Results tagged “alanrichman”

When we were 12 years old all we cared about was our noble quest to rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon; little David Fishman is already writing restaurant reviews for GQ. What is wrong kids these days? You may recall the bile that creeped up your throat when you first read about Richman's absolutely adorable habit of critiquing restaurants in his li'l diary. When your parents are well-connected Upper West Siders, it's the sort of thing that gets you a NY Times profile, a CBS Early Show segment (video), then a movie deal, then a beat down by frustrated bloggers still living with roommates in their 30s. Well, now Fishman's gotten published in GQ, in the column space where dining critic Alan Richman usually opines. Richman was inspired to take Fishman to four star seafood restaurant Le Bernardin after chef Eric Ripert talked a bit of trash about the precocious gourmand, saying, "Let's not glorify kids who are going to break our balls. This is not fair. Hopefully, when he's 18 and writing officially, I'll be retired." But despite being disappointed by the octopus, Fishman's guest-review is highly favorable, though he "realized with a pang how much it hurt to be mesmerized by a chef who hates me." Get used to it, kid.

GQ's Alan Richman gives props to his five favorite burgers in the city. As expected, the list contains several of the usual suspects -- Shake Shack ("Not a great burger, but a very good one."); the Burger Joint ("No matter how you take it, your burger will be perfect, a manifestation of caring and know-how."); and Peter Luger ("There’s only one correct way to eat meat this wonderful, and that’s unadorned.") -- but others were deliberately snubbed.

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This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Mesa Grill (pictured), knocking the restaurant down from the two stars given it by William Grimes in 2000. Says that while the Bobby Flay restaurant “has considerable charms… on balance [it] presents only flickers of the excitement it did [when it opened] in 1991… It’s an overly familiar, somewhat tired production. More to the point, it’s an inconsistent one.”

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Shorty’s.32 and Smith’s, awards each restaurant one star. Says that at both, “Skill, standards and a few well-chosen grace notes lift what might otherwise be favored neighborhood charmers into a slightly loftier league.” Loves the chicken and all side dishes at Shorty’s, though says the chef is “overly fond of wet fish and wet food.” Um, yuck. At Smith’s, says the lamb and lobster are the way to go.

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Allen & Delancey. Loves the atmosphere; says “the food at Allen & Delancey is at once sophisticated and accessible, reliant on fail-safe luxuries deployed in a modestly creative and occasionally playful manner.” Says that in some ways it’s similar to what he did uptown (at Gordon Ramsay at the London) but it works much better in this context. In $25 and Under, "> Peter Meehan goes to Food...

This week in the Times, Bruni three stars Fiamma and rates it a top pick. Says that the restaurant is not, by any means, classically Italian, but “when a restaurant turns out this many dishes that make you stop mid-chew, nudge a companion and nod your head vigorously—because you’re excited; because you need to start working off the calories any way you can—it needn’t worry about fitting into a tidy box.” Also in the Times,...

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel, gives it no stars. “There’s a crushing sense of letdown” in the restaurant, he says, and “the slickness of the red and black setting and the poise of the best servers are undercut by dishes that too often look three times as good as they taste.” He likes the desserts, though.

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Peter Luger, gives the restaurant two stars—a drop from the three awarded it by Ruth Reichl previously. Says “no other restaurant serves a porterhouse so breakthtaking.” But he also says that the restaurant is inconsistent, service ranges from gruff to hostile, and the winelist needs an upgrade.

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Soto, calls the restaurant “an unipalooza like none I’ve encountered.” Don’t stick to the sushi and sashimi; if you do, you’re “missing not only the best of this restaurant but also the point of it.” The service? “Sluggish and absent-minded.”

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars “freestyle” Latin restaurant Rayuela on the LES. Says, “it’s a beautiful, fascinating, frustrating place, its cosmetic showiness echoed by dishes that are also all over the map, in terms of their appeal as well as their geographic and ethnic tethers.” He loves the tuna relleno, the arraz con pollo, and the lobster ceviche, and also the cocktails and the house-made bread.

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Suba, awards the restaurant two stars. “While it has definite shortcomings and at least a third of the dishes don’t measure up to the others, the best of the food here is distinctive and exciting. In a few instances it’s even dazzling,” he says.

This week in the Times, Bruni Bruni visits Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle’s Perilla. Finds it “earnest, endearing, and just a bit of a snooze,” and awards the restaurant one star. Sees more of Deiterle and partner Alicia Noscenzo’s past at The Harrison in the restaurant (friendly service, cozy atmosphere, reasonable prices) than in his past on Top Chef. But he finds some “primness” at Perilla, along with “scattered errors of judgement.” Doesn’t much like the desserts, either.

This week in the Times, Bruni doubles up on sushi restaurants, reviewing 15 East and Ushiwakamaru. 15 East gets two stars; Ushiwakamaru, one. 15 East “manages to stand out in a crowded marketplaces of Japanese restaurants that focus on uncooked seafood,” he says, partly with the cooked dishes, partly with the sushi and sashimi itself, partly with the “gracious service,” and partly with the outstanding wine and sake list. Whereas at Ushiwakamaru, “for every two pieces of flawless sushi or sashimi there will be one that doesn’t measure up.”

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Insieme, awards the restaurant two stars. Says, “When Isieme is good, it’s outstanding, and any serious food lover should head here fast…” He hates the atmosphere, though, and the salmon. Insieme is the second restaurant in midtown this year where he’s been “frustrated by the way some dazzling cooking is undercut not only by unevenness across the menu or inconsistency in the kitchen but also by atmospherics that don’t pull their weight and live up to the rest of the production.”

">Bruni two-stars Belgian Resto. Loves the beers, the fries and mussels, and the hint of Asian seasonings in some dishes: "Resto's version of Belgium is neither clichéd nor isolationist," he says. It’s not great for your arteries, either, he points out, but sometimes it's worth the health risk.

">Bruni revisits Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, upgrades the restaurant from one star to two. He says, "The improvement in the steaks has made it easier to appreciate the restaurant's other virtues… the unassailable quality of its raw bar selections; its gigantic, crunchy onion rings, some of the best in the city; its fried bone marrow appetizer, a decadence-squared dream." He still thinks the menu is overcrowded, though, and doesn't like the way they age the steaks. Bruni also visits Craftbar, about which he's less enthusiastic. He awards the restaurant one star, finding the atmosphere "grim" and that "much of the food lacked personality."

This week Bruni visits Keith McNally's Morandi, which has been getting creamed by critics of late. He awards the restaurant one star, says "the food has been getting a worse rap than it deserves," but also that it's erratic. He doesn't love the desserts, but doesn't hate them; same goes for the wine list. Overall, McNally has "miscalculated with this restaurant," says Bruni, "which doesn't have enough atmospheric magic to distract you from the insane decibel level, absence of elbow room and uncomfortable chairs."

Bruni one-stars E.U., finds the restaurant with the tortured history "eclectic not only in terms of its national influences but also in the quality of different dishes." He loves some of the food, as well as the design and the wine list, but dislikes the desserts. Says "you're taking a chance every time you walk in."

Bruni visits Nish (the former March) on the Upper East Side, awards the restaurant two stars. The restaurant is "March minus some of the manners and mannerisms," says Bruni, more casual and more accessible. While he likes most of the food, as well as the affordable wine, he finds that it "isn't so dazzling as to guarantee the kind of success that’s eluded [chef Wayne Nish] over the last few years."

Bruni goes to the Penthouse Strip Executive Club to try the steaks at its restaurant, Robert's Steakhouse. He receives offers from the staff to get naked for him, but--more to the point--also finds "some of the very best steaks in New York City," and gives the restaurant one star.

Bruni doubles up this week, visiting both Pera in midtown and Dennis Foy in Tribeca. Each restaurant receives one star and the summation that they're worth stopping by if you're in the neighborhood. At Pera, the grilled meats stand out, though Bruni warns, "Stray far from 'tradition' and you risk disappointment, or at least boredom." He likes Dennis Foy's "French-inflected" food, particularly the gnocchi and the crab tian. Calls the restaurant "a worthy but low-wattage addition to the New York dining scene."

Bruni goes to Brooklyn this week and one-stars Porchetta. He says the Italian restaurant is "chasing an edginess that other Italian restaurants in its area don't have in their sights." Also that chef Jason Neroni has "got the goods."

- As part of your National Hamburger Month celebration, make sure you eat these 20. The boys at A Hamburger Today revisit Alan Richman's GQ article from last summer. At least three are in New York -- you may have to travel a bit more for the others.

Bon Appetit's 11th Annual Restaurant Issue showcases several of Gothamist's favorite New York restaurants: Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, Casa Mono, 'inoteca, Pampano, Per Se, The Flatiron Lounge, and Chikalicious.