Early Verdict on Robuchon: Not Worth It

I went to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons Hotel on E. 57th St. last night for dinner. Spent $250 for dinner for two and was certainly not stuffed. Thank God my brother was paying. The dinner included two glasses of wine, one dessert, and six small plates. No coffee, not even iced tea for me.

A few amazing dishes; languostine fritter, gazpacho, sea urchin cauliflower cream. Others were merely good, and in no way special. One dish, foie gras ravioli in chicken soup, was deadly dull.

We got major attitude initially until I hit it off with one of our servers who used to work in a pizzeria in Staten Island. We compared Staten Island pizza notes. We both declared our love for Joe and Pat's. Said server even gave me a taste of the Alsatian pastrami cured and smoked in-house that's served with potato salad and foie gras. Katz's has nothing to worry about.

Maybe it was just too early, maybe we ordered wrong, or maybe this is another misguided line extension of one of the world's great chefs. At this point I don't feel the need to return. I would much rather eat at Daniel or Jean Georges for its incredible $28 two course lunch. You even feel full after you eat it.

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