231854 Thu Mar 09 12:22:14 -0800 2006 5 18 Manhattan 0 1230733 I am going to Cafe Gray next week (a friend is paying) and after doing some research of reviews on the web - I am confused. Some say the best dinning experience in NY - others say it is the worst. Some say it is worth the money - others say it is a rip off. How can reviews so far apart? Am I going to be disapointed? I can probably suggest to her that we go someplace else - should I? Thu Mar 09 12:22:14 -0800 2006 0 lucy 1 1230751 I am on the Kunz team. I have to go there at least a few times a year, and when I'm not there I'm thinking about the food...the short ribs...the pasta fiore...the skate...the rum toast....even the salad! It is a bit on the pricy side (hence only going there a few times a year) but Gray Kunz is a culinary genius. His food is, however, unique in spices, in preparation, and in the way dishes are conceptualized and that just isn't going to appeal to everyone. That fact and perhaps the decor are the only reasons I can think of for a negative review. So go...and enjoy! Thu Mar 09 13:07:18 -0800 2006 1230733 0 Davis 1 1230759 Some restaurants are destined to be controversial. Naturally, you get a lot of posts that take to extremes. Cafe Gray is neither the best dining experience in NY, nor is it the worst. It is a mixed bag, plain and simple. Part of the problem is that Cafe Gray is extremely loud, and the designers managed to squander what ought to be one of the most lovely views in the city. It's so loud that, last time I was there, I left with a headache. Much as we like to say that "it's about the food," I think these factors diminish the experience for many diners. I think the food is very good -- far more hits than misses, IMO. But it is also very expensive. For the amount you're paying, we deserve more pampering than Cafe Gray delivers. Obviously, the price of the food takes into account the sky-high cost of space at the T-W Center. The rather cramped surroundings are designed to turn as many tables as they can. Frankly, I think that the whole concept was a colossal misjudgment. Kunz's cuisine deserves far better surroundings. Thu Mar 09 13:16:22 -0800 2006 1230733 0 John D 1 1230888 If you aren't paying - why worry about it - go and enjoy. Everything tastes better when it is free. Fri Mar 10 09:02:05 -0800 2006 1230733 0 sammyj 1 1230993 Just dont go on the weekend. Everyone knows that people who don't regularly "dine" go out on Friday and Saturday. Get a Tuesday reservation and you will have a great time. No one ordering vodka and Red Bull. Fri Mar 10 13:42:23 -0800 2006 1230733 0 lostwages 1 1234967 I agree with most opinions here...I went to Cafe Gray for a birthday dinner last Saturday night. Food was very good, service was a bit distracted (but solid when it arrived). People were, overall, pretty distracting. Seems to be a place where pentagenarian men take their future 2nd ex wife. What I had was excellent; short rib was fantastic, as was the rum cake and the artichoke volute. My companion had mushroom risotto (very good, buttery), the Icelandic Cod (she liked it, the citrus sauce was a bit too bold for my liking), and an unimprevssive Baked Alaskan. The Rioja on the menu (by glass) was very nice, as was the Paul Goerg rose Champagne. View may as well not even be there, shame. The kitchen staff has no time to enjoy the view. Wed Apr 05 15:03:30 -0700 2006 1230733 0 Ryan