215308 Mon Oct 25 12:30:15 -0700 2004 3 18 Manhattan 0 1146471 I ate at Ono on Thursday night for the pre opening and while I enjoyed the food (it was free!) I was disappointed by the LACK OF CREATIVITY and what passes for a good restaurant in this town. Honestly, it's the same damn menu as everyone of Jeffrey Chodorow's places! Seriously, IS THIS A JOKE? And the place is packed! Everynight since with ppl ooooo and aaahhh at the regurgitated boring plates that mirror Asia de Cuba and China Grill. What is NYC coming to? Boredom!! Mon Oct 25 12:30:15 -0700 2004 0 countbranca 1 1146483 As my brief review yesterday notes, the restaurant is decidedly not good. I am confident, however, that anyone not awestruck by a velvet rope will recognize the place as complete and utter nonsense. Just consider yourself lucky that you didn't have the service debacle that I encountered--and that, unlike me, you didn't have to pay. ;) PS-JC was there on Friday night. Pretty gutsy of him to show his face. Then again, he always was on camera on "The Restaurant", too.... Mon Oct 25 12:53:33 -0700 2004 1146471 0 skigirl 1 1146542 You ate there on Thursday? You were lucky! I was there too and saw people almost physically fighting for a morsel of food. It was *not* a good party. Mon Oct 25 15:37:24 -0700 2004 1146471 0 Sir Gawain 1 1146683 It's like one of the Times reviewers wrote last week, it doesn't really matter where you go, you'll see the same food - foie gras, rare tuna, etc. - at all the hot spots in town. There's a real dearth of creativity and originality. Frankly, I think this board is a bit faddish at times too -- repeating for the n-th time the same raves of a sushi bar or an Indian restaurant, but not exploring something really new and innovative, whether that's a Lithuanian restaurant or a regional American spot. We need to reward chefs who take chances -- and that means Chowhounds have to patronize those sorts of establishments if we want to see anything other than the same old/same old. That's my two (three?) cents... Wed Oct 27 01:11:20 -0700 2004 1146471 0 Aaron