So, I ate at Fiamma last night....

[il Trifulau]

....and I think I want my money back.

Three course tasting menu, two glasses of prosecco and an indulgent $110 bottle of '98 Gattinara.

$350 plus tip.

As for the food:

I ate salt.

All I tasted was salt...

...and some way, way, way undercooked pasta with 3 little slivers of beef cheeks.

My entrée was no big deal. Neither was my wife's.

I don't get it.

Who's going here instead of Babbo, Del Posto, Peppolino for that kind of money.

We spent less at Blue Hill last week.

Plus the clientèle at Fiamma was 65 and over.

What's the deal.
Why is this place getting good reviews?

I just don't get it.

[twinkle212]

tried fiamma two yrs ago and it was ok. went back for a bday dinner and i know what you mean--i sent my pasta back b/c all i tasted was....SALT!

[chikpea]

After reading everyone's feedback I'm kind of worried about my lunch there tomorrow. I can't get out of it so could anyone at least suggest their favorite dishes?

[il Trifulau]

Original poster here.
I tried to post this as its own thread, but it was removed by the moderators:

Fiamma posting reconsidered.

After a recent meal at Fiamma, I posted a negative review here on Chowhound.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/478704

Reading it now, I feel I may have been a bit too critical and am planning on returning in the near future.
I think I was very turned off by the undercooked pasta, which was partly stuck together and dry inside.
The right thing to do was to let my server know and have it corrected on the spot, which I’m sure they would have been glad to do.
As for my salty appetizer, maybe that’s just the nature of the dish and will simply choose another next time. Or maybe I just should have taken my server up on his offer to help me out with the menu. Again, I’m thinking I should have just said something there and not here.

Why the change of heart?

I’m posting this now because I’m also a local business owner and my business is equally vulnerable to critical user feedback and am wondering if the moderators of Chowhound have a retraction policy.

I’ll add that I have consistently good experiences with the other B.R. Guest establishments.

I don’t know if posting this publicly is the right thing to do, but you live and you learn, right?

[thegreekone]

I really respect a post like this. There are so many things that go into a good meal. I have ordered poorly and/or remained voiceless and regretted. Sometimes I just don't have the energy or my expectations are so high that when that first thing interrupts that expectation, I am done. Anyway, good reminder. Sometimes I get so caught up in being critical that I throw the baby out with the bathwater, the baby being my enjoyment.

Thanks for the post.

[RDfoodie]

I actually ate at Fiamma on Saturday night with my sisters and a close family friend. We all thought it was fantastic. There was one dish that I was not fond of, but I think this is just poor ordering on my part - it was executed quite well, I guess I'm just not a fan of fennel (it was the striped bass, for anyone planning on going). However, the beef carpaccio was excellent, and I really enjoyed the lasanga. In addition to great food, we found the service to be impeccable.

Many of the dishes are quite heavy, so I would recommend caution in ordering - we actually wondered if the chef should decrease portion sizes based on amount ordered per person (we have seen this done before, and it works quite nicely).

If you have any questions about the 19 page wine list, the sommelier was very helpful, and her selections were greatly appreciated!

[Chow Baby]

Fiamma is surprisingly ordinary while inexplicably pretentious.

Bruni loses one credibility point on this one.

[LolaNYC]

I agree, a few friends and I went recently and we were all underwhelmed.

I wouldn't really care much about the age of the people at a restaurant as long as the food was good...we'll all be 65 one day!

[timNYC]

Thanks for the tip. I was a little leary of the NYTimes review. I'll be sure to try it on a client's business account and not my dime.

[rrems]

That's the way I felt. Bruni was fairly critical but then gave it 3 stars based on a few dishes that really impressed him. But then, he doesn't have to consider the cost, he's not paying for it. I will wait to hear some consistent praise before considering trying it.