Ed Hitzel's Restaurant Magazine
At Large: Tribeca Grill
by Dora Dunn
June 2006
A cousin of mine, Diane, asked me to help her find a place where she could host a family party. I had heard good things about the Tribeca Grill and so suggested that Diane give them a call. Celebrations in my family typically take place in someone's home. However, since my only cousin in the Big Apple lives way out in Brooklyn, we were forced to go for the public place in lower Manhattan.
Tribeca Grill is lovely, the staff is friendly and helpful and the food was perfect. It surpassed our expectations to the point that we felt as comfortable as if we were in someone's home. We took pictures, told stories, caught up with each other, and exchanged gossip about the lives of cousins not in attendance. We had the place pretty much to ourselves, but the staff left the welcome mat out for us in a big way.
I was pleased not only with the food and the ambiance, but glad that my cousins could enjoy such a welcoming place far from home. I made it a point to get the maitre d's business card so that I could write a suitable thank you note. That would have been the end of it, except for one thing. When I got back to my office, I looked online and saw a website for the place. I saw that there was a link to a review in New York Magazine, and decide to click on it and have a look. As a frequent restaurant patron and reviewer myself, I was irritated by what I read.
It was the kind of dismissive, snarky, I'm too-hip-for-the-room review that I think all restaurant goers have come to resent. For a moment, I felt a bit embarassed that I like the place so much. Tribeca Grill is owned by Robert De Niro and the reviewer sniffed that it was the kind of place that would be popular with out of towners hoping to catch a glimpse of De Niro or his pals. The reviewer went on to describe the food as "not bad". Not bad indeed.
The food is simple, accessible, and perfectly portioned and prepared. There were 11 of us in the party and not a misstep in one of the dishes we ordered. Some of the pairings make delightful use of seasonally available items. The morels that came with the seared scallops were a special treat. It was as if she or he was ticked off at getting the assignment in the first place and decided to take it out on the restaurant.
In my experience, rave reviews from New York Magazine are reserved for wildly expensive places with Chefs who have all the warmth and emotional stability of a Tartar with a toothache. You wait weeks for a reservation, and then they serve braised goat cheeks cantilevered on a bed of reconstituted catfish whiskers with mango salsa. The reviewers imply that if you aren't itching for just such a meal after an evening at the theatre, then your tastes are too plebian for them to bother with anyway.
Restaurants are supposed to be a restorative place. I have a dusty old textbook around here someplace that says so. It should be a place for weary travelers to stop and be delighted, comforted and nourished body and soul by the food and the service. When did it become fashionable for a menu to intimidate the diner? In any case, I have never liked that type of place, no matter how au courant.
I hope native New Yorkers won't read the review and make dining decisions based on the reviewer's assessment. If I lived there, I would make the Tribeca Grill a regular stop. It feels as if the people there would take the time to learn your name and welcome you back.
I enjoyed my visit there because of the time I spent with my beloved cousins, but looking at it as a professional, I was impressed. We were celebrating a special day, and they made us feel as if they wanted to make it special for us. I pray that I never become so jaded as to dis this gem of a place the way the reviewer did. If I ever do, I will hang up my knife and fork.