French Laundry ...yeah, I know everyone loves it but me. :)

Back in the 80s my company held one of its annual holiday parties at TOTG. The place was highly entertaining in its over-the-top decor and general pretensions. The hors d'oeuvres were plentiful and tasty but hardly exquisite. It's hard to remember the food because the visuals were so distracting.

OT: the best part of the evening was, as we were leaving, spotting a publicist and a salesman locked in a clinch in a doorway across the street (having heard about office party bad behavior but never actually observed it).

TOTG was IMO just another part of tourist New York, having little to do with what locals frequent(ed).

Charlie Trotter's, Chicago

Hit and miss cuisine but severely uninspired and flawed service and overall experience. The most breathtaking and memorable part of the evening was the bill at the end.

Not everyone. I've never been but my best friends went and were thoroughly underwhelmed. I refuse to return to Bouchon in the Venetian in Vegas, another one of Keller's restaurants, due to terrible service and really poorly executed food on a previous visit.

Keller was here for a book signing recently and my friend and I were going to go stand in line so she could tell him FL sucked, and I could ask for my money back from Bouchon. We couldn't be bothered in the end and went for a curry instead.

Another of those celebrity chefs who restaurants have not impressed us is Bradley Ogden. We have been to two of his places - Parcel 104 in Santa Clara and the new Root 246 in Solvang. There was nothing really wrong with either of them, but the combination of the hype and prices suggest one is going to get a very special meal. That was definitely not the case in either place.

I've also just remembered a whole whack load in London, oddly mostly italian:

Cecconi's
Scalini
Locanda Locatelli
Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Road
any F&B outlet at the old Savoy Hotel

Yep! it's OK but that's about it.

Porcao churrascaria in Rio de Janeiro. Despite the good reviews had tourist trap written all over it.

And Rules. Tossup which of food, service or maitre d' attitude was the worst attribute but all were poor.

I was underwhelmed at Delmonico's in LV, as well as Emeril's in NO.

Cabana las Lilas in EZE :td:

Nobu
Gordon Ramsay at Claridges (but I really liked Royal Hospital Road one)

If your'e looking for good stone crabs at a decent price-- try Billy's in Ft Lauderdale. Great food, on the intra costal at a much cheaper price-- and only about 30 min north @

I havent been there but my wife is more discerning than I and she was really underwhelmed by Nobu in NY. Incredibly disappointed. I didnt think Rules was over rated I guess because I wasnt expecting it to be that good and it actually wasnt a disappointment then. Clearly not in the category of places like the Ivy, St. John or the fish place by the Ivy folks that I am drawing a blank on the name of.

Per Se - too long, too much, too expensive, too snobby