Loading ...The Emperor’s New Restaurant
Posted by Kirsten Henri on January 23rd, 2008
Over the past two weeks, we’ve mulled over unfortunate restaurant names and discussed our inability to stop patronizing places with bad service and delicious food.
This week we’ve been pondering the phenomenon of The Emperor’s New Restaurant and we want to hear what you have to say about it. Not sure what it is? The definition after the jump.
The Emperor’s New Restaurant: You know, the new place that everyone tells you is fabulous. Then you go and it stinks.
First you blame yourself: It must be me! I got them on a bad night! They’re new and overwhelmed!
You share your bad experience with others and they tell you to give it another shot. So you go again. Spend more money. It still stinks. This time worse than before.
And yet the applause for this spot has reached a thundering crescendo. You start to wonder if everyone you know is a masochist who has had his tastebuds removed. Then, The Review comes out. It is lavish with its praise, schoolgirlish even, in its adoration, and you start to wonder if LaBan is starting to go soft. But he’s not alone: the kudos comes in loving waves as critic after critic falls under its spell.
Again, you think, it must be me. Can all of these people, these professionals be wrong?
Yes. Some restaurants cast a weird and magical spell and the public, the professionals, everyone you know falls under it. And you’re left scratching your head while you gnaw on overpriced rubbery chicken.
I learned this the hard way at one of the many BYOBs in the city that starts with M, which I consider to be the original Emperor’s New Restaurant. I have been there six times and it’s been mediocre at its very best, but I can’t tell you how many people sing its praises to me on a regular basis. And yes, I’m an idiot for going six times.
So, Fooboozers, what about you? Which restaurants have no clothes?
Related Tags: Audience-Participation, Blind-Item
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
When Django first opened I went at least three times and was underwelmed each time. It wasn’t till I decided to order things that I would never typically order than I even enjoyed my meal a little. But still, the best part to me was always the flower pot bread.
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:04 am
I’ll second the nomination for the BYOB “M”. I’ve only had average experiences there, neither terrible nor amazing. I never understood all the hype.
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
Maybe we had the same M named restaurant. Modo Mio was such a terrible experience the one time we went, we’re never going back. we had to wait 30 minutes after our reservation to get seated and got barely an apology (and our table was uneven and I was basically touching the woman behind me). The bread was burnt. My girlfriend got sick from her main dish, the server–instead of apologizing for serving us the wrong pasta (we ordered the special, she gave the regular menu), tried to talk us into the pasta she served us. Each course took abnormally long to come out, and when it did every single dish was unbelievably oversalted and otherwise uninteresting.
And I have loved Rembrandt’s for years, so I was heartbroken. Hopefully we’re the odd ones out, but it was truly a terrible dining experience.
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:54 am
hmmm…i’m thinking of an “M” byob but that possibly cannot be the one you are talking about…any hints?
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Of the four BYOs I can think of that start with M, those being Marigold, Matyson, Melograno, and Mercato, only Melograno was a place I could see as ‘mediocre’. I suspect you’re talking about Matyson or Marigold. I really like both places, but they’re not as super-fantastical as everyone says. Part of the problem is that when these places come along and are praised to the high heavens, it sets your expectations too high. If you had never heard of Matyson or Marigold and just walked in off the street, would you still be disappointed or would you be pleasantly surprised?
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
but isn’t there a new chef at marigold kitchen? i haven’t heard much about how the food is/changed since, so i’m suspecting it’s not mk. i guess it’s possible that it might be matyson, but 6 times and it’s been “mediocre” at best? ouch.
August 21st, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I don’t trust reviewers very much. I have had great meals in poorly reviewed restaurants and average meals in four bell restaurants. I prefer to make up my own mind, not trust a reviewer. I am more apt to use the old “Is the bathroom clean” trick and look at details in the dining room. It’s usually a good indication of how proud they are of their establishment. I stopped taking Craig LaBan seriously after his review of TRUST some years ago. After reading his review I said to myself, “There’s no way this restaurant is this bad.” I had to go and see for myself.
And you know what? I was right. Yeah, Trust wasn’t great, but it did not deserve the skewering it got. I went to the new behemoth on Rittenhouse square and my food was ok but the bar scene was as good as or better than anything I’ve seen in New York. Maybe that could be a new angle for reviewers?