24 replies to this topic

[Nancy S.]

At least according to the Village Voice. I'm a bit curious about this place, because I love pie, but the reviews so far have not been encouraging. Similarly absurd (or, perhaps, more so), I read on Chowhoundish today that Bouley has a "Bread Master" whose job is to roam the dining room and dole out pieces of bread.

[Sneakeater]

And I was just consoling an unemployed friend about how few jobs there are out there?

[Orik]

In the old Bouley the breadmaster was a very short person, who always struggled to slice the bread on top of a rather tall cart. Miche, iirc, presented a particularly difficult task, and was therefore offered last..

[uhockey]

Bouley does indeed have a "bread master."

https://www.facebook...&type=1

Whatever - if a restaurant wants to pay someone to serve me 10 types of amazing bread they can give him whatever title they like.

[irnscrabblechf52]

places like this make me cringe a little inside

[oakapple]

Many of the four-star and high three-star restaurants have a guy (or more than one) who hands out bread all evening, and the breads at Bouley were always really good. What you call him is really beside the point. Until this thread, I never knew he had a title. (It's not as if he came to the table, and said, "My name is Fred; I'll be your bread master this evening.")

But the term "Burger Program" in the marketing package for a diner is verging on hilarious. I mean, who ever heard of a diner that didn't serve burgers.

[joethefoodie]

Many of the four-star and high three-star restaurants have a guy (or more than one) who hands out bread all evening, and the breads at Bouley were always really good. What you call him is really beside the point. Until this thread, I never knew he had a title. (It's not as if he came to the table, and said, "My name is Fred; I'll be your bread master this evening.")

But the term "Burger Program" in the marketing package for a diner is verging on hilarious. I mean, who ever heard of a diner that didn't serve burgers.

Yes, but "my" diner never charges $15 for them.

[oakapple]

The term "Burger Program" in the marketing package for a diner is verging on hilarious. I mean, who ever heard of a diner that didn't serve burgers.

Yes, but "my" diner never charges $15 for them.

The central conceit of this place is that it isn't really a diner, much as Minetta Tavern isn't really a tavern; and $15 is more-or-less the going rate for a brand-name restaurant burger these days, plus or minus a dollar. The real question is not whether he can get away with selling a $15 burger (plenty have done so), but how this one stacks up vs. the city's other $15 burgers.

[uhockey]

I'm just amused by places like this because if you put a $15 burger on 99.5% of the menus in Columbus people would be up in arms. If you put a $26 burger on the menu there would be mass hysteria - unless you named it the Buckeye Burger or something - then no one would order it, but they'd at least look at it with pride.

Aside from the "Burger Program" that menu looks like a yawn.

[Wilfrid]

I think it should be "diner" in the title, if an Admin has a spare moment. I just got an email about The Brooklyn Dinner in midtown, which sensitized me to it.

[Nancy S.]

I think it should be "diner" in the title, if an Admin has a spare moment. I just got an email about The Brooklyn Dinner in midtown, which sensitized me to it.

Thanks, I have to disable my iPad auto-correct!

[oakapple]

I'm just amused by places like this because if you put a $15 burger on 99.5% of the menus in Columbus people would be up in arms.

Well, to be fair, most NYC restaurant prices (not just burgers) would cause an uproar in Columbus.

Aside from the "Burger Program" that menu looks like a yawn.

Well, there are a LOT of restaurant menus that would seem like a yawn -- except for the fact that they're terrific. I'm not saying this place is; but sometimes you have to actually try the food, before you know if it's a yawn.

[Nancy S.]

I'm just amused by places like this because if you put a $15 burger on 99.5% of the menus in Columbus people would be up in arms.

Well, to be fair, most NYC restaurant prices (not just burgers) would cause an uproar in Columbus.

Aside from the "Burger Program" that menu looks like a yawn.

Well, there are a LOT of restaurant menus that would seem like a yawn -- except for the fact that they're terrific. I'm not saying this place is; but sometimes you have to actually try the food, before you know if it's a yawn.

I'm hoping the pie is delicious -- I can't remember the last time I had an excellent piece of "traditional" pie in a restaurant (especially one without extraneous flavors like lemongrass or rose), with a scoop of equally "traditional" vanilla ice cream.

[Sneakeater]

Begging Wilfrid to look away, have you tried The Dutch's?

[Nancy S.]

Begging Wilfrid to look away, have you tried The Dutch's?

I haven't. The descriptions I have read seemed to indicate the use of extraneous flavors that I find disappointing.