52 replies to this topic

[Sneakeater]

It's interesting that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has opened a new restaurant in New York and it's been almost completely ignored by the NYC food community.

ABC Kitchen is in the space on the south (18th St. btw. Park & Bway) side of ABC Carpets that Lucy's used to occupy. It's supposed to be JGV's take on the "market-driven" trend -- which mainly means that there's a list of producers on the back of the menu. The menu mentions Jean-Georges Vongerichten but fails, as far as I could tell, to identify the chef de cuisine.

I think the reasons this place -- which opened Monday -- is getting so little attention are that (a) we've been burned enough no longer to expect anything special from JGV and (b) this restaurant is the one he's opened here so far that seems the most to be a hack job. There's no felt necessity here; it just seems like there was a space in ABC and JGV latched onto this rather obvious trend to fill it.

It's sort of like the Hollywood phase of John Woo's career vs. the Hong Kong phase. In Hong Kong, he seemed to make movies he needed to make, to express thoughts and feelings he had through manipulation of genre. In Hollywood, he made straight genre films, whatever the studios gave him.

Of course, some of John Woo's Hollywood movies were pretty good (if nowhere near as great as his Hong Kong stuff). And ABC Kitchen isn't a terrible restaurant. Probably it's better than Coliccio & Sons (I'm not saying that's much; I'm just trying to put this new place in perspective). Is there any need to go there? Absolutely not.

Every dish I had, had a flaw. For an appetizer, kasha with bowtie pasta and veal meatballs. (If upscale versions of Eastern European Jewish cooking is a new trend, I'm all for it.) The kasha was perfectly prepared: toasty, a little bit of crunch. The meatballs were light, loosely textured, very nice. But . . . either the meatballs were too peppery, or the pepper was insufficiently mixed in them, so you got these intrusive bursts of pepperiness.

Then, the Flying Pig pork T-bone. (One problem with the identification of producers is that this reminded me that I could get the same cut from the same producer across the circle at the Greenmarket. But then I'd have to cook it and clean the dishes.) The flaw here was the apple-Meyer lemon puree upon which the pork was placed: it was way too sweet. The pork itself was nothing special, being of the bland rather than the highly porky variety.

While the NYC food community is ignoring this place, the world at large isn't: it (or at least the bar area up front) was packed. As I said, though, none of us needs to go here.

[ulterior epicure]

Is there any need to go there? Absolutely not.

I've tried to think of another way to put this, but I can't: I actually get annoyed every time he opens a new restaurant.

[Wilfrid]

I knew it was coming, but hadn't realised it was even close to opening.

ABC has been home to a long parade of not very successful restaurants.

[Rich]

ABC has been home to a long parade of not very successful restaurants.

Yes, but this is new ABC cuisine.

[Steve R.]

ABC has been home to a long parade of not very successful restaurants.

Yes, but this is new ABC cuisine.

I'm having a lousy day... I havent had a chance to post on the Franny's thread and now you even beat me to this punch line.

[Rich]

ABC has been home to a long parade of not very successful restaurants.

Yes, but this is new ABC cuisine.

I'm having a lousy day... I havent had a chance to post on the Franny's thread and now you even beat me to this punch line.

You're having too many lousy days - you need a vacation.

[Suzanne F]

Sounds like a classic overextension of the JGV brand: nobody cares anymore, because we know that it won't be long before the place goes downhill. From Sneak's description, in this case he skipped right over the "brand-new exciting" phase and went straight to meh.

As Wilf notes, that space is damned.

[oakapple]

Sounds like a classic overextension of the JGV brand: nobody cares anymore, because we know that it won't be long before the place goes downhill. From Sneak's description, in this case he skipped right over the "brand-new exciting" phase and went straight to meh.

As Wilf notes, that space is damned.

It's amazing that his brand hasn't been damaged. At some point, doesn't it become counter-productive to attach your name to so many mediocre projects?

[ulterior epicure]

Sounds like a classic overextension of the JGV brand: nobody cares anymore, because we know that it won't be long before the place goes downhill. From Sneak's description, in this case he skipped right over the "brand-new exciting" phase and went straight to meh.

As Wilf notes, that space is damned.

It's amazing that his brand hasn't been damaged. At some point, doesn't it become counter-productive to attach your name to so many mediocre projects?

And so all of you have helped me find a way to articulate what I was trying to say upthread.

What annoys me is not that the great JGV keeps opening restaurants. Nay, it's the fact that a perfectly wonderful chef (in my humble opinion) keeps opening what seem to be nothing more than trendy snapshots of the zeitgeist du jour. I'm surprised some of them stick around as long as they do.

[Aaron T]

It seems like Matsugen was the best of the recent JGV openings and that establishment has gotten no love from the public.

Isn't he opening Spice Markets all over the world now?

And he just opened a new joint in Vegas.

[Wilfrid]

Sounds like a classic overextension of the JGV brand: nobody cares anymore, because we know that it won't be long before the place goes downhill. From Sneak's description, in this case he skipped right over the "brand-new exciting" phase and went straight to meh.

As Wilf notes, that space is damned.

It's amazing that his brand hasn't been damaged. At some point, doesn't it become counter-productive to attach your name to so many mediocre projects?

Let's ask El Chod.

[oakapple]

It seems like Matsugen was the best of the recent JGV openings and that establishment has gotten no love from the public.

Aside from the chocolate cake, all he contributed to Matsugen was the lease.

Sounds like a classic overextension of the JGV brand: nobody cares anymore, because we know that it won't be long before the place goes downhill. From Sneak's description, in this case he skipped right over the "brand-new exciting" phase and went straight to meh.

As Wilf notes, that space is damned.

It's amazing that his brand hasn't been damaged. At some point, doesn't it become counter-productive to attach your name to so many mediocre projects?

Let's ask El Chod.

I know you're joking, but the difference with Chod is that his brand never stood for excellence.

[Wilfrid]

It's interesting that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has opened a new restaurant in New York and it's been almost completely ignored by the NYC food community.

You mean The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the Mark Hotel?

Yes, that opened too.

ETA: The website says "opening soon," but there are tables on Open Table for today.

[Daniel]

It seems like Matsugen was the best of the recent JGV openings and that establishment has gotten no love from the public.

Isn't he opening Spice Markets all over the world now?

And he just opened a new joint in Vegas.

I recently stayed at the W Atlanta where they were having a "snow storm" Needless to say, it was about a half an inch and the streets were crippled.. Being essentially stuck in the hotel, I took a customer to Spice Market.. We had three appetizers and both decided it be best to just drink.. Mind you, this was a guy that admitted to not being into food and would "eat anything"..

[oakapple]

In the early days of Spice Market, you could at least pretend you were eating JGV's food. When it opens in Atlanta, even the "pretend" is gone.