And, in decor and spirit, a great piece of “old” New York.

urban elitist

The proprietor would find the haunts of HA to be very comforting. I’d go there soon as he wasn’t certain of commercial survival if Obama was reelected.

If you’re in the Union Sq area and you’re not looking for USC’s high cuisine stop at the Old Town Bar at 45 E 18th. Best burger in Manhattan , good wings, and chili. Very good beer selection, and surprisingly not unattractive for a family.

xkaydet65 on November 15, 2012 at 2:47 PM

Also, for those of us old enough to recall, once featured in the opening montage of the David Letterman show. And, in decor and spirit, a great piece of “old” New York.

http://flint.craigslist.org/rnr/3411956576.html

Ishmael on November 15, 2012 at 2:12 PM

Not questioning your judgment regarding the two dining experiences. Just wondering if any place serving risotto can actually be considered a “hole-in-the-wall”

My local hole-in-the-wall serves bags of chips. Only.

I just looked at the Union Square Cafe menu. Is that what New York thinks is American cuisine? I don’t think you’ll find that menu in the heartland.

philoquin on November 15, 2012 at 2:06 PM

No crispy pig’s ears or whole roasted orata in the heartland?

Lot of good local food on that menu, though, in preparations that emphasize ingredients over technique, though, and I think that’s what Allah was getting at.

Upon return to I went straight to my favorite hole-in-the-wall eatery here in Jacksonville, FL and informed the ex-Navy chef that his risotto was far superior to that of his famous counterpart.

His face lit up.

If you’re looking for good American cuisine at prices comparable to Fieri’s and insist on eating at a place that people back home might have heard of, try the Union Square Cafe.

I just looked at the Union Square Cafe menu. Is that what New York thinks is American cuisine? I don’t think you’ll find that menu in the heartland.

Not saying the food was bad just disappointed. I doubt anyone will want to feature that restaurant on a DDD type show. Boring is the word.

As for Guy, his shows are fun to watch and I give him kudos for inventing himself the way he has. Just don’t think I’ll ever eat at his restaurants.

do not go anywhere near times square.

sesquipedalian on November 15, 2012 at 10:33 AM

This.

Native NY’ers avoid TS like the plague. I’ll only go if I have a friend visiting that’s never been here and really wants to go. I’ve never even been to the top of the Empire St. Bldg. or the Statue of Liberty, and they’re basically in my backyard.

Whenever I’m in a new city or locale away from home, you won’t find my at the tourist traps. Go where the locals go. Although, I’ll say that good eats can be found at GCS tho…the Oyster Bar has some really good seafood/raw bar.

Pro tip for tourists: If you’re looking for good American cuisine at prices comparable to Fieri’s and insist on eating at a place that people back home might have heard of, try the Union Square Cafe.

For “American” cuisine? They’re more like “funky and eclectic” fare.

Pro tip for tourists: If you’re looking for good American cuisine…

do not go anywhere near times square.

sesquipedalian on November 15, 2012 at 10:33 AM

Heh.

Why in the world is Fieri pronounced “Fee-Eddy”? Just sayin…

WordsMatter on November 15, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Because it’s a latin name (Italian, I think). The ‘r’ sound should get a hard tongue-tip trill, but anglos don’t do that very well. The closest most Americans can get to authentic pronunciation is a ‘d’ sound.

That happens with Spanish/Mexican ‘r’s too. In Indianapolis, the local announcers user to do the same with race driver Roberto Guerrero’s last name. It came out sort of a “Gudeddo”.

for the obsessed, there’s always an obama angle.

sesquipedalian on November 15, 2012 at 10:35 AM

And for you, there is never a sense of humor.

Politics do not get into everything, dear. The overpriced joint with horrible dervice has food that sucks, K?

katy the mean old lady on November 15, 2012 at 11:11 AM

Maybe not, but I see her point.

http://www.happyplace.com/17512/roadhouse-remake-script-with-guy-fieri-on-craigslist

I guarantee you that he designed the restaurant for tourists who like his show and are visiting NYC.

So yeah, the food might be crap, but I bet a lot of places Guy showcases on his show are crap too.

He is just being a savvy businessman. But the holier than thou Foodie establishment doesn’t get the joke.

Compare the prices at Fieri’s place to the ones at USC. Not that different. That’s another big problem with his restaurant: For a guy who’s allegedly into cheap eats, his own eats ain’t that cheap.

Allahpundit on November 15, 2012 at 10:46 AM

That’s not really the answer I wanted, but okay. Does anyone know of a nice, cheaper restaurant in NYC for families/tourists?

Politics do not get into everything, dear. The overpriced joint with horrible dervice has food that sucks, K?

I’m not sure about that. It’s like movie reviews. The reviewer needs to attract an audience too. Slagging a ‘celebrity’ is a good way to get attention. What we can expect, due to the reaction received, is more over the top snarky ‘reviews’.

bonnie_ on November 15, 2012 at 10:13 AM

Politics do not get into everything, dear. The overpriced joint with horrible dervice has food that sucks, K?

Compare the prices at Fieri’s place to the ones at USC. Not that different. That’s another big problem with his restaurant: For a guy who’s allegedly into cheap eats, his own eats ain’t that cheap.

Allahpundit on November 15, 2012 at 10:46 AM

Who can pay Times Square rent, union wages and contract costs, city business tax, etc. on a 500-seat restaurant and charge low prices? Even the TGI Friday’s and Hard Rock Cafe in New York are much more expensive than their other locations. Tourists know when they come to New York that everything is going to be expensive. Some smart ones know they can find small neighborhood joints that are not so pricey, but most look for the names they know wherever they go.

I am constantly amazed at the crowds that pack the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia, which is a mere two blocks from Chinatown and the Reading Terminal Market where you can get some of the best cheap food in the world. But there isn’t a Hard Rock Cafe in Kentucky or Ohlahoma or many other places, so people from there want to go to a place they have seen on TV and seems “big city” to them.

Yes, Ferry is a douchebag, and yes, his restaurant probably sucks. By definition, it’s the reviewer’s opinion, after all, but Occam would probably say it’s more likely the reviewer was justified as opposed to me having to think the reviewer made up all of that because he had some elitist axe to grind.

The Times was just as snarky when Philadelphia restaurant mogul Robert Starr opened his first place in New York, but it has been wildly successful.

New Yorkers love the money tourists bring them, but love to dump on their tastes in food and entertainment. They would just as soon have Times Square blown up, but it’s a must-see for tourists and actually endears New York to the rest of the country every year on New Year’s Eve. The Food Network is based in New York and employs hundreds of New Yorkers, but the audience is the hoi polloi in flyover country, so its stars must be shunned.

Compare the prices at Fieri’s place to the ones at USC. Not that different. That’s another big problem with his restaurant: For a guy who’s allegedly into cheap eats, his own eats ain’t that cheap.
Allahpundit on November 15, 2012 at 10:46 AM

I think you need to check your definition of “good American cuisine” – it’s got a lotta Italian and French dishes. What you need is a good old fashioned supper club.

Hey AP, how about a restaurant that tourists/families can afford?

Compare the prices at Fieri’s place to the ones at USC. Not that different. That’s another big problem with his restaurant: For a guy who’s allegedly into cheap eats, his own eats ain’t that cheap.

A lot of these embedded NBC videos don’t show up on the iPhone

bluegill on November 15, 2012 at 10:03 AM

Maybe on the iPhone 6… or 7.

Guy Fieri has now been asked more probing, tough questions by the media than Barack Obama.

Abby Adams on November 15, 2012 at 10:34 AM

for the obsessed, there’s always an obama angle.

Pro tip for tourists: If you’re looking for good American cuisine…

do not go anywhere near times square.

Hey AP, how about a restaurant that tourists/families can afford?
WordsMatter on November 15, 2012 at 9:43 AM

What? You don’t want to pay 500 bucks for a family meal?? Cheapskate!!!

Every time we travel we look up Guy’s restaurants from DDD and try to plan our meals around them. I’ve never been disappointed. I read the review of this New Yorker and it’s just as snooty, derisive, and nasty as I’d expect from a lefty who hates everything about America. He hates Guy (read: America) and everything he represents. I hope Guy laughs him off and continues making great shows. And if I make it back to New York, I know where I’m going to spend my red-state dollars.