PrintPeter Luger's Has Always Been a Two Star Restaurant
Frank Bruni's review of Peter Luger's yesterday was absolutely spot on, and what made it so smart was how deftly he placed Luger's in the context of its many clones. Also, he couldn't say what I can, namely that Luger's never should have received three stars in the first place. It is still my favorite steakhouse in the world, but given the rudimentary level of service and the limited reach of the kitchen two stars is what Peter Luger's deserves. Also, isn't it interesting that even with the proliferation of Peter Luger's knock-offs and chef-driven steakhouses there are now no three-star steakhouses in Gotham. But if you go back and read Bruni's piece on Cut, Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse, you get the feeling that if Bruni were to give Cut a full review, three stars would be in the offing.
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2 Comments:
Two stars is absolutely preposterous. Peter Luger, its sentimental value aside, isn't even in the top rank of steakhouses in New York. I respect Ed's opinion on New York food this side idolatry, but there can be no defense of a place that takes random commodity meat, cooks it badly, and sells it for a small fortune in cash. My take on this is hinted at here:
http://nymag.com/daily/food/2007/09/food_writers_continue_to_be_co.html
jozersky at 9:33AM on 09/21/07
I tend to think two stars is generous too, based on my recent experiences there. If Reichl had given the place 2 stars back in 1995, which as Ed points out is what it deserved, I wonder whether Bruni would've downgraded it to one star. I think my steak-expert father said it best, upon reading Bruni's review: "Sounds uncomfortably true -- except I would've downgraded it to 0 stars." I think Luger's is running on fumes and has been for years.
jamieforrest at 11:17AM on 09/21/07