Top Chef guy not too happy with Spec review
Look! Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame isn’t too happy about Spec food editor Jason Bell’s negative review of his new restaurant. Grub Street reports that Colicchio is whining over Bell’s polemic, and we can kinda see why—the review called the restaurant “tragic” and said that it served “grotesque food.” I mean, we’re obviously on Jason’s side here.
So here’s how it all went down: Bell’s review ran in this morning’s Spectator. Then, this morning, Grub Street posted this article, titled “Coed Critic Finds Colicchio & Sons Grotesque, Foolish, and Absurd.” Apparently Colicchio was none too happy with the link to the review—especially one by a lowly college student.
So, at 5 p.m. today, Grub Street published another piece titled, “Tom Colicchio Doesn’t Suffer Kid Critics Gladly.” Colicchio had seen food critic Gael Greene’s tweet about the original Grub Street post. Pissed, Colicchio called Grub Street, asking, “Since when did you [Grub Street] start reprinting reviews from college newspapers?”
Meanwhile, a comment frenzy has broken out on the original Grub Street post. Some commenters are critical of Bell. (“And his complaints are inconsistent: he bitches about TC’s ‘unusual protein pairings’ on one hand, yet calls the pairings in another dish ‘laughably predictable’ – well, kid, which do you want?”) Others were more sympathetic. (“Bravo, Bell.”)
We’ll see how this battle turns out, but when Tom Colicchio is whining over a Spec review, we’re pretty sure that’s a win for Columbia.
actually cares about a spec review? lol
shit’s gonna go down.
is BEAST.
amazing.
I thought the review was pretty convincing. Like the ingredients not being washed… Bad French toast? IHOP is better than that. I don’t think those are very subjective judgements either. If there is crunchy dirt in your dish it is BAD.
makes me creeeeeaaaam.
More critical reviews please! They’re a lot more interesting to read.
Are important people getting touchy about a college freshman’s review? Lame.
you go spec!
awesome argument in the comments of the review.
مبارك لك وله ان شاء الله على فكرة مبارك هي الكلمة العربية الصحيحة لكن مبروك اتعودنا عليهاsuperb! Tell them ‘Lebanese’ w khalass Anyway few mhonts ago I blogged a post entitled “Relationship Status” so feel free to visit it. It’s not about Lebanon but discribes this attiude of curiosity VA:F [1.9.13_1145]please wait…VA:F [1.9.13_1145](from 0 votes)
Am I the only one who thinks that Jason’s review was way over the top? Every other line seems to use an excess of hyper-critical adjectives and adverbs, for example: “Tragically, Colicchio placidly pushes out overpriced, grotesque food that merely embarrasses the admittedly inflated “Top Chef” name.” Seriously…Jason…if you didn’t like the food that’s fine, but it seems like you wrote your review like you were trying as hard as you could to embarrass and put down Colicchio. I’m very embarrassed that we print reviews like this in the Spectator. How is anybody supposed to take our school paper seriously with this kind of language?
More ridiculous lines:
“White bean agnolotti accompanies a laughably predictable trio of…
I read the review before hearing about Colicchio’s response or the debate on Grub Street and was embarrassed for Jason. It was just ridiculously over-the-top and sounded like a college student trying to be a tough food critic but getting it completely wrong. Besides the (bordering on hilarious) insults he heaped on the restaurant, it just wasn’t good reporting – he slammed dishes based on the menu description alone and seemed to have only eaten in the place once, tasting a grand total of 3 dishes. Anyone who’s actually proud of the attention Spec is getting for this must be slightly delusional.
This domain seems to get a great deal of vsoitirs. How do you get traffic to it? It gives a nice individual spin on things. I guess having something useful or substantial to say is the most important thing.VA:F [1.9.13_1145]please wait…VA:F [1.9.13_1145](from 0 votes)
…chorizo, pork belly, and octopus. Just below it on the menu, Colicchio plays the obligatory offal card with a plate of roasted sweetbreads served with some vague iteration of bacon.”
“Colicchio would be better off slapping down an Eggo waffle and throwing in the towel”
“a smiling hostess hands them lemon poppyseed muffins as a consolation prize, the most delectable morsel they will sample all evening”
seriously…WTF!!
It was intentionally written that way for reasons that will probably be explained in the near future.
I sit with bated breath
you should i’m just gonna guess.
The review’s bombast and grandeur were amusing. It was fun to read. What are you so worried about?
Because this is meant to be a serious review and not a piece of satire meant for your amusement?
GO JBELL
Yay Jason!
Don’t listen to those haters. You did a GREAT job!
TOM COLICCHIO READ YOUR REVIEW. you win.
is a good show
we’re at this university to make a name for ourselves based on the quality of our work. this article lacks that quality, as entertaining as it may be, because it depends too heavily on creating a simplistically negative review of a restaurant.
the only reason anyone cares about the author or this article is because its over-the-top attacks led to a reaction by a famous chef.
the author really should use this opportunity to try and get more experience in the food world, and find some humility in the process.