Sneakeater Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'm not trying to pick on Louro out of spite - I had this example handy because I know we're all familiar with the restaurant, and I know first (well, second) hand how painful the postprocessing work on those photos was. If it weren't for that obnoxious red lighting, I'm not sure I'd be able to identify that first photo as Chevalier. I understand that. That's why I'm so shocked. I'm REALLY familiar with that room -- and that bar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 I looked for pictures of Chevalier to post earlier this week, and none of them really looked like the place very much. But I just wanted to emphasize, it's not old school, like the Carlyle, say. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
taion Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Too late for such regrets now, but I think I'd have found myself at the bar more often if it did look like that. Louro was well-decorated, but there's a limit to what you can actually do in that space outside of a couple of heavily edited photos. But I think most people well find the Chevalier dining room to be "nice". It's not stuffy or oppressive in any particular way. Most people aren't going to care that the lighting is awful the way I do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Adrian Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I ask the question not in a leading way, but honestly; people ere are saying things about chevalier that they would never say about emp or jg. Why? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Because it's different. The much-harped-on cocktails are a telling example. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oakapple Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I ask the question not in a leading way, but honestly; people ere are saying things about chevalier that they would never say about emp or jg. Why? I thought I answered it -- not that I have the franchise on truth, but I am pretty sure the following is true. JG would attract a lot of fairly similar complaints, if it opened brand new today in its current form. EMP, in its current form, has attracted plenty of complaints, i.e., waiters who perform magic tricks, catering to the S. Pellegrino crowd,, etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 I ask the question not in a leading way, but honestly; people ere are saying things about chevalier that they would never say about emp or jg. Why? I think this was already answered. It's actually a bad comparison, because of the different price points, but open something which looks and feels like Jean-Georges in an apartment building or hotel today and see if everyone's cool with it. ETA: Echoing Oakapple. You could also think of Juni. If nobody liked the food as much as Chevalier, I don't think anyone thought it was less than good two to three star effort. But the setting and the style turns people off, even without a "Monsieur." I remember years ago when online food wranglers boasted of taking long journeys and enduring discomfort, handwritten menus, and uncertain locations and opening hours in pursuit of deliciousness. Now we have to boast of enduring French accents and expensive cocktails. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 As I keep saying, let's see what we all think when Kreuther's place opens up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 But I think most people well find the Chevalier dining room to be "nice". It's not stuffy or oppressive in any particular way. Most people aren't going to care that the lighting is awful the way I do. Agreed. I didn't have a problem with the light (and I could take photos) but maybe we were in different sections. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oakapple Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Another point about EMP: unlike JG, it didn't open as a four-star restaurant out of the gate. It opened as a two-star, and very gradually added stuff until it became practically unrecognizable from where it started. I'm pretty sure that if MF had existed when EMP opened, the reaction then would have been a collective "meh!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oakapple Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I remember years ago when online food wranglers boasted of taking long journeys and enduring discomfort, handwritten menus, and uncertain locations and opening hours in pursuit of deliciousness. Yes: you earned a badge of honor to have done so. You weren't really serious if you had not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 But those places didn't charge $200 a head (including drinks, tap, and tip). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oakapple Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 But those places didn't charge $200 a head (including drinks, tap, and tip). This is absolutely true, but they attracted accolades far in excess of their actual merit, and the inconveniences Wilfrid wrote about had a certain hidden "cost", even if that cost was non-monetary. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neocon maudit Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Table for four opened up, and I booked it. I hope it's not too warm for a suit next week. Do I even own a summer suit? Pray for Neocon. Edited: these forums don't display emoji! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neocon maudit Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 [sigh] Reading the puff pieces in Condé Nast Traveller and Gotham is making me reach for the cancel button. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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