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

[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.”

[shibumi]

By a strange coincidence,

neither was Techno Viking.

[bluetick]

I went to that place on Broad many many months ago for lunch. Ordered fried chicken. It was overcooked - almost burnt. Never went back. Maybe I should give it a second try.

I saw Fieri’s review of a place on Highland in Memphis too and thought it looked/sounded good. I tried it for lunch a few days later and had the worst/sweetest greens I’ve ever tasted.

[Salamander]

LOL

Love that guy.

[Ann Archy]

Maybe they hte him because he dared to put “AMERICAN” in the title!!

[Coldwater Creek]

Sorry that you had a bad experience at the Three Angel’s. I also had the fried chicken. I like my chicken cold, and was surprised that they offered it. Mine was great and I have a rep for the best FC in town.

BYW, the “Old Broad” has really been resurrected.

[Coldwater Creek]

How bout those football Tigers yesterday?

[bluetick]

It was nice to see the Tigers beat their rival handily in the last game the two may ever play. I am a Tennessee alumnus, so yesterday was a really dark day.

[Mase]

Don't like the NYT’s, but thsi review was one of the best I've ever read. Guy has an ego as big as the Grand Canyon, and although his menu offers a big “WOW” factor, it doesn't deliver. Guy is phoning it in and hoping his name will carry him through with mediocre food. It probably will. The restaurant is huge, just like his ego, and the location will ensure a lot of foot traffic from tourists who don't know good food from bad, only that this man is a celebrity. There are a lot of high volume restaurants out there serving crappy food at high prices. They survive for many reasons, and celebrity is but one of many.