Guy Fieri says the 'Times' review was "ridiculous," and he believes there was "another agenda."
Says it's a great way for the reviewer "to make a name for himself"
Yes, another terrible review for celebrity chefs, this time it was the New York Times review of his new Manhattan restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar.
The opening line: "GUY FIERI, have you eaten at your new restaurant in Times Square?"
Writer Pete Wells writes that a drink tastes like "radiator fluid and formaldehyde." He also complains that French fries arrive "limp and oil-sogged" and "served cold."
Pete Wells even hates the service, and his overall rating: "Poor."
Fieri defended himself and the restaurant saying, "I thought it was ridiculous. I mean, I've read reviews —- there's good and there's bad in the restaurant business, but that to me went so overboard, it really seemed like there was another agenda."
He also said, "The tone, the sarcasm, the question style." Fieri didn't think it was fair to visit the restaurant four times in two months. "That's tough times, especially this size of a restaurant."
But it should be noted that out of 56 reviews on Yelp, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar has an average of 2.5 stars out of five.
"At two months?... said Fieri. "I mean, we're trying to. We're trying as hard as we can to make it right, to do it right. ... Is it perfect right now? No. ... Let's see where we are in six months."
He also said, "To me, it's impossible to come in and have a dining experience and have every single thing is wrong, unless you come in with a different agenda and you want to sensationalize something and you want to blow it out of the water. It's a great way to make a name for yourself — go after a celebrity chef that's not a New Yorker that's doing big concept in his second month. Great way to hit it."
Fieri says, "I stand by my food. I stand by my team."
