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NYT Staff Held Party at Guy Fieri’s New Times Square Restaurant Prior to Scathing Review in Paper
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ^ | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16 | JOYCE CHEN

Posted on 11/17/2012 5:54:37 PM PST by nickcarraway

The most recent development in the ongoing verbal sparring between New York Times dining critic Pete Wells and TV food personality Guy Fieri has escalated the bickering to a whole new level of unseemliness.

Awkward, party of one! The most recent development in the ongoing verbal sparring between New York Times dining critic Pete Wells and TV food personality Guy Fieri has escalated the bickering to a whole new level of unseemliness.

After Fieri defended himself to the dining community at large during an interview on the “Today” show Thursday, a panel of experts — comprised of Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Phil — sounded off on Wells’ unrelenting review.

Dr. Phil, in particular, called Wells’ piece unnecessarily mean-spirited and self-serving. He also had this tidbit to add to the fray: “And by the way, last night, they hosted — the New York Times — hosted a 160-person party at that restaurant.”

Food industry site The Braiser investigated the claim and discovered that the New York Times had indeed held an event at Fieri’s American Kitchen and Bar on the same day that Wells’ review appeared.

A representative for the paper initially denied any links to the restaurant, but later confirmed that an ad sales department “hosted an event for clients at the restaurant last night. The event was planned two months ago.”

Wells’ review of the Times Square haunt has since gone viral on Twitter and the food reviewer’s zingers are still circulating the Internet.

“Hey, did you try that blue drink, the one that glows like nuclear waste?” he wrote. “The watermelon margarita? Any idea why it tastes like some combination of radiator fluid and formaldehyde?

“When we hear the words Donkey Sauce, which part of the donkey are we supposed to think about?” he continued.

And the now infamous: “Why did the toasted marshmallow taste like fish?”

Fieri, who flew into New York City the next morning to do an interview on the “Today” show, dismissed the review as ridiculous.

“I thought it was ridiculous. That to me was so overboard,” Fieri said. “We’re trying as hard as we can to make it right, to do it right.

“Is it perfect right now? No. Are we striving for it? Yeah.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: media; newyorktimes; restaurants
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1 posted on 11/17/2012 5:54:43 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

The review sounds kinda queer to me.


2 posted on 11/17/2012 5:56:31 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Paladin2

The NYT reviewer probably tried to make a pass at Fieri and got shot down.


3 posted on 11/17/2012 5:59:14 PM PST by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: driftdiver

Guy got even by having his son beat up the critic.


4 posted on 11/17/2012 6:06:02 PM PST by Founding Father (The Pedophile moHAMmudd (PBUH---Pigblood be upon him))
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To: Paladin2

Guy is not gay. But he is a first class jerk. This I know from first hand experience (so to speak). <<<the jerk part

His NY restaurant probably relied more on Guy’s name vs really good food as a business model. Either the food will need to get better or it will go buh bye.

Either way...Guy is still going to be a rich jerk. He’ll be just fine.


5 posted on 11/17/2012 6:09:53 PM PST by conservaKate (R got it wrong in 2012. We must get it right in 2014 & 2016.)
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To: nickcarraway

So Guy is fun to watch. I like triple D. Is this the reason? Just wondering. He finds good food in Omaha, Etc...


6 posted on 11/17/2012 6:10:48 PM PST by GrouchoTex (...and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free....)
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To: conservaKate
More of a question about Wells.

I'll stipulate that I've stayed WELL away from Manhattan for decades.

7 posted on 11/17/2012 6:18:45 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: GrouchoTex
Guy highlited a restaurant on Broad St. in Memphis that I had walked right past many times and didn’t pay attention to. Decided to try, and was pleasantly surprised that I really loved eating there.
8 posted on 11/17/2012 6:19:27 PM PST by Coldwater Creek (He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadows of the Almighty Psalm 91:)
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To: conservaKate

"Guy is not gay." But is Pete Wells? Maybe he thought that Guy, pictured here, was gay, and was rebuffed?

9 posted on 11/17/2012 6:22:27 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: nickcarraway

a panel of experts — comprised of Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Phil — sounded off on Wells’ unrelenting review.

A panel of experts? Culinary experts .... no, a bunch of TV hacks.


10 posted on 11/17/2012 6:28:33 PM PST by RetiredTexasVet (The law of unintended consequences is an unforgiving and vindictive b!tch!)
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To: nickcarraway

Just because there is a famous name on it, doesn’t mean it’s a great place. Like he said himself, he doesn’t personally work there or manage it, he infrequently visits it. His prime interest is in his West Coast restaurants. They could be cooking and serving fried horse turds, with his special sauce, for all he knows. If the food is over rated, either the dim witted NYC residents will eventually cause the place to fail (even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while) or Mayor Bloomberg will find offensive food elements on his menu and close him down.


11 posted on 11/17/2012 6:37:45 PM PST by RetiredTexasVet (The law of unintended consequences is an unforgiving and vindictive b!tch!)
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To: Coldwater Creek

He may be a “D” based on what he might says on his show, but I’ve been to a few of his “Triple D” sights around TX and they were good. No issues. I’ve agreed with his take on the food. Wonder why the NYT is on his case? Is it because he is married with kids? I thought he would have a good relationship with the Lib press. I guess he is an “outsider”, being from CA.


12 posted on 11/17/2012 6:41:15 PM PST by GrouchoTex (...and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free....)
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To: nickcarraway
No normal human really cares. The whole diseased NYC mess is not worth snot.
13 posted on 11/17/2012 6:57:00 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: nickcarraway; Salamander

I think it’s just fine having people I can’t stand watching open up restaurants serving food I’d never eat in a city I truly hate to visit.

It cuts way down on the chances that I’ll find myself in distasteful circumstances.


14 posted on 11/17/2012 7:15:01 PM PST by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: shibumi

Plus it’s just good fun to watch flaming libs squabble with each other.


15 posted on 11/17/2012 7:17:54 PM PST by Clarence
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To: driftdiver
The NYT reviewer probably tried to make a pass at Fieri and got shot down.

NAILED IT !!!

16 posted on 11/17/2012 7:40:52 PM PST by Ouderkirk (Democrats...the party of Slavery, Segregation, Sodomy, and Sedition)
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To: nickcarraway

Ehhhhh.....it was in the New York Times. All four of their readers eat stewed prunes anyway.


17 posted on 11/17/2012 7:42:30 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: shibumi

Why would care about people I’ve never heard of having a cat fight over something I don’t give a flip for?

I spent a year in NYC one night.

I learned all I’ll ever need to know about the place.


18 posted on 11/17/2012 7:48:16 PM PST by Salamander (If animals could speak, mankind would weep. Anthony Douglas Williams)
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To: Salamander

Ping was purely intended as an amusing diversion.


19 posted on 11/17/2012 7:54:45 PM PST by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: shibumi
We were not amused.

:-P

20 posted on 11/17/2012 8:07:45 PM PST by Salamander (If animals could speak, mankind would weep. Anthony Douglas Williams)
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