Have a feeling that today's been rather bittersweet for celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito. His Union Pacific restaurant just won two stars from the NYT. However, the two star-ranking was seriously off-set by a rather tepid review from Marian Burros:
Somewhere around 9:40 p.m., our waiter at Union Pacific presented us with a large piece of steak covered in the ashes of burnt hay. It was nestled in a bed of hay in a copper casserole.
We were all excited. It signaled the arrival of our main courses, one hour and 40 minutes after we had been seated. Unfortunately, the steak was returned to the kitchen to await the other main courses, which finally made their way to the table at 10.
At 11:15, we dragged ourselves out of Union Pacific, wondering who was minding the kitchen.
The unevenness of the cooking I sampled over four visits brought up the same question. Is Rocco DiSpirito, the chef, spending more time at Rocco's on 22nd Street, his television-created spaghetti parlor, than at his premier restaurant, which opened in 1997?
And, she goes on to complain about the resoundingly mediocre food:
But that showstopper rib-eye steak, with all its bells and whistles, did not rise above decent. Rabbit served three ways was in all ways cold. A flatiron steak, which at one meal was perfectly fine, arrived at another oversalted to a point that rendered it inedible. And that turkey schnitzel proved to be two paillards of turkey breast with anchovies and capers slathered between them and then fried. It might as well have been a fried-fish fillet. A potato pancake with crab meat and reconstituted dried shrimp sounded good and looked it, too, but the gorgeous crust belied an uncooked interior.
There were problems with the soups, too. One was carrot and tasted like hot carrot juice. Another, a ginger-turnip creation, seemed to have lost track of its turnips, tasting only of ginger.
Of the 11 desserts I tasted, only three were worthy of attention and the calories.
With a scathing review like that, one has to ask if the Grey Lady once again has a "stars" controversy hanging over its editors' heads. How can a review like this possible warrant a two star - Very Good - ranking? Doesn't make a bit of sense to me.
And, to make matters worse for Rocco, the New York papers are also featuring his new legal battle with Jeffery Chodorow's company, China Grill Management. According to the most-trusted source on gossip and mud-slinging, the New York Post:
Top-shelf restaurateur Jeffery Chodorow and his company, China Grill Management, charge in a new lawsuit that Rocco's 22nd Street, the site of the hit NBC show, is marinating in red ink thanks to DiSpirito's own special mix of bad business management.
"The Restaurant, under DiSpirito's management, has not been the financial or critical success that the CG parties expected. The quality of the food and service has been widely criticized," say court papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The suit also claims the eatery "has experienced significant operating losses" - over $600,000 - since it opened seven months ago.
DiSpirito yesterday dismissed those allegations as half-baked and "meritless," and gave his eatery a rave review. "Rocco's is a success because of my vision and hard work. The continued success of that restaurant remains my goal," he said in a statement.
So, to put it simply - Don't be surprised if Mr. DiSpirito is a bit dispirited at the moment. (C'mon, you knew that pun was coming!)
