"It's worth recalling those turbulent early days in June, and trying to sort out why, exactly, things went so wrong so fast. It's not as though New York lay waiting to ambush Mr. Ducasse. Quite the opposite.

New York went to Ducasse ready for a torrid love affair. The experience felt more like a kiss-off. Partly in an effort to assure New Yorkers that they were getting something truly special, Mr. Ducasse announced a price structure, a reservation policy and a severely limited weekly schedule that seemed a little more than highhanded. The implicit argument was that since Mr. Ducasse is twice as talented as any chef in New York, or in France for that matter, New Yorkers should be prepared to pay for access, and to wait in a long line for it too.

The style of service and décor, from the heavy plates stamped ADNY to the presentation of a dozen pens for signing the bill, seemed gaudy and overblown. The strange artwork on the wall, involving brass instruments and heavily dripped paint, broke new ground in bad taste. All of this would have been forgivable, but the food fell short. It was good, and sometimes very good, but in those heady early days, diners expected to be transported to culinary heaven. Too often, they weren't..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/01/living/01REST.html