PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You Read more…
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
oh was there always access from the bar to the dining room? i didn’t notice that before.
Please rate the Bar:
spacious, clean. a little cold though— both figuratively and literally. the bartenders are nice enough, but they do have a pretty awkward and cumbersome set-up here. that shit would drive me crazy.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
overall? i’d say… well… it is a hotel. hotels tend to do things differently. i’m sure they have their reasons.
Please rate the Dining Room:
same as the bar. and… well… it is a hotel. hotels tend to do things differently. i’m sure they have their reasons.
Please rate the BOH:
it’s very good. but umm… hmm… personally i predict they’re going to have some difficulties somewhere in the forseeable future… ?
How was the staff?
the front desk needs better training. the bartenders are good, but seem to still need more time with the POS system. the runners are adept. and they have at least one manager who’s pretty on the ball.
don’t know about the waitstaff— to me, the dining room is uninviting enough that i chose to dine at the bar on both my visits.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
the ciabatta with fonduta and poached egg, the pork belly, the rock shrimp, balsamic spare ribs, black truffle risotto, fried chicken, and truffle cabbage, and it was all very impressive (particularly on my first visit), especially because i really hated Scarpetta. fascinating, yes?
i’m curious to see how it plays out. i would venture so far as to say Faustina is my new favorite restaurant since Grayz. the only other restaurant i liked as much as Grayz was Maze (at GordonRamsay’s@theLondon). but as we alls know now, the NY Times hated chef de cuisine neil-ferguson at GordonRamsay but loooved him at Allen&Delancey (where poor neil-ferguson also didn’t last very long). conversely, i loved Maze, but despised Allen&Delancey. the NY Times also hated Grayz, which i loved— but loooved Scarpetta, which i detested.
so haa now with Faustina, i’m dying to see whether the NY Times food/restaurant critic bullshit is all just politics as i suspect, or really is just plain ole regular stupidity after all.
What did you like?
the menu, the food. the location.
What did you dislike?
uh… well… truth be told, scott-conant has always just kinda rubbed me the wrong way. his persona, i mean; i’ve never actually met him. so maybe i disliked the fact he disproved my hypothesis that he sucks? just kidding.
What was your last impression?
i’m glad i live close by.
Would you come back?
already have. and yes.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thanks, you will.
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Swanky.
Please rate the Bar:
Interesting set-up. Clean, spacious, elegant. An army of a staff (for now, anyway).
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Not generally one for cocktails, but couldn’t resist the enthusiastic sales pitch. Thoughtful cocktail list, brief but expertly crafted. Drinks are well-made, with fresh ingredients and a proficient hand.
Spent so long discussing the cocktail list, completely forgot to look at the wine list.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Grand and commodious, but somewhat austere. Very Las Vegas.
Please rate the BOH:
The BOH is in the FOH. I think. For such a showy, opulent kitchen, are they even cooking on that line? It’s oddly pristine. And awfully quiet.
How was the staff?
Oh, they try so hard. So hard. I don’t think I’ve ever hoped for a restaurant to succeed more; that’s how hard they try.
They’ll learn to relax over time, I assume.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
I had the Seasonal Mushrooms, Romaine Lettuce salad, the Braised Veal Cheek and the Prime New York Steak, and they were all rather disappointing. Trite presentation, prosaic execution, overcooked, undercooked, you name it; there it was. There’s a lot of great potential here, though. I hope they fix it— quickly. As I said, I really want them to do better.
What did you like?
The staff (except for possibly the first hostess in the main foyer with the clipboard). They’re eager and enthusiastic but a little displaced.
What did you dislike?
Sadly, the food.
What was your last impression?
I’m crossing my fingers for them.
Would you come back?
Yes. I’ll give them some time to settle in, but— yes.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you and best of luck.
Do you like pictures? Well, then you might appreciate the upcoming, soon-to-be-released, PX This – the Revised Edition
(followed closely by the release of its sequel, PX This Too).
With pictures!
But, not this one of "Tickle Me" Elmo perched atop abbe diaz’s Kawasaki Ninja 600R at the former Geld Iaz flagship boutique— it didn’t make the cut. Boo!
But, now you can see it here! Yay!
:)
See also (earlier):
• Remembering the Limelight [an excerpt from PX This - the Revised Edition]
• In Memoriam: Keith A. Glascoe [ an excerpt from PX This - the Revised Edition]
Due to an unexpected “server overhaul” this weekend, we are experiencing technical difficulties. PX This will resume its regularly scheduled programming as soon as possible. PLEASE STAND BY. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you.
Bishop by Ben Glaetzer – Barossa Valley Shiraz 2007, Australia
Cost: $24.99/bottle
This wine was genuinely rich and thick in texture, with a complex nose of crushed blackcherries, blueberry pie, and vanilla milkshake, with hints of smoked meat, cedar, and toasty oak. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, with a creamy viscosity similar to ‘half and half,’ gobs of fruit, good supple tannins, and a gorgeous finish. Quite impressive. It’s a well-restrained shiraz offering just the right fruit ripeness while maintaining its consistent complex flavor (with a nose to match). I like this a lot and it’s surely worth picking up a few more bottles at a price of a penny under $25. Well bought.
Rating: 91
• Monday, February 1, 2010. 9:30PM – Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, and Domenico Dolce dining (separately) at Hotel Griffou.
• Tuesday, February 2, 2010. 8:57PM – "Right now, Mike D hangin’ with the big boys at The Ace Hotel lobby bar."
• Sunday, January 31, 2010. 3:30PM – Taye Diggs, with wife, pushing baby stroller down Broadway near 22nd St.
Art vs Commerce is undoubtedly a prevalent and consistent underlying theme in PX This, the upcoming PX This Too and pxthis.com. But you already knew that, right? That’s one of the reasons you appreciate them so!
With that in mind, my next Netflix recommendation is My Kid Could Paint That. It will delight, amaze, and horrify you. What more could you want in a film?
From the e-mail inbox:
"O MAH GAH I WAS JUST CLEANING MY APT AND I CAME ACROSS UR BOOK AND STARTED LEAFING THRU IT…. GAAH HOW DID I FORGET U KNOW MAXWELL??? I AM A HUGE HUGE HUGE FAN BUT I GUESS IT WAS AFTER I READ UR BOOK…. DID YOU SEE HIM ON THE GRAMMY’S?!?!?! AMAZING… I LOVE HIM SO MUCH OMFG….!!!!"
Yeah, we saw him on the Grammy Awards. But, thanks for the reminder!
:)
(We love him, too.)
PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Hmm, would I like a table? Umm, no, the bar is fine for now, thanks.
Please rate the Bar:
Is it smaller than before (as Craftsteak)? Did they move it? I can’t seem to remember…
Anyway, it’s nice. Clean, very spacious. And professional.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
The beer and wine list is very impressive in its abundance (daunting, almost). The cocktail list, by contrast, is brief and simple— mostly just classics here. Wow, I must have died and gone to… Vegas?
Please rate the Dining Room:
It’s big! Slightly cozier than before. The trees are new, right?
Please rate the BOH:
Get serious, it’s Craft. Even if I were to "rate" it, would anyone care what my opinion is?
How was the staff?
They’re very… well-trained? Yeah, let’s say that.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Octopus salad (bar menu) : Pretty good. Generally, I prefer baby octopus, but this one was decently tender for such an old creature. Nice twist on the classic italian octopus/potato dish. Tasty.
Squid salad (bar menu): Very cold. Comes off a little too "pre-made and refrigerated." Light and refreshing— but that’s probably also why I’m thinking, "Isn’t this more of a summer dish?" Plus, it’s way more garbanzo than squid. Maybe it should be called "Garbanzo bean salad… with some squid…" instead.
Pork belly pizzette (bar menu) : Waaay more mushroom than pork belly; maybe it should be called "Mushroom pizzette… with a little pork belly." That’s probably why it’s also a bit too dry— not enough delicious pork belly fat. Also, $16.00? Wow, for this little thing, that’s a bit expensive.
Would have loved more food but there’s not much else on the bar menu : And I didn’t want another pizzette.
What did you like?
The wood-burning open counter thing is kind of nice to look at.
What did you dislike?
Well, everything I disliked is probably due more to personal preferences and predilections, so perhaps I’ll just refrain.
What was your last impression?
Would I come to try a full dinner? Sorry, I don’t think so.
Would you come back?
For a drink if I’m in the area? Sure.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you and good night.
• Friday, January 29, 2010, 8:00PM – Mick Jagger, Bono, Takashi Murakami, James Franco, Peter Brant and (of course) Damien Hirst, Larry Gagosian, and Shala Monroque at the opening of the "End of an Era" exhibit by Damient Hirst at the Gagosian Gallery on Madison Ave.
*Courtesy of former F&B industry superstar Shala Monroque [shala.thepop.com]
• Monday, January 25, 2010 3:30PM – Danny "Danny-A" Abeckaser and Jen Gatien at the Sundance screening of Kevin Asch’s Holy Rollers in Park City, Utah.
= "personne extraordinaire"