I don't see how guys that do fast food reviews in their cars have hundreds of thousands of subscribers and you havent cracked 30K yet. Your videos show a lot of effort with the editing and careful scripting and I enjoy them very much.
Thank you! I really appreciate it! I'll try to get there someday, but I'm going to be making videos my way like I always have. It means a lot to me when anyone takes the time to watch one of my uploads.
James, your choice of music was perfect for this classy video! As always, your restaurant reviews unfold like a gripping story. Thankful and appreciative of your attention to detail and beautiful choice of words!
I like the voiceover, sometimes when other food youtubers are talking to the camera at the restaurant, I can't help but feel 2nd hand annoyed for the other customers next to them. Appreciate the courtesy u show.
Thank you! Yeah, that's the main reason why I do voiceovers, especially at fine dining establishments. People pay a lot of money to eat there and I don't want to disturb their visit.
@@Jamesnu They did look scrumptious! I thought the same thing u said when I saw the bill, u should've gotten the duck lol! Wow that was a pricey meal for such little food even though I'm sure it was yummy.
James, echoing what many here have said, your content is consistently top notch! You are setting a high bar for a new generation of reviewers, keep up the great work!
Hi James. I enjoy your videos so much. I hope you are taking care of yourself and getting enough to eat. I'm proud of you for calling restaurants out on small but meaningful details that they seem to have forgotten like value, courtesy, and hospitality. I have given up almost completely on fine dining except for the occasional celebratory meal at places like Jean Georges and Per Se where I know I will get my money's worth. Given that I don't eat out much anymore, I appreciate being able to eat vicariously by watching you. I would be happy to treat you to a meal at Le Crocodile. It's a place where I would like to dine, but is a little out of the way for me.
Thank you so much! Yeah, fine dining can be tricky. When you spend so much, the expectations are raised and you almost want to be assured that you get your money's worth.
Great photography and nice music. Your comprehensive description takes us there, and is what sets your channel apart. Properly dressed for the occasion too, which is refreshing to see.
James, I loved the exterior of the restaurant and the space inside was just gorgeous. Your camera work captures everything perfectly. I also totally respect the 100% honest reviews. When I see portions like this for that kind of money I'm reminded of Charlie Trotter every single time. The man could flat out create heaven on a plate. That said, every single time we ate there, we left very hungry and my wallet was exponentially lighter.:) I enjoyed the banter with Charlie too. He had a very dry but cool sense of humor. RIP Charlie. Anyway, thanks for yet another excellent review. You get so much done in such a compact amount of time, it's mind blowing. You've become my favorite reviewer on YT. Your style is unique and the content is very well done. Cheers from Chitown
Cheers and thank you so much! Yeah, the small portions seem to be an unfortunate characteristic of many fine dining establishments. At least the food was for the most part, delicious. Maybe next time I'll plan to go to a second, more affordable restaurant to go to if I'm not filled up.
Another excellent video James!! I really enjoy your huge vocabulary! And I envy your huge appetite! I'm going to get a recipe for sticky toffee cake immediately! 🎉😊
I love your videos and you are a gentleman james. Your channel will continue to grow because you are very likable and you do a great job with all facets.
I appreciate the fair review! I'm a big Francie fan...I do think you missed out on their drinks- they have really excellent cocktails and a great sommelier who offers great options for those looking to spend less. Same with the cheese cart...it's such an exciting and unusual thing to see in NY and it really adds to the experience when I have gone. ....I hope one day you'll be able to come back try these things! :) Francie is definitely better in a group, the duck portion is huge and can easily be split by 3 in my experience.
Hi James, Thanks again for another insightful review. We all appreciate the sincere effort you put into each of your restaurant excursions. That pasta course looked uninteresting to go along with the indifferent taste. I hope your next dining visit exceeds your expectations in every way. All good wishes, Rich
The outside is really nice - it reminds me of a London townhouse. To be honest, though, this place seemed pretty "meh". The sticky toffee pudding got me thinking that you should totally do a food trip to London. The pub scene, afternoon tea, Sunday roasts, and full British breakfasts alone would create a lot of fun content, not to mention all the Michelin restaurants and everything else there.
I've been to London before and I've really enjoyed it. Indeed! I would definitely like to go back someday. There are so many restaurants there that I want to visit.
While I try not to burden you with the need for you to respond to my comments; I do know that it's only because of your "midwest" upbringing requires your sincere attention & need to respond to all received comments from your audience & subs! THIS review was extremely informative & "real"!!!! I was only somewhat aware of this restaurant because of Pete Wells; yet please understand that I no longer "DINE OUT" with friends or business associates. I am so pleased to watch your offerings because your review of establishments that interest you & should interest "old foodies" such as myself are so entertaining. Once again, well done! This was truly a wonderfully interesting review of the truly amazing restaurants "OUR" city offers to all! Continued future success as you provide your viewing public the "joys" & expressions of eating out!!!!! This is Peter; out!
Thank you so much Peter! Yeah, my main motivation is to go to restaurants that interest me and I'm glad that others find enjoyment in the places I go to as well. Thank you for the support!
Great review (I always enjoy these!), James. Even before you did the duck pricing comparison, the prices on the menu - even by NYC fine dining standards (and then substantiated by the Lilliputian dish sizes) - seemed on the verge of gouging the customer. At the very least, they could find a way to give you a shot at eating the duck without a companion (e.g., as a small plate) although sourcing might be a factor too. Anyhow, looks like an amazing experience and as always, you augmented our virtual experience with great music, editing, and your personal touch.
Thank you! Yeah, it would be nice if they had the duck presented in some format for single diners, but the one they offer to share is very impressive looking and I'll definitely try it someday.
Hi James, your nod of approval is going to be a meme in itself ! Yes, I thought that pasta dish - which I first thought was some kind of confit celery - was ... nondescript. Really liked the main course and the dessert. Nutmeg ice cream ? Bring it on ! Don't tell that turkey, Brandon, or the mystique will be lost forever ! Looking forward to the day I see 100K subscribers on your channel. Your class and presentation skills deserve it ! All the best, my friend !
Yes this place looked great…and I’m with u on this one boy I would be a lil upset leaving 145$ bill and still got room to eat but I can put some grub away myself and I believe I have seen u put some away too lol…good job on this one and keep em comin my man
I love your reviews. you are wonderfully honest, yet you never tear down. your details are excellent. you have a very real, lovely everyman quality. you are not pretentious in the least, yet you have a high standard, and you expect to be served quality equal to the price being charged. that is quite right. thank you for the nice balance of total honesty, mixed with a positive spirit that is looking to like more than dislike what you are being served. that is a key difference here. I wonder if that quality inverts the more one goes on being a critic? it feels like maybe it does. and that is too bad. I loved pauline kael as a film critic because she was a very good writer, she had really good taste, though I disagreed with many of her likes and dislikes. I always respected her opinion and saw where she was coming from. at her core though was a person who was gaga about going to the movies. if she loved a film, she LOVED THE FILM. and I like a critic who shows us why they got into their art form to begin with. otherwise, it is all academic, and not based on how something makes you feel something. keep going! you have something to share with us! thanks for posting.
Thank you so much! Those are some awfully kind words and I really appreciate it! I always strive to present the best picture I can of a restaurant and my experience. I'm not perfect, but I'll always try my best.
I keep commenting and it vanishes, so if there are a few comments from me thats why. Great review, the pork looked mouth-watering! The duck sounded like it would of been amazing, another time though. Keep up the excellent work! Love from England, UK🇬🇧👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Love the ambience and relaxed style of your reviews. That’s how I’d approach being in a restaurant like that feel wise so it gives an extra authentic touch. Shame the pasta lacked pizzazz then some of the best Italian stuff is very elegantly simple.
A couple of thoughts from an ignorant observer who has never eaten M⭐. I'm not sure you are ever supposed to leave full but at those prices I want to be opening the belt buckle another notch. I love that you chose pork tenderloin. It is not common to find on a menu and as it is almost flavorless I am happy to hear they made it into something great to eat. One of the reasons you are one of my favorite food channels is that you always choose different foods to try. Thank you for an enjoyable experience and for all your time put in. ps: Have you ever tried Sel et Poivre (I think it is on the upper east side). An inexpensive French restaurant. I haven't been there in over a decade but it was a nice meal for a fair price.
Thank you! Yeah, I have a wide variety of food that I enjoy so I like mixing it up when I go out to eat. I haven't been to that restaurant yet, but I'll keep it in mind. I appreciate the recommendation!
I rarely take the (supplementary) cheese course, in part because I'm usually having a tasting menu at a star and the cheese might tip me over the top, but also because it's often rather about purchasing nous rather than skill in creating a dish. Where they have used cheese to make an actual dish, I'm usually more open to trying it though. I did make an exception for the (recently closed) Le Gavroche because of its legendary cheese board, which must be comprised of more than 50 varieties. I particularly enjoyed a five year old Cheddar there.
I would try the Duck Mortadella with brioche and pistachio mustard, followed by the Spanish duck chorizo with patatas bravas and sofrito, with the main course being the duck bolognese pappardelle with vacca rosse parmigiano. That way, you get all the duck you want without having to order the main dish for two. BTW, I noticed you're putting the silverware back on the plate at the end of meal in an orderly way. I know that the guy who mentioned your former way of doing it was kind of rude, but he was right. It does make the video better to watch.
You're a refreshing change from the usual reviewers of fine dining establishments, can't recall another reviewer of Michelin star restaurants only having water with their meals!😂 what a contrast with Alexander the guest,a reviewer of only Michelin star restaurants throughout the world,his wine bill alone is probably more than triple the costs of your meal because at each of these establishments, he would consume no less than 10 glasses of different types of wines with each course if its a10 course meal!😂 Then again he can afford it because he's also the owner of Michelin star restaurant himself.
Thank you! There's nothing wrong with water, but if I could afford it, I would definitely enjoy pairing my food with a variety of beverages, but first and foremost, I'm at these restaurants for the food.
Hey there James! Another fun Video and review. The dishes were really elegant, just needed a bit work on that particular pasta dish and the portion sizes. I think they could have fixed part of that issue by renaming one their dishes to - Bottomless Souffle cakes with caviar butter😉 Or like you mentioned you could have ordered the whole duck.. you know what they say at Francie... when you order the whole duck .. you tummy is in luck!
Haha! I like that saying! Yeah, next time I'll definitely get the duck. At least the food I had on this visit was very good, besides the pasta dish, which still at least, wasn't bad.
Well, here’s the thing, you are in New York City, so if you leave a fine dining restaurant, a bit hungry, you can always grab a sewer dog on the way home! Love your reviews, James❤
The building was absolutely gorgeous!! However I did not care for the interior design at all, especially the shower curtain on a tension rod at 8:43 time stamp. The food looked great but I am with you, I would order the duck. The dessert menu was very underwhelming and would be more common in a less expensive restaurant. You would have thought they would have had some wow desserts. I would love to try the starting soufflés with caviar as they appeared a bit unusual for a starch item so I will give a thumbs up for those too. Thank you for the video.
“Food without wine is a corpse…”, Andre Simon. Just a thought, instead of spending $10 on a bottle of water, order a glass of their $16 Chateau Peyros from Madiran, FR. instead.
I agree. The pasta course was weak, but the pork entree looked excellent. Fine dining, small portions. Not my favorite type of places. Peter Luger, now that’s my type of place.
“…the smell.” I suggest “the fragrance.” (“I’m home, honey. Hey, what’s that smell?” “I had to clean up after the dog, dear. Maybe I didn’t do a good enough job.”)
Thank you! Yeah, inflation has certainly been a factor, but at the same time, I feel like this restaurant wasn't the best value compared to other Michelin starred restaurants in NYC.
Just like the bread in one of your previous videos. I will explain how to eat the soufflé cakes. 1. Place a soufflé cake onto the side plate. 2. Break a bite-size piece off with your hands. 3. With a knife, apply the butter to the bite-size piece. 4. Place the buttered piece in your mouth. I think you know the rest.
I really appreciate the suggestion, but I wouldn't want to rip a delicate soufflé and treat it like a piece of bread, it would diminish the bounce and texture of the dish.
Absurd how much the prices have gone up in just 2 years! It’s almost cheaper to go on a vacation than go to one of these bougie restaurants these days 😂
Francie duck is real good they should make a single portion I'm going Le Jardinie this fri in little italy bronx went to a Albanian restaurant cos only one open after 9pm on valentines day called cakor and had grilled Kidney which was great
Good video, as usual. I wondered, though, whether the restaurant offered a broader selection of special mains. The menu seemed on the skimpy side when the specialty was available only for two.
James: nice place, but for your 4 courses at $145 with tip & not being enough to eat I think I will pass! The pork at $45 certainly was overpriced! I have purchased fresh Rohan ducks from D'Artagnan for about $30 plus shipping❤
Nice! Yeah, it was definitely costly. While I enjoyed that pork dish, I wish that it was a bit larger to justify the price. It just didn't seem to be the size of a main course.
Excellent video sir! I myself have been in a few situations where i ate my meal and my stomach is still saying "feed me!". I would then hunt down a taco truck or a hot dog cart or pizza just to asuage the hunger. I hope you did the same.
That pork entree and the souffle looked delicious, the pasta not so much. Just curious, is a five-week gap between filming and posting the usual for you? Look forward to seeing you take on the duck on your next visit.
Thank you! I'm definitely looking forward to that duck! When it comes to posting videos, I never really upload them in the order I film them. Some videos are just more timely and take precedent.
I feel as if you are doing a disservice to your meal when you go to such a high end place and then only drink water alongside the food. I understand that it is your choice and that you may be restricted by your budget, but if you are heading to such a high end establishment for dinner and are willing to pay for such expensive food, then your budget can probably afford to stretch to include a single glass of wine aswell, it would "only" increase the bill by another 10% of the total cost but contribute far more enjoyment than a glass of water. The reason that I'm saying this is because we are watching you to enjoy your experience of the meal and the ambience of the restaurant, and drinks are included in that experience aswell. It is (personally) less fun as a viewer when you go to a place like this and then complain about the pricing being restrictive and you limit your own experience because of it. None of us are going to see you on the days you are not on camera, so you can splurge on these videos and then eat a bologna sandwich as a cheap meal the next day to balance it out.
I know what you mean and I will definitely try to pair my food more with beverages, but it's still an extra cost for me and money is tight. At this restaurant, if I would've spent more, I would go for another course first as opposed to a beverage.
The food looked amazing. I get that it's an upscale fine dining establishment, but it is absolutely inexcuseable to pay that much for an entree and dessert and walk out still hungry!!
@@Jamesnu It sounded like I was more interested in your jacket than I was the video content, and that is not true your videos are great. You have a much older style and wealthier look to you and remind me of myself in my Persol shades. My Daughter is moving to New York from here in Dallas next month and I encouraged her to watch your videos. I have spoiled her here in Dallas, and I don't think she will dining Michelin 3 star unless I am paying. Keep up the video business you are doing great. MP
I will personally say you sort of dodged a bullet with the duck. It lacked flavor in my opinion, and despite the apple sauce complimenting it beautifully, the rest of the accompaniments were not as great. They managed to overcome a good amount of the gamey taste common in ducks, I will give them that... but that isn't quite enough and being someone from a city where ducks are the specialty, it seemed to me an amateur attempt to make good ducks.
In a fine dining or any restaurant for that matter you have every right to send the dish back if you don’t like it or are disappointed. You should have sent that pasta dish back and request a different more appealing menu item. Regardless of cost.
Perhaps. Remember that restaurants depend on satisfied customers and feedback. Positive or negative feedback allows the establishment to improve and broaden its appeal and elevate its game. A satisfied diner is potentially a repeat customer. No less than you sharing your experiences with us viewers.
Haha! Yeah, that seems to be the case with a lot of starred restaurants. At least with many other fine dining places they do offer complementary bread, which definitely helps.
