New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

All Posts Tagged: ‘adam platt’

Back of the House

5/ 8/08

9:00 AM

Adam Platt Sees Justice Served on ‘Top Chef’

top chef stephanie

Stephanie takes the cake.Photo courtesy Bravo

Last night's episode of Top Chef was a doozy, more than making up for the soporific quality of last week's show. The Quickfire Challenge was the always entertaining skills relay, in which the cheftestants had to clean artichokes, peel oranges, and make mayonnaise faster than their rivals. It came down to a grueling mayo race between Stephanie and Nikki, and the former won. In the Elimination Challenge, two teams had to cook for a massive Chicagoland wedding, and while there was much blame to spread, and not one but two Dale freak-outs, in the end the weakest of the remaining rivals was given the boot. We and Adam Platt sped to our computers to tap out the postmortem on IM.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, top chef

NewsFeed

5/ 5/08

12:00 PM

Don’t Tell Adam Platt, But Fugu Is Safe Now

Without the danger … this just looks unappetizing somehow.Photo: James Wojcik

Hot on the heels of Adam Platt’s death-defying trip to Japan to eat the potentially deadly fugu (blowfish) comes a piece in the Sunday Times on the very subject. It seems that the fugu farmers have this deadly-toxin thing licked, and that, with many of today’s new and improved fugu, you couldn’t get poisoned if you tried. (Platt actually knew about the safe fugu but hadn't come all the way to Japan to eat safe blowfish.) Of course, since fugu doesn’t taste like anything, that doesn’t give the world much reason to eat it. It’s a true paradox.

If the Fish Liver Can’t Kill, Is It Really a Delicacy? [NYT]
Related: To Die For [NYM]

More: NewsFeed »adam platt, fugu, japanese, sushi

NewsFeed

4/29/08

3:10 PM

Adam Platt Speaks From the Shadows

If you haven’t had your fill of Adam Platt from his magazine reviews, his Gobbler posts, or his weekly post–Top Chef IM exchanges, sit back and settle in for a veritable Platt glut: Our critic sat down with the site Big Think and shot twenty videos of his immense, silhouetted head discoursing on everything from Top Chef to his review of Momofuku Ko to the ins and outs of being a restaurant critic.

Adam Platt [Big Think]

More: NewsFeed »adam platt, big think, momofuku ko, restaurant critics, top chef

In the Magazine

4/28/08

9:00 AM

Platt’s Deadliest Catch

Adam Platt, your dinner is ready.Photo: James Wojcik

In this week's issue, Adam Platt travels to Japan to see if he can eat the world's most dangerous meal. He also reviews Commerce, so he must have lived. Rob and Robin tell the story of a biryani so good that it inspired a tiny new restaurant, Sangam, on Bleecker Street. Not far away are Royal Cafe + Pastry, a new café, and Le Petite Belge, a Belgian waffles kiosk, news of which comes courtesy of the Robs. To round things out, Patti Jackson of Centovini shares her recipe for miner's-lettuce salad with pheasant eggs, and Gael Greene reviews the new Italian steakhouse Padre Figlio.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, centovini, commerce, fugu, i trulli, le petit belge, padre figlio, patti jackson, royale cafe + pastry

In the Magazine

4/14/08

9:30 AM

The Fruits of Ingenuity, in This Week's Issue

grilled cheese sandwiches

Really, what's better than a good grilled cheese sandwich? Or four?Photo: Noah Sheldon

The theme of this week’s issue, at least that of its food content, was immediately obvious to us: ingenuity. In a city so stocked and teeming with restaurants, how can chefs find niches to fill? A noodle bar is reconfigured as a poor man’s Masa and earns four stars from Adam Platt; a wine bar forbidden from hard liquor uses wine, port, and sherry to create cocktails; and a restaurant catering to wealthy clients produces foie gras–flavored dog biscuits. Rob and Robin, in their tireless rounds, suss out such acts of creativity but also stop to appreciate the simple things, like the chocolate cookies at Payard Patisserie, say, or a promising Japanese restaurant opening on 8th Street, or the grilled-cheese-sandwich program at the bar at Smith’s. Add to this an inexpensive Argentine grill encountered by Gael Greene, and it’s another week in the life of New York, and New York.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, cho cho san, dog biscuits, gael greene, ko, payard patisserie, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, smiths

Back of the House

3/27/08

9:00 AM

Adam Platt Pities ‘Top Chef’ Judges

One of these men is destined for the glue factory. Actually, both.Photo courtesy Bravo

Last night's Top Chef might have set an all-time low for bad cooking and obnoxious cheftestants — a combination that amounted to a very entertaining hour of television. After Richard won a taco quick-fire challenge, the rivals were split into two groups and told to cook a block party in an unnamed Chicago neighborhood. The results were predictably disastrous, including dried-out macaroni and cheese, mushy corn dogs, and repellent post-meal celebrations by what turned out to be the losing team. Adam Platt was nearly as appalled as we were when we compared notes afterward.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, tom colicchio, top chef

In the Magazine

3/24/08

9:30 AM

Spanning the Globe, From Africa to Connecticut

If you can get Adam Platt to give you two stars for African food, you're doing something right.Photo: Zach Desart

This week's issue goes far and wide, from the past to the future, from Connecticut to remotest Africa. Rob and Robin have worked up a foodie spring break: four can't-miss restaurants that will compel you to rent a car and head out of town. No such effort is required to sample the cooking of Africa, via the kitchen at Merkato 55, which Adam Platt enjoys to the tune of two stars. On more familiar European ground, Gael Greene stops in at Mia Dona and finds much (though not everything) to her liking. There's a warm review of Arthur “the food maven” Schwartz's new cookbook, a definitive source on the story of Jewish foodways in New York. In "Openings" this week, Rob and Robin do us no favors by introducing an NYU-area cookie store catering to night owls. The Robs also mark the opening of Pomme de Terre, a bistro welcomed by residents of Ditmas Park.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, arthur schwartz, connecticut, gael greene, insomnia cookie, merkato 55, mia dona, pomme de terre, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

In the Magazine

3/17/08

9:30 AM

Good Times for High and Low in This Week's Issue

This is what a three-star restaurant looks like.Photo: Eric Laignel/Courtesy of Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis New York

These are high times we’re living in. Every stratum of society has something going for it. On the tippy top, the wine-swilling swells who frequent Adour can enjoy what, in Adam Platt’s view, is three-star cuisine. And their fellow plutocrats will enjoy South Gate’s posh but lively room and Gael Greene–approved food (well, except for the clams). But for the rest of us, Rob and Robin have a panoply of awarding options: There are the spring-inspired rhubarb hamantaschen made by Emily Isaac at Trois Pommes Patisserie; an interview the Robs did with Momofuku man Joaquin Baca, who now is doing the menu for world-class dive bar the Rusty Knot; and, adding to this embarrassment of riches, takeout sweets from Pichet Ong’s Batch, and a very appealing-sounding little Tuscan restaurant on Bleecker Street. On top of everything else, crackling is the latest snack trend. Good times, friends. Good times.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, adour, emily issac, gael greene, joaquin baca, momofuku, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, the rusty knot, trois pommes patisserie

Back of the House

3/13/08

9:00 AM

‘Top Chef’ Is Back, and Adam Platt Isn't Happy About It

Tom and Richard, a.k.a. "Sharkface."Photo courtesy Bravo

Finally, after an interminable wait only broken by doses of Top Chef books, cell-phone games, and Sudoku, the series itself is back. This season is set in Chicago, and the cheftestants are a motley lot who nearly all fell on their faces trying to make deep-dish pizza. The elimination challenge was even more devastating, as the formidable Erik just managed to avoid the boot, leaving that dishonor to the young, uncertain Nimma. Naturally, within seconds we were online with Adam Platt, trying to make sense of it all.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, anthony bourdain, padma lakshmi, rocco dispirito, tom colicchio, top chef

Back of the House

3/ 5/08

2:45 PM

Adam Platt on Best of New York: “It's a Matter of Taste, Cutty!”

Having pawed and pondered this week's Best of New York issue endlessly, we knew that the only way we could possibly make up our minds about it was to pester Adam Platt into giving us his thoughts on why he made his picks, who he had to leave out, and what his reasoning was. Since Platt is always readily available on IM, the following chat answered our questions and made our peace with his picks.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, best of new york, dovetail, fiamma, insieme, kori, lasagna, lucky 8, marco canora, momofuku noodle bar, ramen, ramen setagaya

In the Magazine

2/18/08

9:00 AM

Platt Disses Daniel, and Other Holiday Tales

Platt is ready to admit that the room is handsome, but…Photo courtesy Bar Boulud

Presidents’ Day is a holiday for Grub Street, but, thankfully, there’s enough in this week’s magazine to read till we return tomorrow. Daniel Boulud, whom Adam Platt respects as the Last Great French Chef, falls down in his new restaurant and gets only one star. In this week's "Openings," Rob and Robin introduce us to Olana (American with Italian influences) and marvel at Akhtar Nawab and Noel Cruz for putting a restaurant where Jimi Hendrix used to (reportedly) play. At Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Rob and Robin find the mind-bending “Frankensteak”: hanger steak that is literally glued to world-class rib-eye deckle. The Insatiable Critic falls for Fiore, a funky, rustic Italian place in Williamsburg; for those at risk of scurvy, pickled lemon is in "In Season" this week. But if you want a drink, you’ll find a guide to the city’s top boutique wineshops by the Gastropoda herself, Regina Schrambling.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, daniel boulud, elettaria, fiore, gael greene, momofuku ssam bar, olana, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

In the Magazine

2/ 4/08

10:30 AM

Dovetail Takes Flight, Merkato 55 Opens, and All Is Well

Dovetail's three-star review, coming right up.Photo: Noah Sheldon

Well, here’s some news the food world will find welcome: Adam Platt is so won over by the Upper West Side’s Dovetail that he has gone and awarded the place three stars. And in further good news, Merkato 55, Marcus Samuelsson’s much-awaited African restaurant, finally opens its doors in the meatpacking district, as Rob and Robin report in this week’s Openings. On the other side of the trendiness spectrum, the 2nd Avenue Deli comes under the gaze of Gael Greene, and the Insatiable Critic likes what she sees. Add in the mysteries of the Tasting Table and a fine sangria recipe, and you have plenty to chew on in this week’s magazine.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, dovetail, gael greene, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, second avenue deli

In the Magazine

1/28/08

9:30 AM

Platt Pans Brasserie 44; Make Your Own Guacamole

Inside Bar BlancPhoto: Noah Sheldon

Reading this week’s magazine — or at least the food-related parts of it — had its own special rhythm. First came the shock and guilty excitement of reading Adam Platt’s review of Bar Blanc, which he liked, and Brasserie 44, which he didn't — zero stars. In a week with only one opening (Bridge Vineyards Tasting Room), Rob and Robin taught us how to make guacamole (there's a video, too!) and turned us on to the rebellious risotto at Dell’anima. They also found local treats that are globally inspired and clued us in on the rabbits multiplying across city menus. Gael Greene managed to get a table in the early days of Chop Suey, and her pre-pre-pre-review is favorable.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, bar blanc, brasserie 44, dell'anima, gael greene, risotto, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

Back of the House

1/23/08

9:34 AM

Adam Platt: Latest Great Food Mind on WOR

For those of you who only know Adam Platt from his mordant restaurant reviews and IM chats, the next best thing is Friday’s interview with Mike Colameco on "Food Talk." Colameco has been on a tear lately — recent guests have included Frank Bruni, Tom Colicchio, and Marco Pierre White. But there’s only one Platt. You won’t get the hangdog expression, the pumpkin-size head, the blinking, beady eyes, but you’ll get a sense of what Platt is like in person. Listen to the MP3 to find out what Platt’s looking forward to in 2008.

Adam Platt on WOR’S Food Talk [mp3]

More: Back of the House »adam platt, food talk, frank bruni, marco pierre white, mike colameco, tom colicchio

In the Magazine

1/ 7/08

9:30 AM

Alain Ducasse Tries to Win Our Love

Alain Ducasse at AdourPhoto: Hans Gissinger

New York City hasn’t been kind to Alain Ducasse. But after reading this week’s big feature on the world’s most-starred chef and his latest effort to make New York love him, we find it hard to believe that he doesn’t have a fighting chance. Adam Platt somehow manages to appreciate delicacy this week and gives Smith’s an enthusiastic two-star review. Finally, Rob and Robin bring us two things sure to warm the insides of any New Yorker in January: Charles Gabriel’s collard greens and the hot cocktails at three of New York’s best bars.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, alain ducasse, charles gabriel, cocktail, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, smith's

Mediavore

1/ 3/08

10:00 AM

Shake Shack Reopens Today; Fabio Trabocchi's Last Meal

Sweet glory, Shake Shack reopens today at 11:30! You can call ahead to place your order, but you won’t be enjoying the new heaters until next week. [Eater]

The British agree: Adam Platt's term “haute barnyard” defines the prevailing dining trend. [Guardian]
Related: The Haute Barnyard Hall of Fame

The manager of Sarabeth’s on Central Park South caught a 50-year-old thief taking $27 from her pocketbook over the weekend. [NYP]

More: Mediavore »ace of cakes, adam platt, central park south, duff goldman, fabio trabocchi, fiamma, food network, gordon ramsay, los angeles, museums, rio, sarabeth's, shake shack, time out, union square cafe

In the Magazine

12/31/07

9:04 AM

Where to Eat in 2008

New York's Adam Platt has finally surfaced from the food trough. In between gasps, he has cobbled together his annual list of where you should be eating in the New Year. Platt's got a bead on Italian small plates, which no-reservations restaurants to wait on line for, and what expensive meal is actually worth an entire paycheck. If all of that is too much to digest, Platt has bites of wisdom to guide you through 2008: his ten favorite new restaurants, the best up-and-coming chefs, and where to take your father-in-law for dinner, among others.

So read up and start making reservations. We have to attend to Platt, who is up to his ears in pork and tear-stained menus.

Adam Platt's Where to Eat in 2008 [NYM]
Earlier: Platt: "The State of the Dining Nation Is Sound"

More: In the Magazine »adam platt

Beef

12/11/07

2:20 PM

Hell Hath No Fury Like an Irving Mill Flack Scorned

It may look like a restaurant, but it's a war zone, people.Photo: Jeremy Liebman

In this week's magazine, the long-shanked Adam Platt takes his appetite to Irving Mill, a new haute barnyard venue that seems to take more than a few pages from Danny Meyer’s book. Platt doesn’t outright dismiss the place for lack of originality, but he’s keenly aware of the joint’s “carefully calculated” vibe, with a menu that’s “worthy and competent without being particularly daring or new.” In the end, he single-stars the Mill, noting that the “stolid cooking and the warm and cozy atmosphere” make up for the uninspired menu.

Not a glowing review, but not a total rip, either. You might think only the most feverish members of the Greenmarket cult would find any real offense in Platt’s assessment — that is, until you check out the lively comments section, where something becomes very clear: The flacks hath been offended! To wit, a sampler of telltale phrases:

More: Beef »adam platt, irving mill, public relations

In the Magazine

12/10/07

9:30 AM

It's Time to Get Excited About the Second Avenue Deli

Second Ave. Deli

Photo: Jeremy Liebman

This week, Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld herald the impending return of the Second Avenue Deli with a peppery interview with owner Jeremy Lebewohl. Expect deep-fried chicken skins at every table, he says. Beats a bread basket. Irving Mill managed to extract a grudging single star out of the Haute Barnyard–phobic Adam Platt, and the Smith, despite a business plan dedicated to filling NYU students with “almost burnt” macaroni and cheese, was able to sway Gael Greene, no sucker for comfort food. Will the new restaurants be so lucky? The Robs introduce us to a high-concept townhouse restaurant, a grass-fed-burger joint, and a progressive Italian spot. And when you get cold from running around outside trying new restaurants, you can sip a nice hot chocolate. The Underground Gourmet found the best cups in the city.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, east village, gael greene, haute barnyard, irving mill, openings, the smith

Back of the House

12/ 5/07

9:00 AM

Platt Sees Only Disaster and Peril for Out-of-Town Chefs

Charlie Trotter is coming for you, Adam Platt!Photo: AFP / Getty Images

With the recent news that the celebrated Charlie Trotter might be opening up an outpost here in New York, our thoughts turned to the whole phenomenon of out-of-town chefs and their usually disastrous forays to New York. We thought to contact our dour friend Adam Platt to see what kind of world-weary wisdom he might dispense on the subject. As expected, the big man had deep thoughts at the ready, and we transcribed our exchange for posterity, in case Charlie Trotter wants something to put on his refrigerator.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, charlie trotter, fabio trabocchi, fiamma, gordon ramsay, lonesome dove, tim love, wakiya

In the Magazine

12/ 3/07

9:30 AM

It’s All Topsy-Turvy in This Week’s Magazine

The hallowed halls of meat: Primehouse New York.Photo: Noah Sheldon

The magazine’s content this week, which is copious, compelling, and diverse, is also curious. How in the world did Adam Platt give Primehouse New York the two stars we thought it deserves? Is it possible that the big man is softening? Likewise, we expected Gael Greene to be skeptical about Shelly’s La Tradizionale, a Shelly Fireman restaurant that was Shelly’s New York just a few short months ago — but instead she’s agog over the Italian seafood. Rob and Robin devise a guide to group dinners in the city, an antidote to the annual stress of holiday gatherings. For Hanukkah, they consulted with Julian Medina of Toloache for a Mexican take on latkes. Plus, there’s plenty of news in the openings department: Philoxenia makes a welcome return to Astoria, and Rheon Café brings high-tech Japanese restaurant equipment to New York.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, astoria, gael grene, philoxenia, primehouse new york, rheon cafe, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, shelly's tradizionale, toloache

In the Magazine

11/19/07

9:30 AM

Fiamma, Tailor, and Turkey Carry the Weight This Week

If you want two stars, pop a cork for Platt, and make it snappy! Photo: Noah Sheldon

This week’s issue carries a lot of freight, and there isn’t much room for consideration of the gluttonous arts. So the food content is slim — but potent! Adam Platt reviews two of the most anticipated debuts in recent years, those of genius dessert chef Sam Mason’s Tailor and Beard Award–winning chef Fabio Trabocchi’s New York debut at Fiamma. But that’s not all: There’s an In Season recipe for turkey-salad sandwiches, excuse us, tramezzini di tacchino, courtesy of ’inoteca’s Eric Kleinman; a guide to four very excellent Thanksgiving alternatives courtesy of Rob and Robin; and four new hotel restaurants likewise. We figured that with all the eating and cooking that’s going on this week, that should be plenty of food writing to get you by.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, fabio trabocchi, fiamma, inoteca, tailor, turkey

The Gobbler

11/14/07

5:45 PM

Adam Platt Defends His Ratings

After seeing that our good friend Adam Platt awarded Allen & Delancey, a restaurant we especially admire, a measly two stars, we decided to confront him with his misjudgment, and request – nay, demand! – that he explain and even justify his method of awarding stars to us. We knew it was an argument we couldn't win, and what's more that we shouldn't win, given the fact that Platt is arguably the city's top critic, but we also know he would respond to us like the big baited bear that he is. The debate played out via our favorite medium, Instant Messenger.

More: The Gobbler »adam platt, allen and delancey, cafe boulud, del posto

In the Magazine

10/29/07

9:30 AM

It's a Haute Barnyard Type of Week in New York

And imagine, it'll all come down in a few months.Photo: Michael Harlan Turkell

“The doctrine of seasonal correctness is as ingrained in the collective restaurant psyche, these day, as linen napkins, pre-dinner cocktails, and superfluous baskets of bread,” Adam Platt writes in his review of Park Avenue Autumn, and who are we to argue? The combined efforts of Platt, the Robs, and Gael Greene all point to the triumph of the seasonal aesthetic. But that’s not to say they aren’t fun. Platt gives two stars to Park Avenue Autumn, Gael seems fairly pleased with Irving Mill, and the Robs introduce three restaurants (Lunetta, Bacaro, and Smith's) that are all about fresh ingredients, as well as a recipe for Bosc pears that is, of course, in season. Meanwhile, back at the Greenmarket, a long-overdue crusade against plastic bags is at work. And, though not an expression of the Haute Barnyard mystique, it's very much a sign of the times: PDT has named a hot dog for David Chang — proof that the Original Soupman has made it to the big time at last.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, bacaro, david chang, greenmarket, haute barnyard, irving mill, lunetta, park avenue autumn, pdt, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, smith's

In the Magazine

10/15/07

9:30 AM

Go Around the World Without Leaving New York

You call that a pizza oven? THIS is a pizza oven Photo: Jeremy Liebman

This week’s issue, appropriately, spans the globe. The foodie’s guide to traveling tells you where to eat in vacation spots from Taipei to the Berkshires, but really, there’s no need for you to even leave town. Adam Platt is turning Japanese (we really think so) with a double review of Soto and BarFry; Gael Greene stops into Pamplona to run with Alex Ureña’s newly mainstreamed cuisine; and Rob and Robin (in a new feature called "Tools of the Trade") describe in detail the secrets of a new oven brought over from Italy to Una Pizza Napoletana. Meanwhile, grapes and white truffles abound, there are two restaurants on Avenue B, and all is good with the world, or at least our little corner of it in New York.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, alex urena, pamplona, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, soto, una pizza napoletana

In the Magazine

10/ 8/07

9:30 AM

Gridiron Gluttony and Haute Barnyard Gastronomy in This Week’s Issue

And to think of all the years we spent at Applebee's!Photo: F. Martin Ramin

We like football. We like seasonal vegetables, especially peas. We like Cuban sandwiches, and Italian food, and Mexican food, and new things to start the fall with. So we liked this week’s batch of food stories in the magazine, especially since it includes what passes for a glowing review by Adam Platt of BLT Market, despite his readiness to mock the Haute Barnyard movement and all that it stands for. Add in the intriguing Italian-Mexican hybrid Matilda, announced by Rob and Robin in openings, and a guide to football bars even Tom Coughlin would approve of, and it’s another first-class food issue of New York.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, blt market, east village, haute barnyard, italian, matilida, mexican, openings

Back of the House

10/ 4/07

8:30 AM

Adam Platt Was Right About ‘Top Chef’ All Along

The newest Top Chef thinks about using more bags in his cooking.Photo: Courtesy Bravo

The Top Chef finale turned out to be all we had hoped, as the three remaining rivals were all allowed to make whatever they wanted for a blue-ribbon panel of judges. Dale, continuing his surprising mastery, turned out four courses that pleased the judges inordinately, while Casey, having established herself as a favorite, dropped the ball and blamed everything from the climate to her sous-chef, Howie, for her loss. And no surprise, Hung walked away the winner. We walked over to the computer and addressed Adam Platt immediately, dreading his inevitable mordant response.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, hung huyhn, tom colicchio, top chef

The Other Critics

10/ 3/07

11:00 AM

Wakiya Earns a Second Bagel; Meehan Mistreated at BarFry

Wakiya's brief flirtation with the possibility of success seems to be over, now that Frank Bruni has concurred with Adam Platt by handing the restaurant what seems to be a well-deserved bagel. How long before it goes down for the dirt nap is anybody's guess. [NYT]

Alan Richman, by the way, hates the place even worse. You don't even have to look beyond his subheads: “Preening.” “Small Portions.” “Incomprehensible Menu.” The bottom line? The place is wildly expensive and “Wakiya suffers from an absence of delights.” To say the least. [Bloomberg]

Peter Meehan, though taking care to praise Josh DeChellis's cold dishes, had what sounds like a series of awful experiences at BarFry, with terrible service issues. Talk about picking the wrong guy to leave stranded with bottles in his hands! [NYT]

More: The Other Critics »adam platt, alan richman, andrea thompson, bar fry, bloomberg, blt market, danyelle freeman, frank bruni, gemma, josh dechellis, paul adams, peter meehan, plaka, randall lane, robert sietsema, wakiya

In the Magazine

10/ 1/07

9:30 AM

From Peanuts to Enotecas

Adam Platt, having given Centro Vinoteca one star, disintegrates before they can catch him.Photo: David Leventi

What if you were a 60-year-old church congregation in North Carolina and had somehow found a pipeline to the fast-paced New York restaurant scene via your salted peanuts? And then you hear from Rob and Robin that another North Carolina church congregation was moving in on your action? Wouldn’t you feel upset? Or how about this: You meticulously design a restaurant, down to the last detail, and then have to change everything three months later. Or what if you opened a good Italian restaurant that Adam Platt liked, but he only gave you one star because, well, he’s Adam Platt? What then?

These and other hypotheticals are answered in this week’s issue of New York.

More: In the Magazine »accademia di vino, adam platt, centro vinoteca, insatiable critic, park avenue summer

User's Guide

9/27/07

3:30 PM

Grub’s Gold: The Best From Year One

Scenes from a year on Grub Street…Photo: Melissa Hom, Lee Balterman/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Ah, how time gets away from us! It was only one year ago that Grub Street began. How we long for those innocent days of yore! We poked through our archives, and, while we had to put a few personal favorites aside, here’s our short list of Grub Street’s Greatest Hits.

More: User's Guide »adam platt, anthony bourdain, beatrice, charlie rose, dirty delta, jason neroni, mario batali, red hook, sam mason, tailor, tila tequila

Back of the House

9/25/07

3:30 PM

Who Will Win the Golden Clog?

Put it on the mantelpiece, next to that pile of money.Photo: Ruhlman.com

Culinary writer and BFF to the stars Michael Ruhlman has announced the Golden Clog awards, a new unofficial contest, with multiple chef categories. The winners will be announced, no doubt with much facetious fanfare, at this year’s South Beach Food & Wine Festival. The categories are as follows:
FERGUS AWARD — for best achievement in offal.
ALTON AWARD — for the food personality who can actually cook.
MARIO AWARD — for the chef-restaurateur who best multitasked, merchandised, multiplatformed and generally whored himself yet still continued to make significant and valuable contributions to the restaurant landscape.
ROCCO AWARD — for worst career move by a talented chef.
CHEF'S CHEF AWARD — for the least heralded yet most deserving working chef.

More: Back of the House »adam platt, chris consantino, golden clog award, l'impero, mario batali, michael ruhlman, michael white,