This just in from a tipster: Civetta has abruptly laid off most of its staff and is closing for one month to make way for a new concept that will tentatively be manned "…by Nur Khan and Paul Sevigny." The termination comes as quite a surprise to the majority of those involved, as Civetta was just building its mostly-word-of-mouth reputation as a "pretty darned good restaurant."
Apparently, an unnamed very deep-pocketed "investor" with "ties to several projects in downtown" Manhattan, including possible "involvements" with such high-profile operators as "Andre Balazs and Serge Becker," is the primary impetus behind Civetta’s sudden shift in momentum.
Civetta will close its doors next week on December 1st.
Gee, and we hadn’t even had the chance to try it yet.
Oh well, maybe next concept.
**See our UPDATE for more information on Khan, Sevigny and Civetta.**
• Friday, November 20, 2009. 9:30PM – Stephen Gan, Glenn O’brien, Andre Balazs, Jacqueline Schnabel, Ann Dexter-Jones, Geoffrey Zakarian, Jason Pomeranc, Kenny Kenny, Ronnie Madra, Richard Johnson & Sessa Von Richtofen, Anna Sui, Willem Dafoe, Lauren Ezersky, Lyor Cohen, Tory Burch, Carmen d’Alessio, Merv Matheson, Marc Bagutta, Sean MacPherson, John MacDonald, George Wayne, Steven Greenberg, Sasha Muniak, Liev Schreiber & Naomi Watts, Kamil Parchomienko, Heikki Sorsa, and (of course) Nadine Johnson, Jean-Marc Houmard, Huy Chi Le, Jorg Rae, and Susan Wanzer at the Indochine 25th Anniversary Party.
• Friday, November 20, 2009. 11:50PM – Michael Bay, Caroline Murphy, Liev Schreiber, Thom Filicia, Greg Callejo, Heikki Sorsa, Sasha Muniak, and Kevin King at The BoomBoom/BonBon at the Standard Hotel.
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. yeeaaah… this…. could… uhh… be done a lot better.
Please rate the Bar:
do i have to? can’t i just leave?
sigh. it needs work. what more can i say (without having to follow up with an invoice)?
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
whoa, look at the size of that drink! i mean don’t get me wrong— i’m not complaining, but why is my vodka on the rocks the exact same size as the campari&soda? and i wasn’t even upcharged a double or "neat pour" or anything.
as for the wine list, i’m far too mesmerized by the funky electronic computerized gizmo to even notice the actual wines on the list. oh but— oi, made in china? couldn’t they have gotten like a sleek chic applesque version somewheres? like one encased in chrome with leather backing and sexy icons maybe?
Please rate the Dining Room:
umm… this is the nicest multimillion dollar airport terminal i’ve ever seen ?
Please rate the BOH:
technically the BOH is in the FOH. and honestly, taking one look at the menu, right now i kinda wish i were in the OOH (out of house).
please, somebody, for the love of holy moly— can somebody anybody please fix this fucking thing? if only ONE thing on the menu is changed for example, at the very least get the contorni off the insalata page. i mean okay i get it, they’re all "vegetables" but–
ugh forget it never mind. check, please?
How was the staff?
fine. particularly for this place, they’re… just fine.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
prosciutto di parma: not bad.
mozzarella di bufala: really. really? SUNDRIED tomatoes and canned marinated artichokes? (the very same sundried tomatoes and canned artichokes that were just served as the amuse bouche?) isn’t this like $14 or $16 or something? fer chrissakes come on now.
pappardelle with wild boar ragu: not terrible i suppose. except the minced carrots ("for sweetness," yah i get it) is simply such a ‘cop out’ to me. seriously? with the vast range of fruit and vegetables available right out there on your frikkin doorstep, it all boils down to a stupid pedestrian minced up carrot?
okay fine, my guest doesn’t seem to hate it, so maybe it’s me. having traumatic flashbacks to 1996 of the senegalese DISHWASHER allotted the task of cooking staff meal every day. chopped pork "stew" with gravy and minced carrots. every day. EVERY stupid frikkin goddamned day. so shoot me.
no really. shoot me.
beef cheeks: could be more tender. could be less cloying. could use a little salt.
okay let’s be frank. i chose this dish because, of the entire menu, it seemed the least risky to me. nothing about this restaurant from the moment i walked through the door inspired any confidence whatsoever in the quality of the food.
there, i said it.
What did you like?
i’m sorry. nothing. at all.
What did you dislike?
more than anything? how much money must have gone into building this place.
What was your last impression?
it’s been open eight weeks? it looks and feels like it’s been more like eight years. and unfortunately i don’t mean that in a good way.
Would you come back?
i’m afraid not. sorry. again.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
thank you and best of luck to you.
• Thursday, November 19, 2009. 6:30PM – Lucy Liu and Bryant Gumbel at the 25th UNICEF Anniversary Lighting of the Fifth Ave Snowflake at the Louis Vuitton flagship boutique.
• Sunday, November 15, 2009. 4:00PM – Natalia Vodianova, alone, wearing a short black coat and black stockings, leaving The Bowery Hotel and jumping into a big, dark SUV.
• Wednesday, November 18, 2009. 8:30PM – Heikki Sorsa (with snowboard posse) dining at Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano.
• Thursday, November 19, 2009. 8:00PM – Heikki Sorsa (with snowboard posse) dining at La Esquina.
• Tuesday, November 17, 2009. 8:00PM – Former Top Chef contestants Leah Cohen and Hosea Rosenberg dining with friends at Lure Sushi and chatting with Chef Josh Capon.
• Saturday, November 14, 2009. 3:00PM – Armin Amiri having brunch with a friend at Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano.
heikki-sorsa is in town, and i got to meet him. yay! he just may be one of the coolest, sweetest, awesomest, most modest dudes i have ever met :)
so far, sorsa’s jaunts on this current (but brief) visit to NYC include: Hasaki, GustoRistorante e BarAmericano, theModern, Indochine, LaEsquina, Greenhouse, theBox, the YvesStLaurent "Customer Appreciation" Party, The 25th UNICEF Anniversary Lighting of the Fifth Ave Snowflake at LouisVuitton, and the tim-burton exhibit at theMOMA.
sorsa is in new york en route to park city, salt lake, and aspen to begin his official snowboard season tour.
* with many thanks to kummi-kim for the introduction
Welcome to: Where I Spent My Day Off —by a NYC Restaurant "Insider"
So, what do you do in the industry?
I’m a Service Coordinator and Floor Manager for a [highly publicized] 150+ seater in TriBeCa.
And you have how many days off a week, generally?
Two.
What did you do for breakfast yesterday?
Had an english muffin (with butter) and coffee at home while watching the morning news.
Lunch?
Met a couple of friends at Ippudo on 4th Ave. They’re big fans of the ramen, and I think one friend even knows one of the cooks there. It’s usually packed (or rather, the wait is long) for dinner, so lunch is a better bet if you can make it there early enough. I used to be a fan myself, until a girl I was dating a while back had an allergic reaction which she attributed to MSG. I was surprised that a ramen house as well-known as Ippudo would still be using outdated and controversial ingredients like MSG, so when I got home I googled "Ippudo MSG." Even though I didn’t actually get a definitive answer, there were enough reports online of people with similar doubts and experiences to make me somewhat of a believer. I haven’t eaten at Ippudo since, and I try to warn my friends of the possibility of MSG in the food. Some friends care — others don’t.
Obviously, these particular friends still love it, but I stuck with two pork buns, piquillo peppers and a small bottle of sake. I hope the pork buns don’t have any MSG, but if it weren’t for my friends insisting on lunching there, I wouldn’t have gone back even for those.
And afterward?
Walked around Union Square with my friends, then went home to clean my apartment and catch up on the laundry.
Dinner?
Met another friend at Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo. She was craving a lobster roll, and Mary’s Fish Camp is too much of hassle (long wait) most nights. I also won’t go to Pearl’s because the staff has such an attitude problem there. Ed’s isn’t much better, but the irony is that at Ed’s the staff is nice, but the owners are real dicks. Usually whenever I see Ed or that other big guy through the window, I keep walking. But this time my friend was starving so I gave in.
I always try to get a seat at the counter as far away from Ed as possible. Sometimes he mans the front oyster/raw bar, and other times he darts in and out of the kitchen in the back. Unfortunately, this time there were only seats toward the front, and we had no choice but to plop ourselves smack in front of his surly mug.
The funny thing is I was bracing myself for a mediocre to downright awful experience, but I think Ed heard us talking and realized we were from the industry. He was unusually attentive, and no exaggeration, the lobster rolls arrived more overstuffed and perfectly prepared than I have ever seen before (more often than not, it’s a crap shoot). The fries were also perfect (ditto on the crap shoot) and even the little ramekin of pickles was practically overflowing. We also shared a Caesar salad to start, and even that was fresher and better prepared than it’s ever been. It ended up being the best meal I’ve ever had there.
And afterward?
Popped into Cafe Select to see if another friend of mine was working, but she wasn’t, so we dropped into La Esquina instead. Had two rounds of margaritas, which was one more than I wanted, but I know the girl that was bartending, so she refilled the glasses when we weren’t looking. We spotted Mischa Barton walking by, but I think I heard she’s there all the time. Also ran into a couple of other people we know.
How much did you blow today?
I treated my friend to dinner at Ed’s so all in all, about $190, including tip (which I gave the bartender at La Esquina a little extra for the sneak round). My friend paid for the first round of drinks at La Esquina. No cab fare all day which is one of the main reasons I mostly only go to places I can walk to (I hate the subway).
Since it’s "scrappy liitle fucker" Filipino Appreciation Week here at PX This, my latest Netflix recommendation is Scratch. Originally suggested to me by an amazing "scrappy little fucker" Filipina friend, I marvelled at performances by ("scrappy little fucker" Filipino) Beastie Boys’ ‘Mike D,’ widely credited with inventing the "scratch" turntablism genre, and ("scrappy little fucker" Filipino) DJ Qbert, whom you will believe is using his art form to "communicate with aliens."
Belated congratulations to Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, who, last weekend, single-handedly elevated a nation’s faith and optimism in the wake of its prevalent devastating typhoons, pervasive poverty and political/theological turmoil.
Scratch is a testimony to the unconventional beauty and brilliance found in all aspects of life. Hopefully, its ebullience will inspire you, 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?
yah it’s very danny-meyer all right.
Please rate the Bar:
spacious! clean. appropriate. it’s got a couple of pretty basic structural problems, which is odd for such a seasoned restaurateur, but whatever. personally, never been a fan of the backless barstool (or in this case the almost backless barstoool), but i guess that helps speed up the turnaround time.
the bartender (steve-roth, was it?) was a really nice guy.
oh but what’s with the jumping bottles in the spigot gizmo thingie? ha ha ahaa kinda spooky.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
extensive wine list— pleasantly surprised they’re not all italian— and reasonably priced. ahhh, the currently trendy ubiquitous recession-friendly quartino option that frank-bruni used to despise, how nice.
we didn’t have any cocktails, and glancing down the length of the bar, nobody else is having one either. oh well, maybe next time.
Please rate the Dining Room:
didn’t get much of a look at it (we opted to stay in the bar area and have the "small plates" menu) although we were graciously offered the choice without a scheduled reservation. i generally prefer "bar dining" anyway, as long as it’s commodious.
Please rate the BOH:
it’s good, but it’s what i expected, and i would certainly have been surprised by anything less.
How was the staff?
see above.
how many times can i write "it’s good…" or "it’s very danny-meyer" ?
this particular F&F Review is starting to bore me.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
oh boy. had about ten or twelve plates, and close to half of them were "specials." ha aha haa most of them were good… and very danny-meyer. sigh.
rather than list them all, i’ll just say that overall the general consensus was that it was all quite decent. did any one particular plate rock our worlds? no. but it’s highly likely that’s not their intent anyways.
obviously, with any brand spanking new restaurant, the expectations are often higher in their enthusiasm, which can result in a sense of disappointment that has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the experience. if we had tried Maialino in its third or fourth month of operation, everything would have been perfectly satisfactory.
personally, i feel most danny-meyer establishments (excluding ElevenMadison) are overrated and aggrandized by those with pedestrian tastes and trite predilections, and Maialino is undoubtedly no exception. believe it or not, i try not to let that taint my general impression.
that being said, of all the dishes we had, the melanzane parmigiano was my favorite. my guests expressed dissatisfaction with the insalata di polipo (the accompanying purple potato?yam? was "mushy" and "weird") but i thought it was fine (if not, again, astounding). and the only dish i would say i didn’t like was the fritto misto skewers (ironically the most inventive execution, which just fell flat in both presentation and flavor). i also thought the $19 price tag on the assaggio (serves 2-3) was quite fair and acceptable, but i think the bartender said he threw in an order of the prosciutto la quercia just so we could "try it."
What did you like?
the reasonably priced wine list. the bartender. the melanzane. and the very sweet hostess(maitre d’?) that went to extra lengths to accommodate us and grant us "industry courtesy."
What did you dislike?
nothing. oh okay fine— i think the floor is just a wee ugly.
What was your last impression?
i’d rather come here than go back to Otto.
Would you come back?
yes. looking forward to trying full dinner sometime, actually.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
no thank YOU, it was a pleasure.
MMmmm yummy… ?
Vinegar Milk and Tabasco Coke!
Run, don’t walk, to your nearest local Tokyo bodega today!
*Thanks to James “Vinegar” Mielke and Martin Waterfield
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?
Cute space. What was this before? One of those cheap shoe stores?
Please rate the Bar:
Nice and comfortable but a little odd (See: below). The bartender was great, though; she was very enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Simple and straightforward enough, but the cocktails are trite and uninspired. Right away I felt this wasn’t a place I would ever think to order wine, so I didn’t bother asking for a bottle or BTG list. The liquor list, on the other hand, is impressive in its sophistication, but in a way that just adds to its awkwardness. For example, they have 19 different tequilas (only 6 vodkas, in comparison), but their margarita recipe is straight out of suburban Wisconsin. They also have an extraordinary 22 single malt whiskeys, with neither the location, clientele, cuisine nor ambience to back that inventory up.
Plus the $1 "mix" upcharge is just stupid.
Please rate the Dining Room:
Pretty nice, especially considering the location and the spare square footage. The booths tucked away in the back are the best bet.
Please rate the BOH:
A little… pretentious? For all their hullabaloo about "pastured beef" and "free range turkey[s]" plus the name itself, "Patty & Bun," they don’t make an exceptional burger by any means. Maybe if the head chef spent more time in the kitchen cooking instead of outside on the pavement admiring the storefront, the food would be better.
How was the staff?
As I said, the bartender was very good in that she was amiable and passionate, but as a mixology professional, she somewhat lacked the skills to buttress her bravada. The hostess was slightly cold and apathetic, and the waitress was similarly indifferent but adequately adept.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Crab cake: Not bad. Accompanying radicchio salad also OK, but bordering on the threshold of vegetable deterioration. Capers are a nice touch, but the hand with the olive oil is a little heavy.
P&B Burger: Overcooked, dry, consequently flavorless Patty, on a dry, almost-stale (“homemade, 5-drop tequila”) brioche Bun. Pretty sad for a burger that bears the establishment’s name. And $2 more for a scant smear of roquefort? Get real.
The fries are average.
Sliders: See above.
Creamed spinach: Rich and gooey would be one thing, but the spinach swimming in a watery pool of the stuff is just a big no-no.
What did you like?
The space.
What did you dislike?
The food.
What was your last impression?
It’s a shame. A good burger joint could be very successful in this location; there’s already plenty of competition for mediocre eateries all up and down this street.
Would you come back?
Probably not; Stand is just a few blocks away and it’s better and cheaper. Also, although I’ve never been to BLT Burger myself, I’ve heard some pretty good things about it— I would likely give them a try before coming back here.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you and best of luck.
= "personne extraordinaire"