Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Extra, Extra
Early Addition
Jeffrey Chodorow has it out for Frank Bruni, and we mean big time. In a full page ad in yesterday's New York Times dining section (at a reported cost of over $83,000), Chodorow a essentially called Bruni a hack with no real food or reviewing experience (see Bruni's bio here), and accused Bruni of personally attacking him rather than focusing on the food at his latest restaurant, Kobe Club.
In a rather deliberate move, he also used the letter to announce the launch of his new blog, which will contain a section entitled "Following Frank and After Adam," where Chodorow will review the reviewers. New York Mag got some further details from Chodorow. When asked why he took out the ad, Chodorow replied, "Restaurateurs have no outlets. Where do we publish our commentaries? I can write a letter to the editor, but they probably won’t run it. So this was the only way to get my point across."
The comments on Chodorow's blog are something to behold, from "Are you for real? Shame on you for wasting so much money to indulge your bruised ego." to "You want vindication? Have Ruth Reichl review Kobe Club. Just be careful what you wish for." And the "Finally! A blog where I can read unbiased reviews of your own restaurants!" and "BRAVO! It's about time Bruni was exposed for what he is: A charlatan. I grew up in Italy and own a successful restaurant in Brooklyn NY which luckily opened before Bruni..." ain't bad either.
The Post gets Bruni's reaction to the letter: "Bruni told Page Six he understood Chodorow's frustration, but insisted, 'I'm just giving my honest opinions. I am not out to get him ... I've never met him.' Of all the irate restaurateurs who've gone after him, Bruni added, 'This is one of the more interesting reactions I've seen.'"
As Bruni alludes, this is certainly not the first time we've seen words fly between reviewers and restaurateurs. Sirio Maccioni, angry that former Times critic Grimes had some harsh things to say about his son's restaurant, Osteria del Circo, not only attacked Grimes, but insulted his wife. "When a reviewer has an ugly wife, he can never be very good." Has anyone met Mrs. Bruni? And we can't wait for Chodorow to band together with other restaurant owners, either forming a support group or a vigilante street gang.
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It's amazing how Choderow can get so mad at a reviewer but the fact that his restaurants suck doesn't seem to bother him at all.
Mrs. Bruni? Uh, dude, Frank Bruni is openly gay.
Chodorow is simply a bully with money. Does anyone like this guy?
O.K., I have nothing FOR Jeffrey Chowderow, but plenty of people regularly question Bruni's accuracy. He IS all over the place, and I tend to disagree w/most of his reviews.
He often pans truly GREAT places. And once he reviewed a LES restaurant and focused nearly the entire review on the fact that the owners played the evening's music through an iPod. Like it was really strange/innovative. I mean, what is he thinking? This wasn't BEFORE people brought their iPods out to play @ restaurants and bar scenes. Had he not heard of iPods? Sometimes writers @ the Times seem truly fossilized.
putting the money/ego issues aside, somehow mr chodorow manages to make some sense. he is right in standing up for his employees (whether he is the kitchen's staff first choice for martyr, that is another question), who are utimately the ones who put food in your and mr bruni's plates. these people are usually underpaid, work long hours, do not have the right to get injured or sick, among other perks. and while they might be too busy trying to make ends meet to catch up with the latest bruni blurb, but they must feel good when their work is critically praised or recognized. most likely they don't hear it from their chef de cuisine. good for you mr chodorow.
join at: cafepress.com/following_frank
um, actually Frank Bruni is married to a former NY Times reporter, Alex Witchel. He might still be gay, but if so, I doubt he's out.
birpbirip is confusing Frank Bruni and Frank Rich (Rich is married to AW).