brought up to code before reopening. So it really would not be too hard for anyone to get copies of any health departments reports. Then again there are some people who do not like this place or that place to eat but yet there are always those ones who you have to wait in a line to get in. So each to hims own and I would not deidwejust by what someone says I'd have togo try the food for my self then decidebut I sure would not pay for something I ordered that I do not or did not like anywhere.
I take a food critics response like a grain of salt that gets flushed down a toilet that will never resurface again.I would be thrilled to eat at one of Guy's resturants.He is a class act and I'm sure he puts his heart and soul into his food and resturants.Critics are over rated and nothing better to do than slam Guy.I think he needs to find a new line of business like Trash Collector.
Guy makes his living acting like a pompous douche on television. Anyone who puts him in his rightful place has my respect, even if it's the New York Times.
Fine critique. You sound like a food critic.
I want to eat him and try his food heheheeheeeee
One menu item reads "Chocolate stool with taint sauce". Yes please!
Wah that is funny! LOL spit my drink out on that one :)
I checked out the menu to Johnny Garlic's here in San Jose a while back, and decided that Guy's food is basically football food. I don't watch football.
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the *new*. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.
Well played sir... But I too have seen Ratatouille.
Fitting is it not? LOL :) First thing that came to mind when I read what the critic wrote. They bash, but do they really know?
If having another restaurant to look after will keep Guy Fieri busy somewhere else, and OFF of TV, then I'm all for it. This guy is a classless, boring, unfunny, untalented dufas who should not be on TV, and apparently, not making food.
I don't neccesarily agree that Guy is 'classless" but I do agree that whatever we can do to get him away from TV and that stupid Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives would be a good thing. Enough already with that show and the gazillion episodes every week.
Well, ah shere do stand in awe of yor elite opinyun. Ah cain't imagin whut it muss be lak to have yor hi brow tastes.
I see even when it is about food. Some bad mouthing troll can sit back on their couch and trash a man they dont even know. Let me say this. He is well loved that is why he is a millionaire. Second is this. If he bothers you that much. You must not have a life and you seriously need to look in the mirror and think about your priority's.Because for me I use terms like no class for people who hurt women and children and for people who bad mouth people they dont know!
Chill out D-bags its on the food network its not like he's in your face. I bet you are the same fatasses that write about how much food they are going to scarf down for thanksgiving....
After his show you would think that he'd know how to cook. I don't think that he'd make a good prep cook at a fast food place ie MD's ,KFC, or BK. How about it.
I filed with the courts but quickly found out I can't technically charge Guy Fieri with "mouth rape".
I have spent many months in NYC working, I found out that the best places to eat are the small etnic restaurants, they offer excellent high quality meals at a very modest price, Guy and Bobby Flay and other can gauche patrons as much as they like I will stick to the small family restaurants..
Reviews are nothing morethan opinions but sometimes expert opinions. We travel a good bit and have the privilege to live quite near one of the gastronomic epicenters, Napa Valley. I can tell you I have two bad meals both at world famous Michelin starred chef's establishments. Does that mean his food and restaurants suck, nope means I did not enjoy my meal or my meal based on the value it presented. Reviews won't stop me from trying something, just work out the kinks Guy you'll do better next time.
It's the NEW YORK TIMES. A snotty, elitist azz rag.
I read the entire Times review. Come on, the guy gave a completely honest, no holds barred review of a tourist trap. Kudos to Pete Wells for not being afraid to call out something bad when it's actually bad. Fieri is just trying to salvage his restaurant by creating a fuss about an honest review.
i always wondered what a nyt review of an applebee's would be like. now i know the answer.
and its HILARIOUS.
I ordered the hot dog on their menu and the server pulled his pants down and covered his dong in ketchup. It tasted amazing. This guy is a genius.
Is that you Ted Nugent?
No, it was Ben Affleck behind the counter.
Must admit I laughed outloud reading your post!
Guy Fieri is the most over-rated "chef" out there today. Trendiness is the only thing that makes him popular. Hopefully, this review will start to have his cooking popularity wane.
[Was that 4 minutes? - deleted by editors]
I give this post about 4 minutes until it's deleted.
I meant nippers. And theres no way you can prove otherwise.
I'm guessing it was close. LOL
"Released through his PR reps" - so he probably had about as much involvement with this rebuttle as he did with this restaurant - he loaned his name.
Sounds like they made him pay for his meal. They didn't let him freeload. If he has to pay perhaps he pans the food?
I sure the reviewer was looking for a bit of buzz.
But, you don't get to be a reviewer for the New York Times by being a hack. There are more restaurants in the manhattan phone book than any one human can eat in during a human lifetime. Is Guy Fieri's one of the best, in prime manhattan real estate like Times Square? Maybe the guy was a little too gleeful in his panning, but as others have pointed out, Yelp hasn't been better.
My question is the same as the reviewers: has Guy Fieri actually eaten here? And my follow up is, did Gy Fieri write his rebuttal, or did his PR team write it and sign his name?
Times critics pay, usually with their personal credit card. Ive waited on them.
Forgot this dude was in town recently. Someone I know spotted him at the bar by himself. Not sure why he was here.
After reading the review in the Times, I read the reviews of the restaurant on Yelp.com (a review site filled with opinions of everyday people). The reviews on Yelp were awful too- people got food that was cold, the service was bad, and one diner actually witnessed a waitress put her hand in his dipping sauce. So, regardless of what the Times thought, everyday people don't seem thrilled with this place either.
In Guy's defense, New Yorkers are a hard crowd to please when it comes to food- I dine in NYC a lot and often go to places that have scathing reviews but end up being delicious. Also, people generally shoudn't expect to go to Times Square for fine dining (Guy's restaurant is not far from an Applebee's, TGI Friday's, Chevy's, you get the deal).
WoW!! How can so much negative comments come from so many people that either has never ate at any of his establishment or met the guy themselves?? I read a comment about his shows and how no one is able to watch them, yet how were you able to comment on a show if your not watching it?? Secondly a critic is a personal experience of an individual, which means we are all able to be critics!! I always post on places I visit regarding services and what was the best dish, shoot I even take pictures!!!
Now I have eaten at Johnny Garlics, and I must say the Lamb sliders....doubly yum!!! And I have also had the pleasure of dining at Tex Wasabi...love the twist on sushi!!! Now my husband and I are foodie people and when we travel we do visit some of the places on the triple D show...not all of them have I enjoyed, but my husband has. But thats not saying that the place is bad or not worth visiting on your own. My OWN opinion on it.
Now this critic attacked him on his twist of the Banh Mi. Me being half Vietnamese have seen so many different restaurants/chefs of different descents make their own twist on the Banh Mi..that's what makes it their own and being a chef, trying something new for us diners to experience and enjoy.
Now all of the above is an opinion, like the critic, but please people stop trolling on his post, unless you yourself have been to the establishment or any others that has his name behind. Judge for yourself!!!
Well Traycie,
I know him. And I have eaten at his restaurants. Neither leave a good taste in your mouth. The NY Post also gave a horrid review last month but it didnt seem to garner the same interest. BTW, his show, "Minute to Win It" should be enough to turn folks off to his endeavors. The show was fake and some contestants (ones that I know of) were actually hired actors playing a part. So, maybe he hired actors to play kitchen staff too.
I find DDD amusing for what it is...one "Guy's" privilege to try the food made by other chefs that other people like. Watch, don't watch–it doesn't matter. Aside, I am surprised by GF's response. Is it not plausible that the restaurant really does have the flaws pointed out (with great aplomb) by Mr. Well's? I would think that before blasting a review, professional or not, I would call for a team huddle and discuss what sounds like some valid complaints.
I like his show – "Diners, Drive-Ins and a Douchebag."
Guy's restaurant is the only place that has ovens that Flush!
Guy is a mediocre fluff-no-substance momma's boy cry baby who's all about me-me-me and getting goo goo attention, warrented or not. Notice he's never been a contestant on a cooking competition? Poor baby can't handle anything besides adoration. Grow some cajones Guy.
Actually he has been in a cooking contest and won. That is how he got his show to start with.
It was not a cooking contest, it was a TV host contest, the best Chefs rarely win it unless they are good in front of a camera.
Guy is no more of a fine Chef than Racheal Ray, at least she admits she is just a cook.
The menu looks pretty bad in itself.
A 13 dollar Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.
An 8 dollar Coors light draft...
A 20 dollar roast beef sandwich that most people said sucked...
Hmmm...prices that are pretty on par with most every other restaurant in NY. Get out much?
No, I don't. I can't find my key.
No I have never gone out for a BB&J in NYC, or ordered a Coors draft. And you can get a hell of a sandwich for 20 bucks in New York, not a few slices of top round on a bun.
OK Steve, if you want good food in NYC there are plenty of options, but Guy's is just football food, much of it Frozen in Times square, there is no real high end food on the menu.
Still 13.95 for a kids peanut butter and Jelly sandwich is a crime, nearby Bubba Gump's has 5.99 kids meals with fries and fruit.
Guys frozen calamari is 13.99, it is 8.99 at Bubba Gumps and probably better from the sound of reviews.
Here's a review, lick my balls. Sometimes they're salty, sometimes they're sweaty, lick my balls...
Sometimes shock-value vulgarity can be surprisingly funny. This was not one of those times.
I've lost faith in humanity by reading replies to almost all stories on here or any other news sight. I figured if you can't be as dumb as them at least pretend to be...
I laughed... maybe it's the beer talking. Balls are funny man... so dangly and balls...
Made me laugh
Waiter! I found a hair in my balls!
All one has to do is check out Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/biz/guys-american-kitchen-and-bar-new-york-2) with it's 75 reviews by a broad cross-section of average people – and the result is 2.5 out of 5. 'Nuff said. And a lot of 1 star ratings with accompanying scathing commentary. The people have spoken... Bad execution and lack of attention to details spells the end to many a good idea. Retail is detail. Focus on your DDD TV show Guy.
Sorry, the numerous bad reviews on Yelp make it seem like the food critic was exactly correct. Maybe this guy Guy is more famous for his wild hairdo and attitude rather than his ability to cook.
And I'd be amused to find anyone who thinks that Guy is actually back there cooking the food! I only know of a few celeb chefs who actually work the line.
Guy lost me with "it’s clear to me that he went into my restaurant with his mind already made up." I read the review, and it's 100% about Pete's actual restaurant experience, and 0% about any supposed preconceptions. I think it's telling that Guy completely dismisses Pete's complaints without addressing a single one.
Actually all critics, whether it be food, books, movies etc... always go in with preconceived ideas. As much as they try or anyone for that matter, we cannot separate ourselves from what we like, what he dislike. In that they have already made up their mind. Does the critic hate Guys attitude on his shows? There is another point that made his mind up before hand. Simply put critics are all fools, and I have been to the restaurant and am baffled if the critic was even there considering my experience was entirely different.
I think a lot of people don't really get how food critics work. First of all, a lot of them aren't snobs who can't understand the food tastes of regular people. They have a more expansive palette than a lot of people and be more interested in eating hi-brow food (and this comes from a picky eater), but I've seen lots of great reviews on hole-in-the-wall type places. A good critic will assess a restaurant and his experience there and clearly explain what he did/did not like. I loved Wells's review of Fieri's new restaurant, not just because it was hysterical but because he also really got across what his problems with the restaurant were. I mean seriously, how can you claim someone is snobby because they call Fierie out on a trumped-up name for what is your basic Caesar salad? Especially considering how expensive that restaurant is – $9 for your cheapest offering? $17 for your cheapest entree? Uh, I want something more than a basic Casar salad for those prices. Basically, his review lets you decide whether those things are issues for you, too. If you don't mind shelling out extra money for the same kind of food you can get at a Chilis or Applebees, than go ahead and eat there. But for those of us who expect better quality of food and service with increased prices, I'll go somewhere else.
The most fascinating thing is this common response I'm reading, one which is seemingly hostile even to the very notion of a professional critic. Is the notion that, through experience and training, taste can be developed to a level of refinement that is superior to the taste of an average person really so impossible to accept? It's not like anyone's telling you to kneel and kiss the ring of the local feudal lord!
Gettin medieval on you suckas!
Get used to it, "Guy." When you present yourself as a clown, people treat you like a clown. On your shows (that endless list of Food Network shows that nobody can watch...) you have made a small fortune by extolling the virtues of every over-stuffed, butter-laden, deep-fried vat of slop put before you. You are a chef in much the same way I am an intergalactic being: not even vaguely. You tried to cash in on what sliver of name recognition you have by throwing up a tourist-trap eatery in Times Square, and a critic sussed you out. Clown is as clown does.
Yeah, because a two-hour wait for a bowl of ramen is sooo much cooler.
Guy Fieri could be the quintessential no-collar man...and woman.
Obese, excessive makeup, flashy clothing, pierced, tattooed, bleached blonde with a fondness for deep-fried, cheesy, fatting goodness.
True, but that TV show format has already been taken by the Kardashians.
This guy took a page out of Donald Trump's book which says that it's harder to be successful if you are the best at what you do. It's way easier now to just be a piece of s$%t.
TOTALLY AGREED! For whatever reason, people that have done NOTHING, LOVE to throw stones and those who try to do ANYTHING positive! Even if Guy's restaurant isn't that good, why throw stones???? If you have never opened and run your own spot, keep your trap shut. I, like others in this thread, have REGULARLY watched and enjoyed movies and ate at places that so called critics didn't like. So with this I'll say, though opinions are like a$$holes and everyone has one, most critics a$$holes are unwashed and FULL OF SH1T!!!!!!!!!!
Im talking about the "chef"
I had to displeasure of eating there. Horrible.
Why is it, that I hav a feeling that you have never been near the place?
Guy is all about making $$$ and creating publicity for himself. It's doubtful he knows food at all judging from his 'diners, drive-ins and dives' tv shows – they are mere infomercials for restaurants rather than critical reviews showcasing his knowledge about food. Luckily, there are enough good restaurants in NYC to spare yourselves from wasting the time and money in Guy's diner.
Fieri's the guy who invented that goofy Pontiac back in the mid 80's ... then disappeared ... only to reappear to become s TV food network celeb, 30 years later. Go figure.
Good and overrated.
I like the guy and I like his show. He gets sop excited watching someone prepare their signature dish and can't wait to eat it. I hope producers warn people to keep their hands clear.
Sadly, the guy who only ever has positive things to say about other restaurants gets slammed. That wasn’t a review it was character assignation – I’ve eaten at a lot of places that were supposed to be the best and honestly have always left thinking what was the big deal. The best burger I ever had was at 5 guys, I’ve had fancier, I’ve had bigger, more refined and sloppier – but to me theirs hits the spot the best – but that is just me. Food is taste and taste is subjective, if I went to a 500 seat place looking for hand crafted meals made lovingly by chef Grandiose I’d have to be sort of dim witted.
He praises slop. He serves slop. Where's the upside in that?
THere's sort of an art to filtering and interpreting reviews on restaurants and most things. You have to consider the source and motivations of the reviewers and identify biases and kind of throw away the best and worst reviews to find a common thread among the rest. If this was the only bad review, I wouldn't put much stock in it, and because it was over the top bad, I would asume at least some bias and put it aside, but when the majority or average reviews are bad, generally where there is smoke there is fire.
And as others have said, it's become really popular for "celebrity chefs" to focus on branding themselves and open restaurants that they don't have time or inclination to be intimately involved in, and those places are going to be more touristy and overpriced, and the food may or not be good, but either way, probably not as good as if the chef himself was more involved. Either way, those are places you go for the novelty of it's association morethan the food.
I don't think there's much bias against chefs who look weird or edgy these days, just ones who don't out food quality first, and Fieri has always been more about the celebirty than the cheffing.
[Edited because we are sick to death of you trying to spam your book here. Please STOP -- The Editors]
[Seriously -- your spam is not welcome here, please stop. -- The Editors]
Speaking of SPAM...
[Seriously -- your spam is not welcome here, please stop. -- The Editors]
mmmmmm, spam....
Tried the Restaurant. Ugh. I don't trust food critics at all, NOW I don't trust Fieri.
Me too. Is it possible to get your tastebuds pumped?
I think Guy made a mistake responding. Anyone who would write a column like that was obviously just interested in being a creep and does not warrant a response. Maybe Guy is too famous for him?
I agree, he should of just let it pass.
I ate there in september while on vacation. I agree it was awful but i didnt die or anything
If you had died from the food you wouldn't be commenting now would you ;)
With my experience review from a professional restaurant critic does not mean much, its his or her openion, I have seen Washington Post critic Tom Siesta giving high marks to a restaurant and we visited the place it sucked, so please dont take critics words, just keep it in mind and find out yourself.
No thanks. I'm not made of money. Are you so curious (or wealthy) that you're dying to spend cash on food rumored to be awful, when there are better bets everywhere you turn? Are you that determined to "stick it to the elitist critic?"
You mean like McDonalds
If it's such an issue about money then why are you even going out to eat, Uncle Moneybags.
Don't like Guy, won't watch his stupid show and certainly wouldn't go to his restaurant.
But you'd pinch a loaf on a thread about him.Makes sense.
Ahahahahahaha.
Almost rolled out of my chair laughing at this comment. Herp-a-Derp!
I just do not understand why it has become so unpopular to say, "I do not care about so and so".
Coming back to food, I am from Asia and I have tried just about every type of food in the world, and have yet to have a satisfying meal in a restaurant, no matter how much I spent. I gave up on restaurant foods, and became a dedicated cook myself and then I realized how that $30 entree, really costs under $3 to make at home and tastes better at the same time.
Like when people brag about not being on Facebook?
Congrats. I couldn't care less.
Hahahahhahahahhahahahahh!
I love Guy's DDD show so I was looking forward to trying his restaurant in Times Square. The reviewer was spot on. Ugh, overpriced practically inedible garbage with the worst service in NYC.
I love Guy's DDD's as well
Guy Ferrari, choke on the eggs.
A food critic living in New York City would probably know what good food tastes like. A good food critic also knows the history of the restaurants chefs and owners and before she/he sets foot in the establishment has a good idea of what one should expect from the level of expertise in the kitchen.
Pete Wells, like most people who have followed Guy's career would have high expectations from his establishments, especially if it has GUY name plastered on it. Obviously this was not the case. Pete wasn't just a little disappointed but extremely let down by its fare.
Guy, had he had sample some of his own menu should have expected such a response. Guy is the one that justifiably deserves ridicule because he could do not just better, but much much better. BOO GUY! You've let your fans down, especially one with a pen who knows how to use it.
Screw the NYT. Bunch of idiots. Guy knows food period and just because it doesn't please some paper review moron that persuade other morons that read it to not go there, doesn't mean it isnt good. Get a life. Guy is the man. They just don't like his style
Pssst. Hey. You left a bit of schmegma on your chin.
pssst, Guy – next time post under a fake name.
Pssst, he did, thats not him, hes the one that taught your wife to cook.
I pay as much attention to food critics as I do to movie critics.
I agree with what others have said; food critics are outdated fossils for those that consider themselves elite...
I don't generally pay attention to the restaurant reviews. The critics I listen to are friends and family.
Unfortunately, the Fieri restaurant in our town has gotten horrible reviews from a number of my friends and their comments were remarkably similar to the NY Times review.
Food for thought.
It matters not one wit if all the people in the world agreed that the food smells like your dog's navel.
If I like the food, I'm going back. It's really that simple.
I don't need some mutt who prefers ant livers to tell me what anyone's food is like.
Bravo! Let Buttwhipe Pete sit on his braised anal rings Food Oscar while Guy makes a fortune with his TV series AND his restaurant. Go GUY!
Not even one wit? I'm hurt.
Dude. It's Guy Whatever his name. He's a current Food Network "star" with some restaurants, and a new one in the mega hole that is Times Sqaure NYC- nothing but advertisements, overpriced rikshsaws, and tourists. Like he's serving the Last Supper.
Fieri is famous, who is Pete Wells?!! Wells obviously wants to ride Fieri's coattails of fame by flaming his restaurant. I doubt the target market for this new restaurant will read or even care about this review. What Fieri should do is post the review on his website as an anti establishment flag. After all, isn't that what the Fieri brand is about.
While I tend to rely more on OpenTable, Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc, you have to wade through as many ignorant and spiteful people on those sites as anywhere. Case in point, my employer has a very high-end restaurant in Washington, DC. We are who you go to for a 10th anniversary or a 50th birthday. At no time since we opened have we pretended to be anything else. So imagine this 2-star review from an Opentable user:
It is far too expensive for a casual night out.
Need I say more?
This is as real and as relevant as Janet Jackson's Wardrobe malfunction. A no name critic gets his name in lights and Guy gets free publicity.
Just noting for the record that Pete Wells is HARDLY no-name. He's one of the most James Beard Award-winning food writers in the business. (For folks not in the biz, that's our Oscars equivalent.)
And how valid is his critique if Fieri's restaurant continues to make money hand over fist? The NY Times food section is for those that like dropping $400.00 a head at Le Bernardin, not for the beer and nachos crowd that flock to Times Square every year. He decided he wanted an easy assignment that week and went for the low-hanging fruit.
Check the reviews on Yelp. They concur with the critic's.
Yep – I agree with xanderzoneinternet. I saw bunches of interviews, unfortunately. The only one that I saw that really grilled Guy was Matt Lauer. He got Guy to admit that there were problems with restaurant; gave a bunch of reasons – only two months old, people changes. Ultimately,he admitted he could do better.
Again, check the "Joe Sixpack" reviews on yelp. 2.5 stars. In the yelp system, that is atrocious (Anything under 3.5 stars with more than 50 reviews is a fail).
Guy is A COOL dude and obviously fun. I don't always agree with his taste simply because I'm from the South... and down here we know how to SERIOUSLY cook. That's not to say his restaurant doesn't have good food, service, etc. I'm sure it does. Food is his business. My point is... I've never heard of Pete 'what's-his-face' but Guy I know and I like the guy. Back off Pete!
How do you explain Paula Dean? She uses canned cream of mushroom soup in her dishes.
Ok, one question for all of you, do you wait for a critic to tell you which place has the cleanest bathrooms, or which place serves the best brands of beer, or who makes the best pooper scooper in town? Do you wait for a critic to tell you what the best way to kiss is, or how to pick up the opposite sex or same sex depending how how you swing? Do you wait for a critic to tell you how to dress or how to brush your teeth? No, then why do you let a critic tell you what food you will like or not like? We are all different, enjoy life the way you want to, don't let someone making money writing a worthless column in an outdated newspaper or even online tell you what you should and should not do or like!!!
While they're has been a trend of critics whose opinion means about as much as a fart in the wind, there has also been a trend of individuals supposedly calling themselves high-end chefs selling out and trying to pawn off substandard food as quality just because their face is next to it. Applebees food wasn't made any better by Tyler Florence, and Taco Bell certainly hasn't been elevated by Lorena Garcia. Fieri, like those others, has become more known for marketing than food.
Is that the guy from Smashmouth?
cyclonus 11 you crack me up " LOL" because you are right.
Fieri's salsa is THE WORST I've ever tasted. I took it back to the store for a refund!!!!
Did you get that refund? I bought some of Sylvia's turnip greens in the can (the famous Syvia's in NYC) and much to my dismay, it was nothing but a lot of liquid and stems. Could have been just a bad can, but never bought any since. Now, I liked Guy's salsa and I make my own in the summer with fresh veggies. My friends beg for more!
I find it sad that so many comments on here on not based on his food, or on any recipes people have tried from his TV show, but instead are based on how he looks and what he does on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Seriously, it is 2012, can we stop judging people based on how they look or dress? Please, get your heads out of the 1950's. If you had ever seen him on his show, or seen him cook, he's methodical about washing up, wearing gloves, etc. He has children, I doubt he wants to see them deal with salmonella or anything like that. I doubt he wants people who eat at his restaurants to get sick due to negligence on his or his employees' parts.
So he has tatoos, piercings, dyed and spiked hair. Sorry, this isn't Smallville. People are different, and have grown up differently. You shouldn't base whether or not you should eat at his restaurant based on his punk rock look. Now, if you have tried a recipe or two of his and not enjoyed them, or if Yelp keeps saying its mediocre, don't go. My god, did no one learn the less Dr. Seuss was trying to teach with "The Sneetches"?
Tell RGIII to get a haircut and start playing better. He's making my football fantasy team a marginal winner, much like Washington.
Did you mean Pleasantville? I need to watch that movie again.
You are extemely short sighted and shallow. To call his critics "1950's" because of his hair? The NY Times is the anti-1950's you knuclkehead(how's that for a 1950's put down). Grow up and go worship at the altar of government you leftist clown.
Wow, you actually got upset because someone said to stop judging people by their looks? Lay off the crap food, your blood pressure will thank you.
From what I've heard, the restaurant is not good; however, I agree that the reviewer went in with an intentionally controversial opinion and found things to back that up. It just wasn't written like a professional restaurant review in a major newspaper. It was written like he expected people to argue with him.
I don't need people tell we what good and what not .I make up mind .
Maybe someone should tell Guy Fieri that it isn't the 2000s anymore and he should probably adjust accordingly.
Pretty sure 2012 is a part of the "2000's"
here I'll even word it out for you
The year TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE.
Yep, still the 2000's
and your statement made no sense.
You obviously missed his point. He referred to the 2000s as the decade. Just like we've always done as in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc.
First and foremost, I NEVER listen to food critics. For me, they have no real talent and simply stand on the sideline and judge something they're incapable of doing themselves. Thank you very much, I can judge for myself. If I require someone's opinion prior to my first (or second) trip to a specific restaurant I will go to TripAdvisor, Yelp, Chowhound, etc where I can read real customer reviews. Ultimately I will make the decision myself whether to patronize a restaurant, or give them a second chance but actual customer reviews will hold weight but I ignore the typically snarky food critic.
As for Guy Fieri, quite honestly I think he's a jackass. I've sampled some of his retail products such as salsas and BBQ sauces and I think they're crap. I'm sure he's copacking someone else's recipe but too bad, his name and reputation's on it. I've watched his DDD shows from time to time to get ideas on restaurants I may like to try or dishes I may want to prepare. I basically ignore his junior high personality and concentrate on the food being presented. I doubt I would patronize one of his restaurants because he's in it for the $$ and not the passion for the food. Besides, I don't like going to places where they charge $18 for a hamburger simply because someone's name is at the top of the menu. The Tripadvisor reviews for his American Kitchen and Bar were Excellent: 14, Very Good: 14, Average: 14, Poor: 3, Terrible: 6. Quite a mixed bag, which implies inconsistency by the restaurant. Even the Very Goods complained about the prices and the service, which is all part of the experience.
Based on TripAdvisor alone, I'd pass on the restaurant.
Forget the review, forget what Guy says – just read the reviews on Yelp. That should tell the tale.
Like Newsweek , The New York Times will probably close before Guy's restaurant . If they got a bad rating on Yelp , then I'd worry . I Bet the food critic is not banking on his full time position at the times. I Have visited the empty offices of the two major Los Angeles newspapers in the last month . Pete Wells should tour them so he can get a glimpse of his future office.
Guy is not he most refined chef , but he has sifted thru the country"s best peoples food's and i'm sure there are some great bites in his joint. Be yourself Guy and remember there is no such thing as bad publicity ( but please no sex tapes , NOBODY wants to see that ) !
But it is getting bad reviews on Yelp ...
Yesterday, we asked our readers, "Does a bad restaurant review in a high-profile publication sway your opinion?" Over 10,500 people weighed in. By the numbers:
Who says the Times is a "high profile publication....LOL...
He's kind of a pig and his show is um...well...."dumb"
I agree with David. Whatever happened to cultured food critics like Jacques Pepin and Julia Child or Create's food shows and other similar. The media seems to gravitate to buffoon's like Guy Fieri.
because not all food is "cultured" and "elegant"
Remember that the next time you eat Sausage Biscuits and Gravy or Meatloaf
As though Julia Childs wasn't a drunken joke.
David – Congrats, that was a simple and accurate except for where you wrote, "kind of." He's a pig.
What qualifies him as dumb? The guy is a cultural icon for many. I am an artist. Not a culinary artist, but an artist all the same. Guy also falls into the artist category. Being one is not merely a label one gives himself just because he wants to be edgy, but its a title for having a passion about a certain thing, and Guy has chosen to take part in the art of culinary experiences. He's a family man and happy cheerful person (I've even met the guy), and he does what he loves and makes a living and provides for his family. If being happy, being a good provider, and doing what you enjoy qualifies you to be dumb, then I would rather be dumb and enjoy myself than be "smart" and not have a passion for something in my life.
*Excuse me, you called his show dumb but still, going out on a limb to just straight up call him a pig is still very uncalled for and serves no purpose except for lending fuel for others to hate on a person who is probably more successful than they are.
@ David
He's kind of a pig and his show is um...well...."dumb"
If you don't like his show, watch something else. If you don't like his appearence, grow up. At this point the world would be a lot better off without people who make comments like that about someone.
We live in a world full of different types of people and if you are so narrow minded that you can't deal with it, keep your classless comments to yourself!
It's been my opinion, having been a foodie critic once myself, that we have a tendency to be snobs, because 1. We're paid to give reviews that are "entertaining" and can sometimes come across as harsh, and secondly, if you're one of the top critics, people are going to read your articles when you bash a restaurant. Sometimes being a critic isn't always about being "honest" with the food you're generously being fed. And unless you see a roach, or God forbid a rat, crawling across your eating space, it is safe to say that you as an individual can make up your own mind when it comes to eating at a restaurant. Don't always give in to the hype of what you read.
But rats can cook!! Haven't you seen Ratatouille!!!
no one cares what critics think. It amazes me that you have emloyment at all. The only thing that being a critic helps illustrate is that networking really does lead to high paying, low work jobs.
even a bad movie review is horse dung, maybe I like campy things for example, and you do not. now criticize the comment
I give your comment four stars.
Everyone has their own opinion on food and entertainment.
Critic reviews are just another one of those opinions
You know what they say about opionions....
Everyone has one and...........
Yes, this review matters. No, I don't think the critic was 'out to get' Guy Fieri. He most probably doesn't even know the guy. He was doing his job. The New York Times thinks enough of him to pay him to do that job. I think it was an honest review of the restaurant. Finally, yes, I will NOT go to that restaurant because I have an independant review of it. Things might change in time, but right now, you have a lot of other restaurant options.
This is how I feel about food critiques:
You and I don't enjoy the same cars, women, tv shows, movies, or weather. Why should I expect you, or a food critique, to be the judge of an experience I haven't had yet when it comes to food?
Oh, that critic knows exactly who Guy is... it's part of his job to know. Guy is part of the TV Celebrity Chef circuit that critics can't wait to pounce on.
critic is already a negative type term.Let's be honest paid food critic's like all paid critc's have to find something wrong most of the time otherwise they will not have a job anymore.that said I agree with a lot of people on this blog that this guy is a poser that has been on many cable food show's and praising every one of them,so I guess he thought it was his turn to be praised by the public.
Funny & Ironic is that The NY Times AD dept had a lucheon at Guy's resturant! They (AD dept) has a blast and enjoyed themselves. Obviously, Peter was snubbed out!
They snubbed the snob.
The new york times bashed a restaurant? The hell you say...
Guy is a so-called local celebrity here. He was never formally trained at cooking, he was trained as a restaurant manager. He is a douchebag womanizer and deserves to be ripped on. His food is pedestrian at best. He has also had a few of his restaurants around here (Johnny Garlic's) slammed with many health code violations and continues to do so.
Perfect! He's such a douchebag that he makes Emeril Lagasse appear nearly bearable. Between the bleached hair, idiotic goatee, moronic sunglasses on the back of his head and his catch-phrases that will never catch on with anyone with even a modicum of intelligence, I can't believe anyone is interested in anything he does.
It's not doing well on Yelp either. Lots of bad reviews before the NYT review came out.
Almost every restaurant in Times Square is an unabashed tourist trap (I still like Carmine's :P). I seriously doubt Guy Fieri is the one guy in town with the integrity to break the mold.
For what it's worth, if you're opening a restaurant in Times Square, you probably *should* open a tourist trap. Your rent's going to be so high you're going to need to turn over tables quick, and most of your customers will be tourists who couldn't come back if they wanted to.
(If you're visiting, don't despair. There's amazing food within walking distance, just don't eat in Times Square proper.)
The guy is the perfect example a total dork that thinks they're cool. I cringe every time I even see his face or hear him talk. The channel is changed quicker than you can blink. I'm embarrassed for him, his family and anyone that thinks he's "cool" or even talented for that matter. He may be a decent, nice guy but my God is he a freaking tool.
I agree, every time i see him he is mugging, using the two finger salute he thinks makes him look like a wild and crazy guy!! BTW, his real name is Ferry, not Fieri, the guy is a fake!
Its very unprofessional of him to attack the critic. Has he never had a review before? If he wants a good review he should run a good restaurant.
People who don't trust a professional food critic are probably the same people that don't believe it when climate scientists say global warming is real.
Ha, agreed. I never understand people who smugly claim that critics are "dinosaurs" or "elitist." So, I guess when your transmission blows out, you don't want to go to one of those high-falutin' professional mechanics, just have your buddy Mike fix it. Or when your child hits school age, may as well keep 'em home and have aunt mary school 'em. Hell, Suzy down the street knows as much about a cold as my doctor. People who get to a point in their life where their love, knowledge, and experience in food, music, film, theater, etc. is to the point that someone is paying them (usually very little anymore) for their opinions, and they take time to check out said restaurants, films, etc. and then craft a review, they have obviously taken it seriously and are worth at least considering before you blow your dough. Also, anyone who would go to Time Square to eat food when the whole NYC area offers millions of great little, non-obnoxiously huge/loud joints, is an idiot.
That is the worst analogy ever. Science is science; based on fact – food is an opinion. Much like a movie review, it is all a matter of personal preference. Not everyone likes the same food, atmosphere, etc. People who make judgements based on one other person's opinion before trying it themselves are the same people that believe everything they read on the internet, as is the case with this article. So...you're dumb...lemming
Really? You're comparing critics to a mechanic? Talk about apples to oranges. In what way does a food critic or opinion columnist provide a service that people depend on? Ridiculous.
Food tasting is largely subjective, climate science is not.
Judging food is also objective, food can be, cold, tough, dry, salty, dirty. etc..
Do you know how "professional" food critics get their jobs? It's because they couldn't hack it as a real journalists and it is either this or their employer's version of Dear Abby. It's not as if most of these people are qualified in any way, shape or form to be food critics. And with websites like Urban Spoon and Yelp, food critics are pretty much useless.
Food critics may be "useless" but Yelp seems to be agreeing with them in this case.
Have you seen what most former times critics are doing now? Most are extremely successful journalists. Do a google search before you open your ignorant mouth next time.
What do the critics have to say about Sarah Palin's mooseburgers and s'mores?
Moose tastes like crap. I could eat it when starving, but I would take Caribou over any other meat any day. Moose eat too much pine and willow sprigs. It's turrible.
That is all I have to say about that.
Most of the hunters I know here in Alaska prefer moose to caribou. I know it's a preference thing though. My sister hates caribou with a passion, but then we didn't grow up eating caribou. But as with any game animal, the meat is so dependent on the time of year, what they have been eating, how stressed the animal was when it was killed, was it field dressed properly, etc, etc. I have had bad moose meat, but I've also had pretty darn good moose meat, too.
Alaska? Everytime I think about Alaska I think about Sarah Palin. Everytime I think about Sarah Palin I think about trailer trash. Everytime I think about trailer trash I think about teabaggers. Everytime I think about teabaggers I think about nascar. Everytime I think about nascar I think about assault weapons. Every time I think about assault weapons I think about Sarah Palin. Everytime I think about Sarah Palin I think about trailer trash. Everytime I think about trailer trash I think about teabaggers. Everytime I think about...
Weird. I lived in Alaska, in a trailer for a while, full of assault weapons (ex Army Airborne father) in front of a dumpster. Ah, the good times. And about 1/2 mile from the mouth of the world famous Kenai River.
I hate that Palin is associated with Alaska. She's actually from Idaho, which shouldn't surprise anyone but does.
I haven't read Mr. Wells' review. That said, I wouldn't eat anywhere that Guy Fieri is involved. It is said that first impressions are lasting impressions. My first - and lasting - impression of Guy Fieri is that of someone for whom sanitation during food preparation is a secondary consideration. I'd be afraid of catching something while eating in his restaurant. There's just something odious about the guy that make me refuse a ham sandwich from him, let alone a full course meal.
To me, it's all those rings he wears. I just can't get it out of my head that he probably cooks while wearing them and that they just load up with bacteria.
I have never been to Guy's restaruant and have no desire too. However, I have watched his shows and his food is not mainstream, but retakes on classics american food. Why anyone would listen to a a food critic in the first place is beyond me. The "food critic" has one agenda: to sell papers so they can keep their meaningless job. There are so many internet sites with "REAL" people reviews with little or no agenda that I always check if I am looking for some place new to dine. My one gripe with Guy is his name which he changed from Ferry to Fieri, he's not Italian.
Critics......don't care what any of them think! I've been around longer than they have, and know what's good and what my family likes......I don't need some way-over-paid guy in a snobby suit to tell me where to eat! These chefs on TV started out plain and humble, and since then have made too much money to keep them on par with us common folks!!
Bad Reviews by Pious Pickle Pusses?
LOVE THEM
(keeps the riff raff out)
It is the USA and we are entitled to free speech, as well as the freedom of choice. Guy, your places are as fun and as enjoyable as you are on television and I'm glad to be able to be a patron, you deliver on the food, the atmosphere and the price and your reputation will continue to be good despite that negative review. I'll visit your Time Square location when I visit NYC for the holidays. Keep up the good work.
You're probably upset about the election aren't you?
And here we go throwing the Election and the possibility of racism and the sneaky hidden underlying implying that John is a mad fat white American who is only supporting another fat white American because they are both fat white Americans. Did I get that correct, Not John?
Why would you go to NYC to eat cheese fries and chicken wings?
An experience is something you have not what someone else has had. Don’t be afraid to try something new get out of your comfort zone. Stop listening and start participating.
Well said. A critic is someone who is just paid to share their opinion. Like movie critics, if I want to see a movie I will, I don't care what some critic says.
HAHA! There are certainly a lot of polarized opinions about critics, Guy Fieri and food. The best praise or critique of any food establishment is word of mouth. I don't trust what newspapers or internet sources say because I talk to the people who are more similar to me, giving me reason to trust their judgement on food.
While hilariously snarky and mean, I found the review unnecessary, even if the restaurant deserved to be panned. My first writing job was doing CD reviews for a country magazine. I f**king hate country music. So I had to ask myself, for what it was, was it done well? Is this something that would meet the criteria of good or bad for the average country fan, even if it doesn't suit my personal tastes? I only ever gave two nasty reviews, and both deserved it, as they lacked anything worthy of praise.
If this writer is accustomed to dining mostly in Beard Award-winning establishments, Guy's menu didn't stand a chance.
But I don't need a NYT critic to tell me not to eat at any restaurant with Donkey Sauce on the menu.
And one of the bad reviews was Trace Adkins' debut album, so you can see what a record critic's opinion is worth!
I didn't recognize him in the photo at first because he was not shoving food in his mouth.
This man needs a haircut, a bottle of mouthwash and he also needs to lose some weight and to stop eating like a second tier animal!
This man could also use another tattoo on his body so he would look more the role of a cannibal. He is a very offensive human and I turn his program off consistently when my wife tries to watch his mouth fill up with so much food you could float a battleship with it. He is a very disgusting image.
Whats not working in this guys favor is he comes off like a doosh with the Sisco hair from 01 and he overall trying to be cool attitude. I think that makes him an easy target but he does seem to know his stuff so things will probably turn around for the restaurant
Douche. Why is that so f@cking difficult for apes like you to spell?
Maybe he did not want to get blocked Jethro? You spelled F'n wrong yourself!
The other thing many people probably don't know about Guy Fieri unless you have dealt with him personally is that the guy is a total D-bag. He's one of those people who you just want to get away from after being around him for 5 minutes. I don't doubt that other people in the food indsutry who have to run across him on a regular basis have a pre-determined negative view of him.
You are right! He is the very definition of "human garbage"!
That sounds like how about 95% of the chefs on Food Network come off.
I ate at his Sacramento Restaurant Tex Wasabis and the food was okay. It was not something I have ever felt I wanted to go back to but it also had to do with the atmosphere of the place, it was to loud for my enjoyment. And I must say I can cook the same food just as well at home.
Who needs food critics??? We all know what we like!
Yea seriously! Also, the critic is horrendous. The whole article was just questions, which is just awful to read and completely uninteresting. I definitely gave up reading it after the 10th question. I'm not a huge fan of Guy, but he is entertaining and I believe I would enjoy the food at his restaurant(s). Do you think you would? Would you like another question?
Why do people think that Guy is a chef? I have never thought that any of his ideas for food were in the least creative. He basically takes recipes from other well know chefs and tries to put some sort of Tex-Mex spin on it. I am sure he has stolen many recipes from other restaurants he has showcased on DDD for his Times Square restaurant.
1. ALL restaurants in Times Square are hideous. It's a tourist trap.
2. Guy Fieri's recipes are featured at TGIFridays, which is a shitty chain restaurant. The one in Times Square is particularly bad. I once had a cheeseburger on a stale bun with cold soggy fries there for about $20 (before tax, tip , and beverage).
3. Just look at the guy with his bleached spiked hair, he's obviously a jabroni from a trailer park!
I don't know, that New York critic might be right. Yelp gave it 2.5 stars (72 reviews) and Urban Spoon 27% (14 reviews). Those are both very low reviews for any restaurant, especially a famed food guy like Guy. Maybe there's some truth, or all truth, to the New York review he received and he's fighting back. You've got to wonder, if it wasn't Guy's place, and owned by just some other guy nobody knew of, would he still be afloat?
exactly. we went to his restaurant in Santa Rosa 4 weeks ago. 80% of the food was hideous. Fries were GREAT. Iced tea – GREAT, foccacia bread – GREAT and service was GREAT. Essentially what yelp says. We should have checked it first. We thought there was no wasy it would not be good. We will never go back – but we have been to a few of the DDD spots in DFW and have been very happy.
Remember, there is no such thing as bad press and this is the perfect example.
Ask BP if there is no bad press. They starting writing checks totalling $4.5 billion this week!
BP made $5.5 billion last quarter, so yeah, I don't think the bad publicity will hurt them that much.
The BP saga has absolutely nothing in common with the 'restaurant review business' .... BP isn't bad press you dope, it's just news.
I'll bet a truffle souffle that the NYT critic went there expecting freebies and special treatment and didn't get it. Newspaper critics operate on pure bribery. I've never been to Guy's restaurant, but I'd go there in a heartbeat. Totally disregard the critics.
I think they go with discretion, trying to remain anonymous at the time, to ensure that they don't get special treatment and they really get the real experience.
Many people here seem to want to dismiss this food critic as a snob. Have any of them actually eaten at the restaurant? If not, by what measure can you say that the review is inaccurate? If his experience was as atrocious as the one described, then he would be obligated to write about it.
It's one thing to defend a restaurant, but it seems like some people here are quick to do so without having actually eaten at the restaurant they're defending. For these people to then say the food critic, who has actually been to the restaurant in question, doesn't know what he's talking about is rather silly.
I have eaten there. The food was good, but not great. I think the critic just had a bad day and fought with his boy friend/spouse just before writing the review.
I can make good food at home. If I'm going out to a Times Square restaurant, owned by a famous food guy, and spending $10-20 a plate ... the food should be great. Food critics should probably review by that same criteria, "great" or "not great". I don't want "good enough" from a professional of any sort, be it a chef, a doctor, or a mechanic. If I'm paying a professional, I want professional quality ... great.
Yelp.
It's funny to me how this self-promoter can spin it against the critic. First off, if you saw the interview of the Today show, they made clear that on Yelp the guy's restruarunt got on averagel 2.5 stars....that is horrible for any respectable resturaunt. So the critic is not elitist..unless all the Yelp people are elitis too. Second, when you get criticized there are two things you can do...attach the critic or improve. Obviously, Guy has taken the attack the critic mode which is the path of the immature and the demagogue.
I saw that Yelp review too. At least 72 reviews so far from normal people with a terrible rating like 2.5 stars. Those are the normal people that go there ... Guy must be the elitist. He should go in with an unbiased approach and really look at his restaurant and listen to the patrons.
Of course, are people as likely to review good restaurants as bad? It seems people are more likely to criticize than compliment.
@gf – I agree. You have to take all the complaints with a grain of salt, because people rarely take the time to go back and say, "Good job!" They're far more likely to complain about what they didn't like. I try to teach my boys that if you can find time to complain, you can find time to compliment.
Agree CJ, but that is precisely why you have benchmarks. If people prefer to criticize than compliment then you would see low Yelp ratings across the board. But even when grading on this curve, Guy's place comes up short.
That said, this does make me want to try the place now, might be one of those 'so bad it's good!' experiences!!
All of the restaurants in Times Square are terrible. They're all chain restaurants or have some other kind of national name recognition. They cater to tourists from Iowa who are too afraid to try anything else.
not everybody comes to new york for the food scene and not everybody is a terribly adventurous eater. sometimes the attraction to eating at the chain spots in times square for tourists is that there is a comfort in the familiarity and it's close to midtown, which they are probably visiting anyway.
The food critic gets paid to tell the truth aboot restaurants and so I respect his thoughts and opinions. I will not eat at Guy's time square joint due to this review. I would rather put my teeth on a charged battery.
I've never been to a restraunt that sat 500 people that I wanted to come back to.
That said, I think the reviewer kind of misses the point of the place. If you go into a massive factory like restaurant like that expecting the kind of quality and service that you get in the sort of places Guy puts on his show then I have to ask what you're doing reviewing restaurants.
A place like this is intended for people that are perhaps visiting the city and aren't familiar with many local establishments, or perhaps people who are just getting into the whole "foodie" thing after watching a few food network shows and want to go to a place associated with a "famous" chef.
I do regret that America seems to enjoy these sort of TGIFs white labeled as a gourmet restaurant and as such they tend to succeed but Guy was hardly the first to do it, Wolfgang Puck practically perfected the art and even guys like Mario Batalli have opened a few places like that. Not everyone wants overly complicated food and perhaps need a way to take baby steps into the world of gourmet dining but I have trouble believing that anyone that knows better wouldn't have anticipated what sort of restaurant Guy's place was before they got there......
"If you go into a massive factory like restaurant like that expecting the kind of quality and service that you get in the sort of places Guy puts on his show then I have to ask what you're doing reviewing restaurants."
BD, the thing is, we're not talking about some hole-in-the-wall restaurant. This is a restaurant in Times Square that charges Times Square prices. I think it's an entirely reasonable expectation for marshmallow to taste like a marshmallow and not like fish regardless of where you order it or what you pay for it. It's not that much to ask. Especially if I'm ordering it in a place that, according to the restaurant's website, charges $12 for the desserts.
Watching this Guy and Adam from MvF eat when they are in the kitchen and trying a dish "for the first time" makes me throw up in the back of my mouth a little. Like seriously, it's bad enough watching a dude take wayyyyy too big of a bite and try eating it with their mouth half agape and food ozzing out, but the food orgasm they "supposedly" have makes me gag something firece. I'm like "wow, that dish does look really good" and then they ruin it forever by "making love" to the food. I don't need or want to see that!
I really like Guy. Most people portrary chefs as stuck up over dressed snobs. The minute someone like Guy comes around with this laid back style, he is criticized for it. I thinks its great that the food channel features chefs with different styles. But no matter what their style is, they all have one thing in common....Great Food!
The guy is the perfect example a total douche that thinks they're cool. I cringe every time I even see his face or hear him talk. The channel is changed quicker than you can blink. I'm embarrassed for him, his family and anyone that thinks he's "cool" or even talented for that matter. He may be a decent, nice guy but my God is he a freaking tool.
I don't typically use the work d0uche or bag in the same sentence, because I think people who say those words typically are themseves. But if you look up d0uche bag in the dictionary, you'll find Guy's picture. He's like d0ucheyness on steriods and why people are drawn to this knuckle dragger is beyond me. it's like the late 90's and the early 2000's exploded and he was whats left. He's like the love child of the cast of jersey shore and the lead singer of barenaked ladies. making him half Canuk and 100% d0uche.
"I don't typically use the work d0uche or bag in the same sentence, because I think people who say those words typically are themseves"
You hit the nail on the head with that comment
Didn't you just use it in the same sentence. Then that means, based on your own logic and conclusion, that you are ... what? Does that make you and Guy two of a kind?
Watching him is an insult to my intelligence, I have cooked all my life and professionally trained at Johnson & Wales and I am always one step ahead. Modern day Professional Chefs are needed on the Food Channel
wow, look at the ego on you
Haven't been to his restaurant yet but sure do like his show. Me & my family do an internet search on shows he's featured whenever we travel to another city and stop in and try one. A Critic is so used to being treated like royalty when they go in a restaurant that I suppose being treated like an average Joe gets their underwear in a knot.
Average Joe's on Yelp gave it 2.5 stars. UrbanSpoon average Joe's gave is 27%. They're not elitists looking for special attention, they're just looking for a good night out. A restaurant should at the very least be hitting the 60-70% range, otherwise how are they still in business? Through stupid tourists, an excellent location, and a popular name.
Aloysius Plickleflucker...you funny!!!
Food critics are similiar to movie critics...most don't have the common sense to navigate their way out of a cul-de-sac, but they expect us to listen to them? I will decide what I like and not like. The only time I will listen to a food critic is if there are health standards being ignored. Additionally, I don't believe 90% of what any newspaper says anymore, they certainly aren't unbiased! They all have an agenda to push. Some of the best restaurants and some of the best movies I have seen were panned by the critics! Go figure! Self importanat shills.
Newspaper? What's a newspaper?
Ignorance is not an admirable quality.
Food critics have the benefit of eating at a lot of restaurants. Greatness is often a measure of comparison, experience, and options. Food critics also give ratings based on a variety of dishes and give a score rating for actual areas. A hungry New Yorker who gets his belly filled at a hot dog stand might then feel content and say "that was good". But if you really compared it to someplace great, would they say the same?
Personally, I am not a fan of Guy Fieri's style of food. I have looked at scores of his recipes and tried many. I have watched him teach, cook and present. Sorry Guy, I just don't like it. But many do, and for both them and Guy that is a good thing.
Mr. Wells would never care for Guy Fieri's food, no matter how well it was prepared. Why he even went there, other than to grind an axe, is beyond me. His review reflected his profound bi as, as do most food critic's reviews. He has no objectivity. He is, quite simply, a food s n o b who looks down his nose at anyone who doesn't share his view of appropriate or acceptable cuisine. In his rather soph o moric review Mr. Wells showed himself to be s h allow, n arrow minded and vin dictive. He is now watching his audience shrink. Goodbye, Pete Wells.
I like your reply...honest and well thought out. You were honest that his style wasn't suited to your tastes, but you remained objective and open minded....maybe you should be a food critic! At least we could trust your reviews to be honest.
A good review is great..
A bad review is good..
No review is a death knell...
Publicity is what matters..
If you want to learn about good normal food watch Adam Richmond's show Man vs Food on The Travel Channel. He shows some good delicious looking stuff : )
Just looking at the menu and the photos of the food and the descriptions and prices was enough for me to never want to set foot in there. Nevermind the critic, the menu itself should turn most people away from ever walking through the doors of that place...
I dont like critics results at all. Most critics are snobby adults that believe something has to be 5 star to taste good. Movie critics the same way. I will be the judge of food as I cook myself. Most of the movies that I find very entertaining and funny get 1 or 2 star reviews. My top 10 movies of all time consist of one movie with a higher rating then 2 stars.
Thank you for admitting your own ignorance...at least you're honest. Now...mabybe it's time to start holding your tastes to a higher standard.
Been there... Not bad at all. Location is a a very contested block so that might dull your mood a bit. But who cares..
Personally, I am not a fan of Guy Fieri's style of food. I have looked at scores of his recipes and tried many. I have watched him teach, cook and present. Sorry Guy, I just don't like it. But many do, and for both them and Guy that is a good thing.
Mr. Wells would never care for Guy Fieri's food, no matter how well it was prepared. Why he even went there, other than to grind an axe, is beyond me. His review reflected his profound bias, as do most food critic's reviews. He has no objectivity. He is, quite simply, a food snob who looks down his nose at anyone who doesn't share his view of appropriate or acceptable cuisine. In his rather sophomoric review Mr. Wells showed himself to be shallow, narrow minded and vindictive. He is now watching his audience shrink. Goodbye, Pete Wells.
Guy Fieri is an arrogant chump. If he came into my restaurant kitchen wearing his flip-flops, I would tell him to get the f*ck out, it's a health violation and he should know it. But he uses his celebrity to get away with anything he can. He also thinks he's the best cook around and I would love to see him get his ass kicked by the Iron Chefs.
I don't see that he thinks he's the best cook around. And I doubt many think they could actually compete with Bobby Flay or Morimoto. If you want to see arrogant though, Bobby Flay displays that perfectly ... you should go watch his first Iron Chef battle with Morimoto, back before Flay was an Iron Chef. He was a whiny, arrogant, complaining, prideful, immature competitor who lost that first battle.
The New Your Times? They still publish that rag? Don't worry G-man, if the A-Holes don't appreciate you giving employment to so many yankee's, just come down south to Mrytle Beach and open up, We'll support ya !!
Never have listened to a critic and never will. They make money and get paid off of ensuring they review establishments that will give them benefit. I would rather go off of the comments of folks that are eating there that are just normal working folks. This is why I go to Yelp or Travelocity. Even then I tend to take those with a grain of salt and try out places for myself first. Groupon and LivingSocial have been great also for getting me to try new places I didn't even know where there. I think the days of the critics running the show are number and should be numbered. We live in a social media world now where everyone can have a say ... I chose to ignore the food snobs and make up my own mind ... How about you?
Everyday foodies/eaters on Yelp and Trip Advisor provide way better reviews than some critic of an acclaimed news paper. Part of food adventure is about trying things whether or not you know/heard it's good/bad.... no one else's impression is better than your own...
Guy Fieri is one of the reasons I don't watch the food channel. His rude, condescending style, and west coast elitist personality make me want to to puke. He interrupts the people he "showcases', on DDD, corrects their pronunciation, and is a horses ass with highlights. I have learned a lot from the food channel, but I get nothing from this tatted, obnoxious Bobby Flay wannabe.
I agree. He seems like a fancy pants.
Any time Guy Fieri is on TV, I turn the channel. This annoying, condescending, world-class schmuck makes me want to take a shower every time I see him. The notion of him as a restauranteur is ludicrous.
'His rude, condescending style'
you dont watch the show do you? either that or you have issues. rude and condescending? really?
I really don't see that "rude or condescending" aspect either. He's constantly saying things like, "Wow, this is awesome food you just made!" or "How did you make that?" or "This is amazing!" or "I think I'll have another". He's seems genuinely curious as to how they prepared it, he's very complimentary, he asks patrons why they like it, and he seems to really like their food too. Ok, granted he's a bit of a weirdo who never really grew up (is that so bad?), but he's not rude, and if he interrupts, it almost seems to be out of excitement of their food and he just can't control himself (see "never grew up").
exactly. He is always complimenting the chefs on his show. I am trying hard to think of anything that meets the rude and condescending claim and i cant come up with anything.
The problem with food critics is they believe their own hype, like the character Anton Ego from "Ratatouille". He panned everything until Linguini presented him with a plate of the aforementioned eggplant dish that brought back his only happy memories of his mothers cooking. Unfortunately for the rest of the crop, they probably didn't have a mother who made them the comfort food that they really craved. Therefore, no restaurant could possibly ever meet their unmeetable standards.
Nonsense. If you read the review in question, it described the reviewer's experience of the place, what the food was like, and overall whether the place was worth a visit. There was nothing condescending about it. It was a fair – and very entertaining – review of a crappy restaurant.
Guy Fieri, why did you make the eggs too hot? Smashmouth couldn't eat the eggs and it was your fault. You're a bad egg maker, Guy Fieri.
Wow, I actually went on to Yelp and read numerous reviews. It looks like Guys on Times Square is over priced and "average" to "sucked" in my unscientific reading of the reviews.
I really don't care about high-end restaurants because I know how much food costs at the 'root' level per-say. $50 for a $17 cut of meat? DUH? So really why would I give a F*&^ about a critic's opinion? If I decide to waste money that way, I'm going to got where I want to go!
What was it that abraham lincoln said about the culinary arts? oh yes. "If its a restaurant in Times Square its guaranteed to suck. Add to that if the chef is a white trash d-bag, you're better off at the dumpster behind applebees".
You can leave the "white trash" comments out a-hole. The same people who are the first to cry "racism" are the same ones to use terms like this. I would punch you out if you were in front of me talking like that.
Only in America can a giant D-Bag have a tv show about stuffing his face.
Is there something wrong with enjoying food? Most places around the world...even the french really enjoy their food. Stop trolling. If you can't enjoy something you have to eat to survive than how can you enjoy anything?
it's unhealthy crap
Calling the stuff Fieri eats on his show "food" is really a stretch.
you might be right, but his job is awesome.
I ate there. We thought it was outstanding. And a great price for a NY eatery. Nicely done and fun atmosphere. I will definitely go back and will take friends there when they come into town. So many of the other places around here are so snobby and eletist, while serving you lousy food. Nice job Guy!
I'm gonna bet that, to ModernMan, "fine dining" means a night at Red Lobster or Olive Garden.
Guy Fierri is a sellout. It's not only his restaurants. He will endorse other restaurants who have gotten a majority of bad reviews as well.
In my home town(Rosenberg, TX) he did a piece on a place that makes tacos. Yes their tacos are amazing, but ever since he aired that show...the amount they put in their tacos has dropped by almost half. I would say maybe it's because he shows a place that it sometimes changes.
This restaurant had lots of rats and other vermin – it's been cited by the health department five times but each time Guy's covered it up, paying off the inspectors to keep their mouths shut.
"it's been cited by the health department five times but each time Guy's covered it up, paying off the inspectors to keep their mouths shut."
Then how do you know about it?
Who goes to Times Square to 'get away from it all for a few hours'? This is all BS
signed. . . .Peter, Manager of Applebees, across the street
Ate there last night. Diarrhea for hours. They're using it for today's soup.
Never heard of Pete Wells before... mission accomplished Petey boy!
David Petreaus (sp?) paid Peter Wells to distract from him....
The review of the restaurant was hilarious! I have never partaken of a Guy's establishment and probably never will, but that review left me wanting to go just to see if it is that bad.
Others have commented on Guy being more or a celebrity than Chef. If the review is only a tenth correct, Guy being sans-Chef could be the truth.
Last week, I was in New York City for business and decided to walk around Time Square. I saw Guy Fieris' new restaurant and decided to go in. Since I have been in his restaurant in Santa Rosa , California before.., I thought, give it a try.. When I read the off-color review and story on CNN news website, I was a little bit shocked.. I enjoyed my meal and experience at Guy Fieris' new restaurant, and was somewhat offended by The Times' critic Pete Wells. Since I am on the road three weeks per month, I eat out a lot and I mean, a lot.. Pete Wells is really off base with his review of Guy's American Kitchen & Bar and people or customers' should tell him so. I am NOT a food critic, nor is Pete Wells, since I eat out a lot and I know, a good restaurant, when I see one or eat in one. Being on the road so much, I am too, somewhat of a critic on whats good or not good. The Times' critic Pete Wells, is way off base on this restaurant review and should probably go to McDonald's restaurant, which was close by and stay there, where he belongs.. His lower class restaurant review deserves the same. Guy.., like your restaurants', including the new one in Time Square and would go there again. Price is a little high.., although, thank God for expense reports.. Mike in Montana
Guy is now for the fame not the food. He acts like he the best chef around .
That was the funniest, very well written and brutally honest restaurant review i've ever read ! LOL Fieri is a jerk, a hack, an arrogant & pompous a-h0le. I dont believe that The Reviewer from the NYT had an agenda. It seemed like he was honestly trying to find something good. In fact he recommended 3 dishes, but I believe he was being honest. Too many restaurants are over hyped, and just have a celebrity name but sh1tty food. Just because Fieri's fat a s s is on the Food Network doesnt mean he knows how to run or create a good restaurant, or that the food is good. I'll never go to Fieri's place. It sounds absolutely horrible.
Add to it all that Fiery is a known and obnoxious homophobe, and I agree completely. Further proof that all you need to suceed on Food Network is a bit personality and a bigger attitude.
Read the NY Times review and it was funny, although certainly colored by the fact that Fieri is a television celebrity. I've never eaten at a Fieri restaurant so I have no opinion of them, but I also know that I wouldn't expect much of a large scale restaurant on Times Square.
I was going to post a comment. After reading all the drivel, I decided to go play Halo 4.
yet you still posted a comment.... jack@55
Excellent comment and observation..
I think what you meant to say was you couldn't find a way to stuff some anti-Obama BS into the topic. You trolled, found nothing, but still had to make it known you are a douche. Mission accomplished!
I would like to go try this place out. It won't take long for the "common folk" to visit it and like it and go back OR to visit it and not like it and never return. I'd like to hear/read a follow up story in about 4 mths.
The "common folk" – people who don't read restaurant reviews – are the people this dump was built for. People who usually dine at McDonald's or Burger King are not discriminating connoisseurs of cuisine, and Guy Fieri knows it. This is a lowbrow eatery somewhere south of the Cheesecake Factory in terms of quality, and it seems proud of the fact.
I foresee another Chick-Fil-A situation, with all the know-nothings grabbing pitchforks and torches to defeat the horrible elitists who actually KNOW something.
"I foresee another Chick-Fil-A situation, with all the know-nothings grabbing pitchforks and torches to defeat the horrible elitists who actually KNOW something."
I've been getting an odd feeling reading posts from "ordinary" people over the past couple of days that this topic has been newsworthy, and you've perfectly encapsulated what has been bothering me about a lot of the comments I've been seeing. It's Chick-fil-A all over again.
Lowbrow types genuinely don't like expert opinions. In effect, they're offended by being made aware of their own limitations - rather than educate themselves, they'll proudly, even self-righteously, wallow in ignorance. I've always seen that basic idea tossed around and never really gave it much credence, but threads like this truly prove the point.
I've eaten at one of Guy Fieri's restaurants, and all I can say is that it would have been an equivalent, but much cheaper experience, to just sit at home and eat a tub of butter and salt.
I read this article first, and thought, like many, "Who cares what a snooty food critic thinks?" Then I read the critic's article in the NYT. I'm inclined to think the critic is right. Just the ridiculous menu descriptions cited are proof enough for me.
Anyone who has to create a false persona to get on TV must also cook a lot of false Sh@#$t. Gimmicks don't make a good chef....Always amazes me why those TV "Chefs" become famous when most of them cant cook a lick!
It's not amazing, it's formulated. Fiery, enthusiastic drama queens and controversial personalities who are put on TV get people watching which, in turn, gets advertisers primed to generate more of the almighty dollar. It's not rocket surgery – it's marketing.
Can't agree more with both posts...These "chefs" are marketing gimmicks and really kills me that the Food Network would compromise its integrity and deviate from its original culinary focus...but its always about the Benny$$$...
Guy avoided answering the question (but that's what celebrities do in the face of criticism, right?). There were some problems with his restaurant and he needs to acknowledge them before defending himself. Simple as that.
Someone already summed up my response to Wells and food critics in general. I think they are relics as well, the internet is something I adher to. If a majority of people lambast a particular establishment then I have to wonder and more than likely avoid. But one critics opinion is not enough to change my mind. I read Well's piece in the NYT and to be honest, the tone, the direct attacks rather than substance of why's seemed to me he had a personal grudge against Guy, and should a personal one not exist than I would make the arguement he is plain old fashioned jealous. After all, isn't the old saying "those who can't, criticise"
Same. This is what Urbanspoon and Yelp are for. Honest cumulative reviews from many non-professional critics. You know, actual people that just go there to dine.
And the crudeness of comments on those sites may be why this professional felt the need to go so low. Not that the review wasn't funny, but it wasn't helpful, either. It was just a series of over-the-top slams and insults and little in the way of specific complaints or constructive criticisms that lend themselves to being improved upon.
Why do you reject the opinion of someone whose career is based on his experience with restaurants, dining and cuisine? And in particular, why would you prefer the judgment of just any random person who can type on the internet?
I think about as much of a food critic's review as I do a movie critic's review. I am my own best judge of what food I like and what movies I enjoy watching. What the heck do I care what some other joker thinks.
It's an individual judgement...everyone had different tastes. Give it a shot...if you like it, so be it. You now have a new restaurant to go to. If not, find a different place. It's America. The choice is yours, not the critics. Perhaps a competitor had the critic write the column.
what a wuss!
as Twain said: There's no excuse for lack of preparation.
your excuses are unacceptable.
I haven't read the review and I don't need to. This guys is a hack. I wonder if his new restaurant will make on his DDD show as a dive...He did a review on a Chicago Italian restaurant a few years back, Tufanos, and he ranted and raved, food there is horrible. But this is not about that restaurant but about a guy that is right up there withat lady thatt cooks southern food...Deen or Dean, whichever it was that Anthony Bourdain ate up the last culprit that allows people like this hack think he's a good cook is The Food Network...So disappointing.
The restaurant clearly failed to provide the critic with his coke and prostitute quota. No wonder he was upset, that's just expected
I pick my nose and eat it.
Atta boy.
Oh wow. Look. It's a celebrity chef. Oh look. It's a food critic. Rah.
Give them each a spoon and a fork and let them duke it out.
What? No interest? Exactly.
Do these critics has those vicious Labordoodle dogs ? They put booties and ear rings on them also, I hate that
I have a hoodie for my goldfish!
Guys burger joint in San Jose has gotten terrible reviews since it opened by everyone (just check yelp even the 3 and 4 star reviews complain about the food but give a high score as they like Guy). Guy says its all about the food, but it appears far more to be all about Guy. I'm not surprised, what would you expect from the host of "Diners, Drive-ins, and Diabetes".
These NY critics are just brown nosing the fancy restaurants where they are given perks. They can't stand the idea of that some of the foods that are served in some of these roadside diners are as tasty, if not more so, than the high priced meals served in NY. I'll say it again... brown-nosers.
You know not of what you speak, New York can be one of the least expensive places to eat. The competition between restaurants is strong. I see a place like this guys appealing to tourists. The kind of people who take a trip to New York, or Tokyo and seek out the local Applebees. You know, people from red states/morons.
Hear that, O millions of New Yorkers. Stan knows the reason all of you don't like the restaurant. Your secret is out.
Stan, have you thought about never serving on a jury if I am ever on trial? Thanks, bud
The Times restaurant reviewers visit restaurants anonymously as paying customers. They don't really need to suck up to anyone.
Although the Times full restaurant reviews tend to focus on high-profile (and so expensive) restaurants, the paper covers all kinds of restaurants, including cheap restaurants and restaurants that specialize in the sort of American food the Guy Whatever Times Sq place serves.
I don't know what the restaurant reviews over at Fox News said, but the TImes review said in essence that the Guy place served bad food and drinks at high prices. If folks decide to eat there anywhere so as to combat the "liberal media" or something, that's fine. Just don't say you weren't warned.
Me, I approach celebrity restaurants with extreme caution after a retch-ed experience at a joint named after a 60s sitcom character. This actor, now deceased, was even on the premises. Here's a hint: The character's favorite cuisine was blood.
Since when does one person's palate speak for everyone's palate? I hope he has some real skill at being a food critic. But then again, being a food critic is NOT like being a Somalier where being a Somalier is a real craft with honed skill. Food critics should have some real credentials and A LOT of experience to sound off as they do. And just attending the Cordon Bleu is NOT enough! For a start, a REAL food critic should immerse themselves for YEARS in many, many, many food cultures; exploring native cultural food species; traditional evolution of technique, preparation, etc. The way this person described his experience seemed to have VERY little to do with any real acumen for critiquing food. Rather is was a pretty good crack at crispy snarly snippets glazed with a false sense of intellect with a bitter finish sorely lacking grace and good taste. No one is asking him to like the food – just get a little class.
I went back and read reviews of Guy's restaurant that predated the NYTimes review, reviews written by average Joes. The majority said they wanted to like the place, but that it was really bad overall. I believe them. I live in NYC. I'll pass on this place.
I went to the new Guy Fieri location on campus at Montclair State University the other day and I was really impressed with the food. Not sure about what this, "food critic," is talking about.
I heard the critique of this restaurant. Sounds like he was set up. That was not a normal restaurant critque. Obviously this critic had it in for him from the start. It wasnt a natural critique. Smear campagne. He isnt one of my favs, but in all honesty that critque kinda made me feel sick to the stomach. Its on thing telling the truth, its an entirely another thing to trash someone publically the way he did. Maybe he had to pay for his meal.
Lol, "Maybe he had to pay for his meal."
The critic's employer pays for their meals, half-wit. The restaurant never provides a free one. They aren't even supposed to know who the critic is.
Also, you're not a special snowflake. We can all read the critique. It's linked in the first sentence of this article. It's negative and sarcastic, but he cites facts, and if I encountered those facts, my review would be negative and sarcastic too.
"The critic's employer pays for their meals, half-wit. The restaurant never provides a free one. They aren't even supposed to know who the critic is."
#1 I don't follow the food industry/didn't know that they don't the critic is coming in/don't cover the meal.
#2 "Half-wit,"? really?
Guy is certainly not discerning.
He loves ALL diners!
So his food must be truly random and generic-like.
All I can say is that I have been to many restaurants that we well known name brands and have found crappy food and to many not known restaurants that had awesome food. What I have learned is that you can not trust a name or a critic as they both do not apply to me!!!! I do not, and will not, pay for HYPE!!!!
The Republicans rail round the clock:
“How on earth was Mitt beat by Barack?”
They have theories galore,
But they need just one more:
It’s the policies, stupid! Take stock!
MASTER INFORMER seems not to think,
that responding off topic is a waste of ink.
But readers will believe
He must have something up his sleeve
or has had to too much to drink
And I'm not talking about the donkey kind.
25 million people out of work and I actually read this crap. Shame on me!
yea you fight for them jim you keep fighting buddy...
ughh
and drones
and obamacare
and poor people!
dooooooomed
I forgot to take my medication today!
So I run out in front of cars and wave my hands!
Most of them stop!
Some don't!
But I fooled them!
I left my pants at home!
This cracked me up! Thanks, I needed that this morning!
Thousands of comedians out of work and this clown food critic fancies himself as one...
I have been to Guy's restaurant in Santa Rosa and was quite pleased with both the food AND the service. Besides, I let my taste buds make the decision, not some candy-@$$ food critic that works for a rag like the NYT.
Do not trust Yelp!
Places can pay extra money to be able to filter out bad reviews, and Yelp also has people that write fake reviews. There is a terrible restaurant in my area that only has glowing reviews, many from other parts of the country! I can make a Yelp account and leave reviews good and bad for most other places, but if I leave a bad review for this one place my account is immediately locked and the review deleted! Every person I know that has ate there has had terrible food but all the reviews are great!
Telp is a scam!
I never trust yelp...never have.
I got locked out of Yelp when a business I reviewed negatively (for good reason) paid them to "clean up" their listing. yelp is nothing but a shakedown to get businesses to pay protection money. Trip Advisor is a good, if imperfect, source.
Fiona is 110% right!
YELP HAS BEEN A SCAM FOR YEARS NOW
ask any business
they will call you non stop asking you to pay a fee to filter reviews
not that normal people should be fully trusted in being a real critic but its sad to see
how yelp runs its shady empire
I see what you did there (x3)
Fiona is 110% right!
YELP HAS BEEN A SCAM FOR YEARS NOW
ask any business
they will call you non stop asking you to pay a fee to filter reviews
not that normal people should be fully trusted in being a real critic but its sad to see
how yelp runs its shady empire
Fiona is 110% right!
YELP HAS BEEN A SCAM FOR YEARS NOW
ask any business
they will call you non stop asking you to pay a fee to filter reviews
not that normal people should be fully trusted in being a real critic but its sad to see
how yelp runs its shady empire
Don't trust Tripadvisor either. I submitted a review for a B&B and it wasn't that bad and it disappeared. Ironically, all of the other bad reviews for the same B&B also disappeared. This was in the last year or so. It was a good source for a while but now I guess they make a better living by catering to the businesses.
Two possibilities: the B&B went out of business or reopened under another name, or you and other reviewers had your reviews flagged and they were pulled for noncompliance with the Terms of Service. I've written many reviews for Trip Advisor and had just one disappear. I inquired about that and found out that my review had triggered an automatic review ( I mentioned those little buggy critters that get into beds) and Trip Advisor had sent me an e-mail (they said) to confirm my identity. I never saw the e-mail (could have been filtered out as spam) , but I did get to repost my review without the trigger words. They do get sh ill reviews, like every other site. But overall they are reliable. They do not allow business owners to cherry pick reviews; instead, owners can post a response. The funny thing is...often the posted response to a review is so rude that the owner confirms the substance of the negative review!
super-fake internet troll hates Yelp because?
Google "Yelp fake reviews" and this guy looks like the kind of douche who would make up two accounts to back his lame point.
why? who knows?
1. I have gone to GUY F's recommendations and sometimes thy were very bad. One in Texas was really bad. The chop house burger was th worst.
2. I am not a professional food critic but I should be. I have passion of food and more importantly I can taste things better than most People.
So with that out if the way.... Food critics may be part of an Advertising machine propagated by the restaurants. They may not actually be serving the general public at all. I say I would be a great critic till I piss off the wrong restauranture. Then they would find a way to get me fired. I think it's an ugly buisness.
I personally believe the general public according to averages is not capable of picking Coke over Pepsi in a cola taste test. So you can't expect them to make a decision on who's Chillian Sea Bass is better. They just are not capable of doing it. Eating and tasting food are not the same thing. You can chew and swallow without using your brain.
I personally believe that some CNN posters have a high opinion of themselves, but unfortunately most of us peons are too dumb to dispute them. At least the posters like to think so........
P.S. Diet Coke tastes better then Diet Pepsi, and Chilean Sea Bass isn't that great tasting, no matter how prepared
Someone so cultured and important commenting on a hamburger place. Lmao...
> more importantly I can taste things better than most People.
That's why you should NOT be a food critic... a food critic should taste things like the average, normal, non-foodie, typical American tastes things, because most of your audience is the average, normal, non-foodie, typical American.
Why do you think most people roll their eyes at critics?
Gimme a break, Guy Fieri is an over hyped overproduced TGIF chef, and the review nailed it. The only thing it left out was what profit margin he was making on a bottle of "Donkey Sauce" or renamed fried chicken fingers. If you pay to travel to New York and then pay to eat at his glorified Cracker Barrel of a restaurant, you should also pay to enter into a program for mentally disadvantaged adults (and take Guy with you)
AMEN! HE WEARS HIS SUNGLASSES BACKWARDS AND DYES HIS HAIR
ALL WHILE FORGETTING OH WAIT HE'S AGING
JESUS 3:13
You are an idiot.
If I were to see a review like that I'd take it with a huge grain of salt. Everything he said was probably accurate, but blown way out of proportion. Still, it would make me leery of the restaurant. As others have mentioned, I tend to use something like Urbanspoon or Yelp to get "real person" reviews of places. I take those with a grain of salt too. The ones that pitch the biggest fits? I kind of filter those out, especially if most other reviews are good. Some people are just uber-picky. If most reviews are below average, I'll avoid the place.
Yeah Guy "owns" all these restaurants. But I'd bet good money he's never actually worked in a single one of the kitchens. I doubt he even visits the places very often, let alone checking in.
Professional critics are a waste of time and financial resources. In a bad economy, they're the first cuts media outlets should make.
For that matter, I'd recommend canceling their jobs even in a good economy. Do you know what make a wine good? YOU DO! If you like it, who cares what Robert Parker says. I like the occasional greasy cheeseburger, but I certainly don't need a person paid to be a snob to point out the flaws of In-n-out!
the prices are ridiculously high for the items on the menu. the critic was especially snide and rude but that doesn't mean he wasn't right. he could have shown more tact but at the prices that place charges for a peanut butter and jelly it better be one damned good peanut butter and jelly. if the onion rings are a greasy mess it's plain for anyone to see. Check out the places reviews on Yelp before the article. Alot of them say the same things.
he last time I went to a restaurant that was highlighted by a food critic in NY, I end up with the runs. AFter speaking with one of the locals the following morning and telling them of my ordeal, they told me next time ask the locals where the best places are to eat. Since then I have never had a problem.
This food critic, (whoever he is) got his two seconds of fame calling out a chef who has his own show highlighting small family owned restaurants that make good food. I have been to one he visited in Austin, Texas several months ago in on of his shows. The food was excellent and I knew it was good because I saw a line outside waiting for seating just to eat there. And yes, I didn't have the runs after I ate there. My advice, ask the locals, then make up your own mind. Remember we live in America where we do still have a choice.
Well there is a local place covered on Guys show that is not very good, it turns out the owner took one of Guy's seminars. So even that show is a bit fake, but he didn't hype the place very much on the show so it was mostly fair.
But YELP is fake and a scam!
The trouble with food poising is that it often takes days for it to show up (many times people blame the wrong place) and when undiagnosed it's largely indistinguishable from the flu.
Leave the Guy alone. His shows are entertaining compared to all the other crap that's on. Critics are self serving and really don't the difference between good comfort food and a frozen tv dinner. The only way to find out how good the food is GO TRY IT! Be your own critic.
Order is up!
Critics have been wrong so many times it's unbelievable. When critics get into personal references on a restaurant review, you know something isn't right. When a critic hates everything on the menu, you know something isn't right. When a critic is from the NYT's, you know something isn't right.
Guy Fieri is no more a common working guy that likes our foods than is France's Prince Fancybluepants. If he was normal he would have none of the mess he served on his menu. He is just a fancy guy pretending to be like us common folk. Fieri doesn't fool me.
Yea, probably many people don't fool you. Not.
Just Chiming In
Jeepers, I just read the NY Times review! Pete Wells should lose his job for that vicious, snarky, snide, unprofessional hate piece. No matter how bad the food was, there is no excuse for this sentence appearing in the "paper of record": "And when we hear the words Donkey Sauce, which part of the donkey are we supposed to think of?". Or this bit: "Is the entire restaurant a very expensive piece of conceptual art? Is the shapeless, structureless baked alaska that droops and slumps and collapses while you eat it, or don’t eat it, supposed to be a representation in sugar and eggs of the experience of going insane?". That's Internet blog material, not suitable for a serious newspaper. The Times should be embarrassed.
I just need a couple of large sized cucumbers, ribbed condoms and a bottle of olive oil and I am all good. Bon Appetit!!
Why use condoms? Afraid of having baby gerkins?
Bingo! The post of the day!!!! Too funny.
Uddaman/gal
Thats not a bad thing Fiona.. it's simply the truth !
go eat there yourself
lets stop supporting these TV dweebs
they dont act like you or me
so lets just call it and kill the fakes now
mmmm I just don't care for him. he seems like a fancy pants trying to be an average person liking our foods. I bet he enjoys pheasant under glass and brioche and caviar.
Dunno about Fieri's true food choices, but his taste in automobiles is not in keeping with the tv act. His $200k Lamborghini was stolen a year ago and recovered this year.
What a pathetic wanna be you are. deal with it, some people are just successes, you ain't one of them. Fieri is.
Hey, Guy, it's not cool to post under an alias on your own story.
Have you ever seen his biography? He was very "normal" with his own pretzel business as a kid, and worked his way up through the restaurant biz. I have worked in fine dining kitchens and they are full of psychotics, alcoholics, drug users, and a few good hard working people. I would put him in the last category. Sure stardom has an affect on everyone, but you never truly leave your roots. He may be a little fake sometimes, but not snobby.
> He may be a little fake sometimes, but not snobby.
Plenty of people that have told of their experiences in dealing with him during filming of DDD would disagree.
I read the NY Times review when it came out, and honestly, it sounds like Guy Fieri is trying to cover his backside. Of course he's going to say that the reviewer came in with his mind already made up. What else is he going to say? I personally, sincerely, did not get that impression whatsoever. In fact, the opposite – it sounded like Mr. Wells ordered many things on the menu that he was anxious to taste – some of which he did not get to eat because they never even showed up at his table due to poor service. And I did not get the impression that Mr. Wells disliked the style or choices of food – he merely complained that it was not adequate. And since Guy Fieri has several restaurants that garner bad reviews...clearly this is not all that shocking.
Pipe Down Kayla...some angry Obama voters are pissed cause Fieri "didn't build that." He'd be nothing without people who watch his TV show or eat in his restaurants.
Get over the Obama thing dude. You, along with Mutt Romney lost the election. Deal with it on a political thread. This is about Guy's food joint. Get over it. The Obama thread is 2 doors down and to your LEFT.
Yeah Scott, your party LOST..L.O.S.T...sounds as if your the angry one. What does Obama voters have to be angry about, now that we beat your team....GET OVER IT because you little vote didn't matter a damn worth, ha ha ha ha Obama/Biden
baby...WHAT!
The reviewer went there 4 times and 4 times is sucked. It's a tourist trap for meatballs from out of state. Who would eat that crap? There is good, bad and mediocre bar food all over NYC. A flashy version of Mama Leone's which was probably the phoniest, crappiest Italian restaurant on the face of the earth. And Fieri is a phony dick but then so is pretty much everyone on the Food Channel these days.
The NYT's is a dying paper. Such is the age of the internet.
Newsweek Magazine went down, so will the NYT's. I will not lose any sleep over it as they are the most arrogant of all papers.
Articles like this one by this wimpy little man, Wells, is a classic example of their conceited egotism. Real people live in this world of the internet. it reaches the masses. he is up against America with his arrogance. We don't like it. We do like Fieri.
this is what happens when the 1% comes down from their sissy ivory tower to dine with the 99% commoners. go back to your caviar and smoking jacket a leave the rest of us alone. Its no wonder the NYT is a dying business...
Yep....he was upset he had so many $100 bills to light and not enough cigarettes.
Occupy Eatocracy.
Or, maybe Guy Fieri will offer you a job at his newer restaurants ( but then you wouldn't have time to Occupy Eatocracy ). Tough choice.....
first off, why would people give so much weight on what a review of other people is?, go taste it for yourself and then you and only you will know if YOU like the taste and setting. i have witnessed critics give a bad review to food that was given to them only 2 days earlier with the same ingredients, way and time of cooking, yet the last time they tasted it it was a great review, so really when a critic gives a review it is really up to his/her taste buds, if the person isn't in the mood for that particular food the taste buds will not have the same response that it has when you are craving it. one day you like it the next you don't, and its exactly the same food, taste and all. so in reality, let the patron decide what and where they want to eat and if they like it.. now if the place was dirty and all other kinds of safety hazards then you have something to look at on whether you want to take the chance to eat there. as far as food, try it don't go on someone else's "opinion" about it, only you know if its good or not.
If his show DDD recommends it, stay away.
That is not true, although they tend to get very busy if he makes them look good. You can't tell things like how the service will be from his show.
But if you see a hands on chef making everything from scratch with quality ingredients and proper cooking methods then the food is likely very good overall.
My roomate and I felt vindicated when Sacramento was only second worst ( only to Detroit ) of biggest American cities with the worse restaurants. We were vindicated because we always complain there are no new places to try. So far, we have tried three restuarants featured and made to look good on "Triple D," and we were not impressed. And trust me, we are the farthest thing from elitist. We like trying all types of restaurants, even the "fancy ones," but if a restaurant can actually make a basic omelette or cheeseburger to taste great, we will return. So, like the OP said, don't like DDD.
Also, Sactown food sucks
*worst
The "office of NY Times Restaurant Critic" confers too much power on the holder, and some of the Times reviewers have abused that power terribly. Ruth Reichel wrote about it ...see her books (I think it was in Tender at The Bone that she covered it). I see what Guy Fieri likes and features on his Diners and Dives show, so I know I would be predisposed to hating his restaurant. I wouldn't go there to begin with, no matter what a reviewer said. I do read reviews before trying a restaurant, but I average out several reviews and look for certain red flags like poor or rude service, lack of sanitation, or any drastically negative detail about the food that appears in more than one write-up.
Sounds like the food critic went out of his way to be downright mean. That usually indicates that they had little respect for Guy to begin with and thus the review was tainted from the start. I'm much more trusting of Yelp's reviews than any so-called "professional".
Why would anyone even think of eating is a restaurant where so many things are dismal beyond comprehension or fixing? A dumb tourist or local who has no notion about what is sensible and good food; and there are so many of those on Time Square that Guy Fieri will probably not lose money on the venture. There is nothing that can be done about this and local chefs will have to live with this.
What can be changed, hovwever, is how medias of all kind will give space to this guy in their pages. I suspect that chefs will become less and less tolerant about being featured alongside any articles about Guy Fieri.
You're kind of missing the point. Many people are simply not convinced that the food is, or was, that bad. The motives of the reviewer are in question. Ask yourself why a high profile person like Fieri would actually allow bad food at his brand new and *highly publicized* restaurant, knowing that in this information age, word would spread quickly It doesn't make sense. It's more likely that either the critic was grossly exaggerating, or, there was in fact one VERY off night with a bad chef prepping food (which happens at every restaurant now and then).
What people are trying to say here is that just because a food snob critic from the NYT says it's bad, doesn't actually mean that it's bad. Don't assume that what he wrote was 100% accurate.
Fair points... but others have brought up that independent reviews dated before the NYT review had similar (negative) things to say. Whether or not those reviews negatively predisposed the NYT reviewer, is another question.
Your second point probably isn't correct. Restaurant reviews aren't based on a single visit. More likely, the reviewer visited at least twice, or even three or more times, in order to eliminate the possibility of a "bad night".
Whether or not the tone of the review was a little adversarial is another matter. To me, it simply spoke of frustration towards the public persona of a food celebrity and the disconnect between that persona and reality.
Read the review. He went four times. That's a lot of garbage to eat.
this is not news
its just a cloak for yet another advertisement for someones item, namely his restaurant
stop running advertisements in the form of a news articke
There is no 'k' in the word 'article'. Be smart, Americans!
"Be smart Americans"
Not all "Americans" misspell words, when are supposedly better people such as yourself going to comprehend that? (oh wait, your too smart to realize this)....f****** imbecile....
GoodSpot for is a iPhone good app for the 14.86% to find a different place to go
Guy says: "I take comments from patrons, fans and visitors very seriously, and if there is ever a problem with our service, I’ll fix it."
Here is the problem: Guy Fieri owns 4 restaurants in the SF Bay Area. On Yelp, they all have mostly dismal reviews (mostly about the food)–none of them average more than 3 stars (out of 5), which is pretty bad. As a DDD fan who lives in the Bay Area, I have thought about trying them out for years, but the reviews keep me away. If Guy was so concerned about fixing the problem, then why do all of his restaurants keep generating bad reviews?
I might consider the fact that Mr. Fieri is a celebrity and an easy target. The restaurants might live up to those poor ratings but a patron who might hedge on their review of a mom & pop knowing it makes their entirely livelihood might feel less restrained piling on Guy.
Mary, if you're truly a fan, why don't you actually TRY one of them for yourself and see? Small investment to make in order to discover how you actually feel about it. I'd take that bet in a heartbeat so I would know for sure.
I have a local mexican place nearby me that is getting mixed reviews, yet has been featured on a Food Network show. I'm going there to see for myself before the year is out. Not much money out of my pocket, and if it's good, then I will have a new place to go to in the future. And if not, my curiosity will have been satisfied.
As someone who eats mainly fast food when going out I would gladly eat at one of his restaurants. I'm not picky.
Yelp reviews are hit and miss. People will say something is great and i'll hate it or else people will hate it and I love it. You put too much stock into what people say. It's just a meal. Try it out and stop overthinking it.
This article made me gassy.
I hate, loathe, despise, detest, and generally am not happy with restauranteurs who write their menus as though they were Shakespeare or Henry James (not Hemingway; he was succinct), hyperactively overblowing what is, essentially, a cheeseburger or a salmon steak. I also hate.....etc...... food creations that appeal to sophomoric palates in an attempt to be au courant, juxtaposing improbable ingredients in order to appear chic and...different. When I pay good money for prepared food, then that prepared food had damned well better be GOOD. I want a comfortable atmosphere (relaxed or upscale, depending on my mood), excellent service (whatever my ambience preference), and I surely want tasty victuals. I take ALL restaurant reviewers' reviews with a healthy grain of salt; mostly, they're more interested in telling the reader just how smart/sophisticated/discerning/better-then-you they are. And, they're reviews rarely coincide with my tastes, anyway. Thank God for the internet. I can go online and read menus: if the food descriptions are pompous and loaded with new-world bullshit, I won't risk my money. I also read the "real-people" reviews. I immediately discount the ungrammatical (if they can't use their native language, how smart are they, anyway?) and the ones whose complaint is that a) valet parking wasn't fast enough (how does that relate to the food?), b) the maitre d' didn't smile broadly enough or kiss their asses fast enough (how does that relate to the food?), c) the waiter/ress didn't bring the ice water quickly enough (how does that relate to the food?), or 4) the Chateautootsiepape was over the hill. Those fools are doing what the pro reviewers do: "Look how smart/sophisticated/discerning/better-then-you I am." Or, they're just plain stupid. If I'm interested in trying a new eatery, I will. But, I'll make up my OWN mind to do so and not rely on someone else's dubious qualifications. If I judged well, great; if I upgefuchted, so be it. I'll either eat there again - thereby rewarding the proprietor with more gold - or I won't - helping him starve and die. It's the American way.
What a load of rubbish ! Trying for a blowhard critic`s job ?????????
Ungrammatical? Hmmm... maybe you could learn the difference between 'then' and 'than'. "smart/sophisticated/discerning/better-then-you" is wrong, therefore you have no credibility according to your own standards.
"I immediately discount the ungrammatical (if they can't use their native language, how smart are they, anyway?)"
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Physician heal thyself (omg what a self-absorbed blow-hard)!
Oh pllleeaaassseee....your kidding aren't you? What a load of crap. Some overblown, self absorbed idiot isn't going to influence my to to a restaurant by what they say. Hey, if it tastes good I'll be back, if it sucks...see ya! This post was the best laugh I've had all week!
First
Fail.
Did you mean first to find a seat on the short bus?
I am still trying to figure out would want to read the NYT anyway.
Folks that want to know the outcome of all 50 states' presidential elections weeks in advance. Go Nate Silver!!! :D
Folks that want to be well-informed by a newspaper that avoids most of the garbage the wire services deliver by having their own reporters around the world. Folks that understand that it is good to have your own opinions, but you aren't allowed to have your own truth.