NYT Per Se Review - Two Stars

I had lunch there a few months ago and whilst it wasn't as bad as the three experiences Peter Wells had, it was not at the polished level I was expecting.

It would not be fun to be on staff there at the moment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/dining/pete-wells-per-se-review.html?

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Comments

douglas_bd

Ouch. That was brutal.

tshewman

Author seemed to have an axe to grind. Who asks to smell a truffle in mid service? Is he hard of smelling? LOL! This also suggests he didn't get the freebees many reviewers expect (even of the higher end restauraunts). My experinece there was much more pleasant (took me down the rabbit hole), and although his experience may have been less than ideal, the nature of the review is not of a professional review IMHO.

artstype

I have seen several recent such reviews, which is very sad. FWIW, this fellow is not the sort to expect special treatment, the Times is pretty particular about such things. My experience last April was excellent service, and the food was mostly amazing.

Lou_34544

New York City is now full of restaurants that have gone above and beyond the bar Per Se once set. For example, Betony and Batard are two newcomers that have done just that, receiving 3 stars. The Nomad is another example. I can certainly understand why Wells would feel Per Se's menu is stale. It is. This is how things are in this world...if you stagnate you fall behind and fall behind quickly

robert.c.brown15

Ate at The Nomad twice in November and this past weekend. Absolutely a blast. Loved it all three times and highly recommend it.

Staying for 2 nights there in February with a Vday dinner res. Cannot wait.

robert.c.brown15

I've had a feeling that the TK restaurants aren't really innovating any more and are therefore not very innovative. They haven't changed anything but their price in the past 10 years have they?

If on the other hand, you look at Eleven Madison Park, they have changed up their menu style a few times, all while keeping 3 Michelin and 4 NYT stars. AND they are changing their entire menu style again on the 19th of this month.

Isn't Alinea changing it up too this year?

I understand some high end places in France and probably USA stick to the high end basics and flourish because they serve fantastic food that everyone likes, year in and year out. I think the culture is changing to try to stay fresh and that mixed with the obvious sub-par service at Per Se and tired feeling that nothing has changed played into the star reductions. I can understand it not getting 4 stars, 2 is sorta low, but at the same time, the price increases really start to piss me off.

tshewman

Alinea changes their menu about every season (ish) and some staples (truffle explosion, apple balloon and deserrt on the table) remain. I understand TFD has undergone a bit of a menu change and for Per Se and TFL, I think it's a matter of do they keep the classics and how to advance other things to keep it evolving. Keep what got them there and evolve. By cleaning the slate (like EMP and others) this is almost easier (they don't seem to battle that dilemma). The service however and quality of the food is where I question the reviewer. Having been there (and a few other places) it was on par (and higher). When a reviewer doesn't get to have free truffles, and isn't allowed to smell them like he wanted......the remainder of the review does make more sense.

robert.c.brown15

I think Alinea is doing a more drastic change than a seasonal menu change, not sure though

ejf12009

I went a little over a year ago and had a way better experience than the reviewer. Was it great value, maybe not, but definitely a solid meal. That said there were some major missteps for us that should not have happened: for the first 45 minutes we had no food, even amuses or bread, and the restrooms not as clean as they could have been. Other than that the service was top notch. Food was all A- to A+ execution, but I wished it were a bit more creative.

Wonder if the reviewer got unlucky, things have gotten worse in the last year, the reviewer is trying to make a point, etc.

HammeredChef_DEFINITELY_does_NOT_work_at_22134

To be honest...if I was the end recipient of that truffle dish and I had seen a waiter allow someone to stick their face in my dish at a restaurant like Per Se I would have left.. to ask to see a dish is bad enough when they are trying to serve all plates simultaneously.

tshewman

As I understand it, they are renovating (as they do the spain and Miami menus) and if I recall, will open in celebration of their 10th anniversary. But yes a large change. EMP announced a cleaning of the slate for their menu as well (much like they did after the launch of the first book).