Bruni Betting: A Serious Eats-Eater Side Bet

Posted by Ed Levine, August 12, 2008 at 3:15 PM

Sea urchin with yuzu jelly

Ben Leventhal, Eater's usually spot-on, prescient, and perceptive Bruni Betting prognosticator, has really gone out on a limb with his wager that Matsugen will get four stars in tomorrow's New York Times. I had some very good food at Matsugen, and I have all the respect in the world for Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the Matsuhisa family, but there is no way in hell that New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni is going to bestow a four-bagger on this restaurant.

Matsugen does not even aspire to be a four-star restaurant. And I am willing to put my money where my serious eater mouth is. I am willing to wager fifty bucks right here right now that Matsugen will not get four stars. The loser will send the fifty bucks to the winner's food charity of choice. What say you, Mr. "Usually Right" Leventhal?

13 Comments

Tags: Ben Leventhal, Bruni Betting, Eater, Frank Bruni, Matsugen, restaurant critics

13 Comments:

I think if you look at the non-soba areas of the menu, it shoots pretty high. The flavor profile does not cater to the average New Yorker's palate. Save for a couple of pockets of more obscure restaurants, Mats turns out to be pretty exotic for Manhattan. Might this not be a four star of a new kind? I'll double down, sure, but you've got to make an actual bet. "will not get four stars" gives you too much wiggle room, sir!

BL at 3:30PM on 08/12/08

I'll tell you what. If you give me the odds you laid out in your post I will put fifty smackers on "two" and fifty buckaroos on "three."

Ed Levine at 3:40PM on 08/12/08

WOW! Things are getting exciting... Ben, are you gonna take him up on this?

simon at 3:49PM on 08/12/08

Come on, Levine. This ain't Vegas, it's a start-up. We'll honor the house's odds, but you have to PICK ONE (just like I did).

BL at 3:54PM on 08/12/08

All right, all right. I'm taking the chalk, three stars. I realize I'm not exactly going out on a limb here.

Ed Levine at 3:57PM on 08/12/08

And he takes the odds-on favorite. Missionary, we have a deal.

BL at 4:02PM on 08/12/08

and at approximately 8 ~ 9pm, we will know who the winner is...

This has got to be one of the most fun threads on SE in recent memory. You guys should do this more often.

simon at 4:14PM on 08/12/08

Winner should take loser to Ko.

JudgeFudge at 4:34PM on 08/12/08

@JudgeFudge: Whoops, I mean the other way around. Loser takes winner to Ko...

JudgeFudge at 4:38PM on 08/12/08

Ed Levine when Matsugen receives two stars tonight you can come to the Eater sponsored dinner BL is throwing me.

Skeater at 4:49PM on 08/12/08

Three stars:
http://events.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/dining/reviews/13rest.html?ref=dining

klg19 at 7:27AM on 08/13/08

Go Ed!

Raphael at 11:58AM on 08/13/08

Hahahaha NICE!!!

feistyfoodie at 3:23PM on 08/13/08

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