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I have been a restaurateur for 20 years and a "foodie" my entire life (my experience with restaurants began as a child, when my mother, single and unable to afford a babysitter, had no choice but to drag me along on dates). Besides just being a "foodie", I have always been fascinated by the mechanics of restaurants. How do they, night after night, turn out so many meals consistently and on time (for the most part) with so many "cooks" in the kitchen. To this day, even after having opened so many restaurants, I am still amazed by the entire process.
This blog was born partly out of my love for food and for great restaurants (from neighborhood joints to the world's finest) and partly in response to an increasingly negative, downright nasty climate that has surfaced in the world of restaurant journalism. My intent is to provide a different perspective-from a restaurateur's point of view-as well as to share some of the great food experiences I have been exposed to because of my success in the business. I've also made it my mission with this blog to comment on reviews that I feel are not-fair, not-objective and not-constructive.
I look forward to hearing your comments.
Cordially,
Jeffrey Chodorow
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| 08.03.2007 |
In regards to Frank Bruni's review of Wild Salmon in the New York Times, [Wednesday, August 1st] I found it surprising that Mr Bruni chose the focus of the first three paragraphs of his review to be on a missing decorative penguin (or chocolate fish) on the baked alaska dessert. I think the ultimate purpose of a review is to educate the public about a restaurant, not just to be entertaining. While I understand his predisposition to do so with his writing, I feel that some important facts were sorely missed. In my ideal world, the following would have been the first three paragraphs of the review (or something to this effect):
The Pacific NW is one of the great food regions of this country, yet a food region which appears to be largely undiscovered outside of its boundaries. It is a region of tremendous bounty--there are truly wild salmon; an array of shellfish including varieties of clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, prawns and crab; the infamous black cod; and numerous varieties of fish, all of which are found only in the Pacific NW. There are chanterelles, morels, apples, blueberries and huckleberries, Walla Walla onions and Yakima asparagus--to name only a sampling of the specialty produce--as well as a bounty of specialty meats, game and fowl.
Wild Salmon, recently opened by irrepressible [Frank, please fill in adjective that pleases you more] restaurateur, Jeffrey Chodorow, pays tribute to that region. At the helm is Executive Chef Charles Ramseyer, who for the last 14 years was Executive Chef at Ray's Boathouse, one of the most successful and highly regarded restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. He brings to Wild Salmon a practical and passionate knowledge of the products of the PNW as well as the contacts and ability to obtain those products directly from the source. Chef Ramseyer brings with him a true Seattle experience, as well as the opportunity to experience most of this exceptional product for the first time anywhere outside of the Pacific Northwest [in other words, he is not merely from Seattle].
The Pacific NW is also one of the great wine (and beer) regions of the country, even being referred to as the new Napa Valley. Wild Salmon features the most extensive wine list of Pacific NW wines ever offered outside of that region, with a list compiled by the former Sommelier at Ray's. The region is also well known for its microbrews, and Wild Salmon offers several that have never been served before in New York.
The rest of the review could remain, more or less, intact. Not so entertaining perhaps, but certainly more useful. Don't you think? |
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| freshfish said... |
| Jeffrey,
You certainly have interesting points of view. I would like to know how your litigation ended with Rocco? It certainly is a fascinating part of your career and his. (since Rocco is still rebounding from that situation) Also I was looking at your different restaurants/outlets on this site and wondered why your gentlemens club is not listed, did you sell it? |
| posted on 10.29.2007 at 1:00 PM |
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| Robertmckenna said... |
| I am NYC born and raised, now located in Northwest corner of Washington State. I have had no experience to report at the current restaurant, but having viewed the Rocco series, I would give Mr. Chodorow every benefit of the doubt. He showed himself to be straightforward, honest, clear thinking and a good businessman. Oddly enough, the fool that he shared ownership with at Rocco's, who had nothing on the ball except a good publicity agent, is even now doing car commercials. Yes Jeffrey, the world is upside down and the media is its accomplice. They love to take shots at people who are successful and of great principle, so you can wear their criticism as a "badge of honor". I for one wish you good luck in your endeavors.
Best Regards, Robert and Karen McKenna, Port Gamble, WA |
| posted on 10.28.2007 at 5:38 PM |
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| blickbec said... |
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Goog lord man, can't you post more than once every 2 months. This is a slog, not a blog. I enjoy them, but what the hell!! Bob |
| posted on 08.29.2007 at 11:18 PM |
| posted by Jeffrey Chodorow at 11:18 PM | View More Comments (3) |
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| 05.24.2007 |
It has been a long drought. I didn't realize how much work would be involved in writing a blog in the way I wanted to do it--thoughtfully.
And besides, I didn't know if people really cared about the South Beach Food and Wine Festival or Eataly. As for my perennial critics, Frank and Adam, I haven't had much reason to write. [I was going to write about my wonderful dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant following Frank Bruni's bizarre 2 star review of that establishment, but couldn't figure out where to even start.] Is it me, or has Frank Bruni actually been nicer to restaurants in his reviews since my letter? Many people I know seem to think so--even returning to a restaurant (craftsteak) to re-review it only months after its first negative NY Times review, this one significantly more positive. This is something I had been told could never happen. At best, you could maybe hope to be re-reviewed after 2 years.
It's actually good to see a "critic" reconsider a review when they know a chef/restaurateur has actually made corrections based on critics comments and customer feedback. Usually, no matter how much effort we put into "fixing" problems, the negative impression never receives any follow-up. For example, how about an addendum to the review called "update," to commend restaurants, previously reviewed unfavorably, if and when the critic feels things have improved (which is not to say that the "so-called critic" was ever correct in his or her initial criticism)?
As far as Adam Platt is concerned, he wrote in his blog after my NY Times letter that he was disappointed I hadn't also bashed him; after all, he did trash Kobe Club first (after having mistakenly included it on his "2007 Platt list" of places to watch in 2007). Well, I guess I came to the conclusion that people don't take his criticism seriously---only a handful of people even mentioned his review to me---so I stopped reading it. That is why I decided not to keep him out of Wild Salmon--he's entitled to his own opinion and I don't think anybody really cares what he has to say. In fact, I think his own words hurt him, which is evident in his recent review of Wild Salmon, my new Pacific N.W. brasserie. (See review.) Putting aside the fact that he missed the entire point of the restaurant--a place that celebrates one of the great "undiscovered" food and wine regions of the United States and which also happens to be the first authentic Pacific N.W. restaurant outside of the Pacific Northwest, with virtually every product flown in fresh from that region. Adam Platt cannot even distinguish the difference in taste between two remarkably different tasting fish, Sockeye salmon and Wild King salmon. In fact, he even goes so far as to quote an apparent expert on the subject (a friend with a fish-affinity) calling salmon "the Cheerios of restaurant food." What does that even mean? Worse yet, he doesn't even mention the unique wine list featuring wines from that region, many of which have never been offered here before, or the incredible microbrews (from one of the great artisanal microbrew areas of the country). Eater.com is right on this one (though not usually), he is incapable of giving me a good review. [on the other hand, you might want to read the review of Wild Salmon by Randall Lane in Time Out New York (May 24-30, Issue 608); that review gets the point. (See review.)
Additionally, I wanted to comment on and hopefully open a discussion on the subject of sauces. I was always told that having options never hurt you. Platt complains about too many (and too esoteric) sauces, but how can you criticize the mere existence of free sauce served on the side? You are not being forced to use it!!! At Wild Salmon, you can have your fish prepared in a variety of styles (cedar-planked, grilled, broiled, even "en-papillote"), all available with sauce on the side (and these are very popular sauces in Seattle). Even Alan Richman, the reviewer for Bloomberg, in what Grubstreet described as a favorable review of Wild Salmon, especially considering his recent drubbing of Danny Meyer's spectacular Gramercy Tavern, complained about the sauces, which he felt the restaurant would be better without. Am I wrong in making an attempt to offer my customers a variety of options? I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the subject...
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| djfunkygrrl said... |
| I don't think the average person puts much stock in resturant reviews from critics. If you look at movie business many a film considered terrible has succeeded in the box office.
Word of mouth among your loyal clients is the art of a successful restaurant |
| posted on 06.28.2007 at 10:26 AM |
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| BigAppleDiningGuide.com said... |
| Regarding the topic of sauces...I can see this becoming a very split debate. Some people love as many options as you can throw at them. That's why diners are incredibly popular with their seemingly never-ending lists of food offerings.
But people going to diners tend to have all the time in the world (I should know - I've spent plenty of time working in them as well as sobering up in them by way of eating in the wee hours of the night) and can casually sort through all of the options available to them.
Long-winded menus (not unlike this comment) with dozens of choices fluster both casual diners and critics alike.
Another way of looking at it is by examining fast food restaurants. The whole "have it your way" campaign is a tough sell in a "Gimme a #6" kind of world.
People like choices, but they also want it to be in reasonable quantities. I think most people go to restaurants assuming that the chef knows better than they do and wants to see the chef controlling the dining experience (notable exception: Tom Collichio's Craft).
People would rather ask to switch something than have to wade through a sea of sauces or other options. Why else has the chef's tasting menu caught on quicker and become more popular than the "create your own dish"-style of dining?
Anyway, I look forward to trying Wild Salmon for myself, but don't be surprised if I tell the waiter to have the chef pick which sauce I get...I assume he should know what will taste the best. |
| posted on 05.30.2007 at 5:46 PM |
| posted by Jeffrey Chodorow at 5:46 PM | View More Comments (2) |
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| 03.13.2007 |
A few weeks ago I went to Torino, site of last year's Winter Olympics, to see a new concept in food shopping and dining called, of all things, Eataly. Located in an historic renovated Italian liquor factory, this 120,000 square foot flagship is like a Whole Foods dedicated to the absolute best of artisanal Italian food products (with a smattering of products from other countries).
Many of the products contain the official seal of the Slow Food Movement, an organization dedicated to everything fast food doesn't stand for. But, instead of a simple café to eat prepared foods sold in the store (like Whole Foods), Eataly has everything from a gelateria to a gourmet restaurant (where I had one of the greatest Italian meals of my entire life) with a menu based principally on products and ingredients available for purchase in the store. At counters throughout the store, you can order pizza (rated as among the best in Italy), pasta, vegetali, meats, and fish. There is even a counter that serves over 200 (principally Italian) artisanal beers with a menu to match.
From Torino, we headed to Berlin to see one of the world's greatest food emporiums (like Harrod's on steroids). It is located on the top floor of the Ka De We department store. There, in addition to gourmet products from around the globe, there are counters featuring everything from German Wurst (sausages) to freshly made Bouillabaisse.
We flew home with so many cool food products, we spent over an hour getting through US customs.
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| latzo81 said... |
| Why didn't you post me last text.
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| posted on 05.17.2007 at 8:29 PM |
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| NowThatsGreatFood said... |
| You have my attention with your Eataly entry, and now I would like to read more about it. Sit down with a glass of Italian wine and hit those keys. |
| posted on 05.17.2007 at 12:58 PM |
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| latzo81 said... |
| What is the point of this blog if the host never updates it or answers any of the questions!!
Matthew |
| posted on 05.10.2007 at 9:31 AM |
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| Paul said... |
| It is obvious that your time is limited making it impossible for you to be a quasi restaurant critic subsequently the end result of your tirade against the reviewer from the NY Times is obsolete and pathetic. You operate in the realm of ok food in high concept surroundings. When you worked with a true master chef [Ducasse] it was your own company that stymied a true genious. The end result [closed]. Stick to what you do best, offer average, overpriced food to the masses that mostly care about the scence and not the substance of a restaurant. |
| posted on 04.15.2007 at 1:42 PM |
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| posted by Jeffrey Chodorow at 1:42 PM | View More Comments (9) |
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| 03.01.2007 |
Fortunately, (or maybe unfortunately in the case of Robert's) I didn't have to follow Frank to either Momofuku Ssam Bar or Robert's; I have already been to both of them. David Chang is certainly a talented chef and I was happy to see him get his great review (although he certainly stressed about it in Eater the day before Frank reviewed it).
Draw your own conclusions about the Robert's so called review. I consider Adam Perry Lang, of Robert's and Daisy Mae's, a great chef and friend. Adam's prowess in the kitchen is enough to merit a glowing review and--at least in the brief portion where Bruni actually addressed the food at Robert's--it got him one. Not to beat a dead cow here, but I wonder how a steakhouse with one of the best steaks in New York warrants only one star when, apparently on this occasion, it was at least as good, if not better, than Peter Luger's (NY Times 3 stars).
Frank's Food for Thought: Do boobs go better with steak than swords?
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| Bagelfairy said... |
| What I find rather appalling, is that some restaurant groups have this magical aura of being worthy enough of a Michelin star, but when you actually look at their food management and ethics, you're just in wonderment about how they received a Michelin star yet none of the CGM restaurants have not. I've worked in both CGM and Michelin-starred kitchens, and to be honest, I've always felt more confident about the menu cuisine flavor profile of a CGM restaurant than others. Pastry, well now that's another matter... |
| posted on 05.22.2007 at 10:36 AM |
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| rothsteg said... |
| Went tonight to try Wild Salmon and thought the food was terrific. However, the service is clearly problematic. It took an hour from seating before we were able to get someone to take our order. Starters arrived before bread or the wine (priced, as far as I could tell, like all the others on the list at over 3X retail). Mains didn't arrive for another 45 minutes after the starters (that's right 1 3/4 hours after arrival to get the main courses). Even though the manager who finally took the order had a lengthy discussion about the right sauces to match with each fish, one of the orders was a totally different preparation than the one ordered. The manager was forthright about the error and ordered the correct dish delivered, saying "you'll all get to taste an extra dish". Assuming the service shakes down, this could turn into a worthwhile restaurant. Otherwise the curse of the space (Tuscan Steak, English is Italian) may continue. BTW, the decor is extremely attractive. |
| posted on 05.15.2007 at 11:20 PM |
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| Claude said... |
| I recently saw Lauren Collins' piece in The New Yorker, which led me to discover this blog. I have a fairly un-foody question to ask about Frank.
Somewhere or other I read that he used to be the Times' White House correspondent but asked a question at a news conference that the press secretary of the day found offensive. As a result, Bruni was iced out by the Bush Administration's press office, making it very difficult (they wouldn't return phone calls) to do his job.
He was reassigned by the Times to food criticism. This is the story I read; perhaps it'll come back to me where.
Is this true? Even in part? |
| posted on 05.09.2007 at 6:55 PM |
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| LisaPiranha said... |
| I love the concept of this blog, and hope you continue with your posts - especially YOUR reviews of the places the critics have visited, because an "insider's" view means more to me than a critic's - because you know the art, and the sweat behind building a business from an idea infused with passion - making something from nothing.
Critics in all fields many times end up being those who could not play successfully in that craft - so they make their job to judge those who have given themselves to their art.
When someone expects to have a wonderful time someplace, or expects to not have one, they will see what they want to see. I've seen movie critics pan every piece across their path ... and others (like Larry King) love everything, even some of the biggest dogs out there ... it's subjective, it's political, it's "an agenda" if you seek it to be.
I know at some level this entire blog is "marketing" ... I'm in the business, and own two businesses, so I can see that - but it's a brilliant angle to take. Critics with no real-world experience lack the credibility that those who teach MBA's but have never run a business also lack. You should unveil them as inexperienced.
And to keep the integrity of your posts - I would like to see the personal comments of them being friends of yours or not set aside (perhaps by having your team go review these places rather than you, since this would be a bias).
Kudos on this. Next time I'm in New York I plan to make a special trip to your restaurant.
Lisa
San Diego, CA |
| posted on 03.23.2007 at 4:09 PM |
| posted by Jeffrey Chodorow at 4:09 PM | View More Comments (12) |
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| 03.01.2007 |
WOW! What a firestorm! Within hours of my letter to the New York Times being published in last week's (February 21, 2007) Dining In/Dining Out Section, I was being interviewed live on CNBC and on the phone by several major news organizations. I had received hundreds of emails, text messages, and voicemails from friends and colleagues expressing support--one even from Rocco. A very famous chef's father sent me one of his special cured hams from his incredible salumeria in Seattle; he was so happy about my letter. Comments on my blog started to pour in, both supportive of and critical of my actions. That this (purchasing an ad in the New York Times for the purpose of challenging a position one of its writers has taken on its behalf) is even newsworthy says something about the (immense) power of the media to influence public opinion and how infrequently that power gets challenged. That it is so controversial is puzzling; after all, is it so surprising that someone would spend thousands in defense of a multi-million dollar investment and the jobs of 100 people without any other way of reaching the same audience?
One thing that did not make the news and was uncontroverted was the response I received from people whose lives are based in the restaurant industry. This past weekend I attended the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, where, for the past six years, I have hosted one of the major "kick-off" events, the Bubble-Q (champagne and gourmet bar-be-que) at Delano. As one of the most important food and wine festivals in the country (raising millions to benefit the School of Hospitality at Florida International University), many of the best chefs in the country (and the world) participated in this four day event. These are people used to critical acclaim, not criticism, yet many of them made a point of stopping to thank me for having the courage to speak up, to say what people who work day in and day out in this industry have wanted to say for a long time. The so-called "critics" have nothing at risk. If they are wrong, there are no consequences, but the restaurateur, the chef, and the staff must put everything at risk. They have a right to expect that, given the natural imbalance of power and risk, critics, and the media outlets that employ them, would have standards that ensured quality, objectivity, and fairness. Unfortunately, in many cases, this is not what they have come to expect.
As I would like to put this controversy behind me, I would like to leave you with one final point for discussion:
Is it not a little unusual that critics (including two from the same magazine) could legitimately have such diametrically opposing opinions of the same restaurant? ....and what could explain that difference? Granted there's no accounting for taste, but what's really taking center stage in these reviews, the restaurant or the reviewer?
More on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and Eataly still to follow...
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| mhoren said... |
| << Granted there's no accounting for taste, but what's really taking center stage in these reviews, the restaurant or the reviewer? >>
Good observation...I'm sure we both can recall the days when sportscasters were not personalities, but rather "active observers" whose principal role was to bring us the action without allowing their presence to upstage the event to which they were assigned. Today, of course, the announcers are arguably as celebrated as the stars.
Restaurant critics as celebrities? Probably true in New York, although they would have a hard time achieving that status here in Miami, where most of us are hedonists who couldn't care less what a critic likes or dislikes. We DO care what Shaquille O'Neal thinks, of course ;).
Seriously, though...honesty is not a requisite personality trait for anyone who works in the media today, nor is character. Sensationalism rules, much as embarrassing moments now make for "great television." For a restaurant, though, honesty is everything; the quality of food, drink and service are all self-evident. Either the food is great or it isn't...and rude or indifferent service can wreck an otherwise enjoyable meal. These will always be things which we must judge for ourselves.
BTW...my wife (your cousin) and I spent our anniversary at Tuscan Steak last night...great meal, great servce and a wonderful conversation with Sasha made it even more special. :) |
| posted on 07.28.2007 at 5:54 PM |
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| Kevin said... |
| Good for you, Jeff. Some times you have to stand up for yourself and call a duck a duck, even though the quacking gets a little louder. As a 30-year man (I've been in The Biz since I was 15), I learned a long time ago that all you can do is all you can do, and to hell with the rest of it--the BS is going to be there no matter what. But that doesn't mean you have to take it lying down. Bravo! And I wonder if those who are criticizing your critique of the critic took the time to read the letter carefully? It seems to me you were simply asking for professionalism and fairness rather than complaining about a poor review, as some writers claimed. What could possibly be wrong with that? Anyway, good luck, and have fun. |
| posted on 04.09.2007 at 11:22 AM |
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| PamSilvestri said... |
| Yawn.
I'm signing off, Jay-Cho. In the meantime, enjoy your meals.
Pam Silvestri, Food critic, Staten Island Advance |
| posted on 03.01.2007 at 11:29 PM |
| posted by Jeffrey Chodorow at 11:29 PM | View More Comments (3) |
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