186012 Tue Jul 03 13:07:24 -0700 2001 10 16 Mid-Atlantic 0 996562 Has anyone eaten at Rats in Hamilton, NJ? It's connected with Grounds for Sculpture and is touted as beening very good but VERY expensive. Tue Jul 03 13:07:24 -0700 2001 0 bbk 1 996564 With a name like that, it needs all the good press it can get. Tue Jul 03 14:22:35 -0700 2001 996562 0 ironmom 2 996565 Why don't you take a look at www.ratsrestaurant.com before you make any rash statements. Tue Jul 03 15:43:21 -0700 2001 996564 0 bbk 2 996705 Ironmom's right. Who cares what perverse thought process inspired the choice of name? trying to link the concept of good food with the concept of RAT is moronic. I went twice--the second time was not by choice--and found the place expensive, soul-less and totally pretentious. It was trying to masquerade as a cool, good restaurant, but the desire came from the wrong place. "Trying" and "cool" don't go together, and neither one goes with great food. The staff was rude and grim, the menu had all the hip ingredients of the moment--fleur de sel, ramps, bone marrow--and although the food was pretty good when it finally arrived, the overall experience was endless, pompous, and not to be repeated. Fri Sep 14 11:31:32 -0700 2001 996564 0 bcfc 3 996724 I found your message today as I was kicking around on chowhound. I'm the wife of Eric Martin (chef/manager at Rat's) and I'm very interested and upset to hear about the terrible time you had at the restaurant. Could you tell me the dates (roughly) of your visits? Do you not like trendy ingredients (fleur de sel, etc) on principle or did they strike you as poorly used in the food? What particularly struck you as soulless about the place? We're pretty worried to read such comments and want to do what we can to remedy these kinds of problems. Feel free to email me at our address if you'd like. Thanks a lot! Fri Sep 21 18:05:04 -0700 2001 996705 0 julie m. 4 996725 Julie--welcome to Chowhound, and thanks for disclosing your affiliation! Your post violates none of our rules, and so we're leaving it stand, but I'd like to make a point, mostly to readers-along: We are a consumer-oriented site (though we welcome food pros who drop by to chat as civilians, without professional agendas). So while this site is a heckuva way for restaurateurs to monitor consumer reactions, that's not our focus. And I'm wary of establishing a precedent of allowing restaurateurs to use us actively, rather than passively, to reap feedback on their operations. In the past, this has not been a major problem for us, so we've not made a ruling on it. But if we see a flurry of these sorts of messages, we may be forced to (again, nothing personal, Julie...I'm talking to the bleachers here). Also, I hope people in the biz realize that no poster is obliged to corroborate or explain his/her negative opinions to stung restaurateurs. We protect an atmosphere where consumers can opine freely, for better or worse. ciao Fri Sep 21 18:25:57 -0700 2001 996724 0 Jim Leff 4 2417498 I went to Rats July 2005 for my birthday. VERY disappointed. We ended up getting there earlier than reservations. Place was half empty. First, had to wait for waiter because he was too busy talking to people at next table about the restaurant he use to own (he spent the whole time talking with them.) Then discovered were out of the special I wanted. Appetizers were just okay.. sounded a lot better than they turned out to be. Then when dessert and coffee was served there was only 1/3 cup in pot (luke-warm). Waitress said she would be right back with new pot. Never did.... stood on other side of room and we couldn't get her attention... looked right through us. Sat Mar 24 13:31:16 -0700 2007 996724 82520 jrogers345 1 996571 We have eaten at Rats on a number of occasions and have always found the food and service excellent. That said on our most recent visit, the service seemed to be a bit slow. However every restaurant has an "off" day every now and then. Check the forum at www.foodbytes2.com for more information. Many of the posters on that board are also familiar with Rats. I am certain that you will enjoy yourself. Link: http://www.foodbytes2.com Sat Jul 07 19:45:13 -0700 2001 996562 0 been there 1 996572 Went to Rats for first time about 4 weekends ago on a Sunday.Walked around the sculpture grounds with friends I had persuaded to try it.(they eat in gourmet places in Manhattan regularly and were skeptical anything equivalent existed in Trenton) Drove the short distance from grounds to Rats.Rats is amazing re-creation of a French Country Home. Very pleasant unintrusive service.Food was extra=ordinary ,expensive but no worse than a good New York restaurantHowever don't order off sampler menu unless money is no object.We ordered a la carte so as not to run up the bill.My friends are still raving about finding this great place near Trenton Sat Jul 14 12:55:12 -0700 2001 996562 0 Joseph Studholme 2 996573 Thanks for the feedback. I go next week and am now looking forward to it. Sat Jul 14 17:19:19 -0700 2001 996572 0 BBK 1 997572 I love Rats. Not only is it whimsically beautiful, it has great food. And it is expensive, but they have opened a new grill that does not require reservations and is less expensive. The walls are incredible peaches and roses decorated with huge Modliani like paintings. The first time we went, we did not order an appetizer or desert. Nevertheless we wee served an app. of buffalo steak tartare that was fantastic. For desert they brought a two-tiered silver tray of petit fours and truffles. It sits next to the Sculpture Garden and no one seems to mind if you wander through the replica of Monet's garden, over the bridge and into the Grounds for Scupture. So if you look at the free additions plus the cost of admission to the garden, it doesn't seem so bad. Fri Sep 13 08:54:33 -0700 2002 996562 0 Donna Tracy