So my wife and I went to New York to see a show and spend some quality time together. On a lark, we decided to visit Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar, since we loved how viciously it had been savaged by Pete Wells in his now infamous review.
My initial reaction to the review was wow, this is awesome. A small, mean part of me thought, “That’s what this TV person gets for whatever!” Another part of me wondered: how can everything about this famous restaurant be so completely awful? Though I enjoyed the review, I smelled a rat. So when I got to New York, I simply had to go there. Now, I’m not a food critic, nor a chef, but I’ll tell you: the food knocked my socks off. My wife ordered the Acapulco Gold salad and I got the General Tso’s Pork Shank. I had some of her salad: delicious. My pork shank was tender, tasty, and I wanted more when I was done. Desert was great as well (Salted Whiskey Caramel Fool). Afterward, walking around Times Square, I didn’t think to myself, “Boy I wish I hadn’t eaten that.” I felt satisfied and glad I’d gone there. Which made me wonder all over again: was that review just a major hit piece? Did it have anything to do with the food or had it been all about the writer?
Update:
I’m reading through the comments on the review, and it’s amazing how many people are bashing the restaurant. Many are saying they’ve been there and didn’t like it. For those who actually went there and didn’t like it, I wonder if they hated it like the reviewer, or simply thought “oh, I’m full now” and went home. Another thing about the comments: it seems like many of them are trying to outdo the reviewer in their viciousness. I wonder if these same, sophisticated commentators stopped drinking Merlot after watching the movie Sideways.
John L. Monk 