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NYT Reviews Guy Fieri
http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=2675
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Author:  TheFuzzy [ Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:  NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

This is one of the best restaurant reviews ever written. And it uses no periods:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dinin ... quare.html

Best quote from the comments:

"Guy Fieri is a pox on professional chefs. I think the Donkey Sauce may be seasoned with the tears of Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain."

Author:  Amy [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

Josh,

You're incorrect. There's actually one period. ;)

This review has been highlighted by various news outlets. Kind of reminds me of Frank Rich's review of Moose Murders back in the 80s. A classic.

Amy

Author:  jim262 [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

Being skewered by the pretentious foodie critic from the NY Times who would rather be dining at Le Bernardin and has a problem with pop culture is the best advertising Guy Fieri could ask for and will deliver to the restaurant a demographic that was never expected just to see if the food could be as bad as advertised and it could be so good for business to make Pete Wells wish he had a piece of the action and he may need it 'cause the unintended consequence of his brilliantly scathing review is make him and not the restaurant the story and perhaps damaging his own credibility more than he will ever succeed at damaging the credibility of Guy Fieri.

Author:  gardnercook [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

Jim....you are so right. The Today Show featured Fieri and his restaurant this morning and even gave him a cooking spot. I didn't watch the interview because I cannot stand Fieri. I never watch any of his shows and when the Food Network annointed him as the Next Food Network Star, I lost all respect for the network (what little was left). They keep giving him more shows and more responsibility, so I guess he has an audience. In any case, he represents a fluke to me.....someone without much skill in the kitchen, who has been elevated because of his "entertainment value". While I think the NYTimes review is masterful, I am not sure (like Jim) that it will harm the Fieri brand.

Author:  wino [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

So, would the opposite be true? If he gave it a good review, or better yet, to be fair, a RAVING review, do you believe it would not bring in more customers?

BTW - Yelpers give it 2.5 out of 5 and 66 reviews, Urbanspooners 33% out of 33 reviews while TripAdvisor 3.5 out of 5. 2 other NY newspapers trashed it.

Author:  jeanf [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

Jim - I saw what you did there. well played.

Author:  wino [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

You might also enjoy this follow-up interview http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/195580/the-story-behind-pete-wells-review-of-guy-fieris-restaurant/

The NYTimes gives the following bio:
Quote:
Pete Wells was named restaurant critic for The New York Times in November 2011. Mr. Wells joined the Times as dining editor in October 2006. From 2009 until January 2011, he wrote a column for The New York Times Magazine called “Cooking with Dexter,” about the kitchen life of a working father.
Prior to joining The Times, he was articles editor at Details for five years. He also wrote a column, “Always Hungry,” for Food & Wine, where he worked as an editor from 1999 until 2001.
Mr. Wells has received five James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards for his writing about eating and drinking. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, the novelist Susan Choi, and their two children.

Author:  Kathy's Pete [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

gardnercook wrote:
he represents a fluke to me.....someone without much skill in the kitchen, who has been elevated because of his "entertainment value".
Oh. Like Emeril, then.

Author:  auntcy1 [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

I loved the review, am a fan of Pete Wells, and thought it was one of his most honest. BUT I don't agree that this style of restaurant should be reviewed by a NYT critic. Yes, Fieri is a Food Network "Star" but when was the last time there was a NYT review of Applebees or Olive Garden (and I haven't done my research so please don't jump all over me...)? The clientele that this restaurant is going to (and likely aiming to) attract in Times Square most likely frequents other Times Square restaurants like Bubba Gumps, Dallas BBQ, Lindys, Olive Garden, Carmines, Virgils etc. Perhaps even Ruby Foos which would be considered upscale. IMO this is a DDD branded idea. I doubt it will have any longevity, but the free publicity is certainly going to draw in a few folks, at least for one meal. I can promise you I won't be amongst those. However, if I ever mention that I've been to this place, please, please, call 911 immediately. That will mean something has gone terribly wrong in my brain :)
Nance

Author:  TheFuzzy [ Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: NYT Reviews Guy Fieri

Jim, All:

The point of Wells' review is not to reform Guy Fieri or the hordes of tourists who will no doubt patronize his establishment regardless. The point was to be entertaining; after all, if Fieri, a terrible cook and a bad restaurantier, can be a star through entertaining flamboyance, why can't Pete Wells be a star too? Why not write a review which is as popularly entertaining as the Food Network, and a bit more erudite?

And you have to admit, it's very entertaining.

My favorite movie review of all time was David Niven (the critic) review of Dungeons And Dragons The Movie (sadly, no longer online). Nobody expected this movie to be good, but it was astonishingly bad even so, and Niven's review demonstrated humor and artistry that the movie lacked. It was hilarious. Reviews of good movies in general are not so entertaining.

The person who's being an idiot about this is Fieri himself. Why should he care? As Jim points out, being trashed by the NYT is hardly likely to hurt his sales. Maybe he's self-absorbed enough to think he's a real chef?

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