667025 Fri Nov 13 20:35:56 -0800 2009 51 12 Greater Boston Area 0 5180500 Just went after wanting to go for so long. The food here was a very big disappointment to us. We have eaten all over the world, all over Italy, Spain and France and the best parts of the US and never had a meal we wish we had not put into out mouths. What they did to foie gras was simply an abomination. Grilling it? Ruined every thing that foie gras stands for. It ended up tasting like chicken skin. I can't shake the food memory of that and I really want to. Badly. Dreadful consistency. The gnocchi were ok, certainly not the best dish in town as it has been rated. The porcelet was four types of pork completely destroyed. Alternately dry, stringy or flavored in such a way as to overpower the pork. Less IS more. The apple was the best item on the plate. The concord grape calfouti with little cubes of grape jelly and the worst thing every made from peanuts--I wish I had never tasted this. Too sweet or too bitter depending on which part hit your tongue first. Again, just thinking about this dish makes me want to wash out my mouth. I wish I had the nerve to send the entire table of food back. Along with the $12 glass of red wine that reeked of chlorine. We should have gone to Hammersley's and you should too. In fact, save your $350 and go twice. Fri Nov 13 20:35:56 -0800 2009 146089 lola22 1 5180626 Ouch. Fri Nov 13 22:42:00 -0800 2009 5180500 10426 shaebones 1 5180843 In the "Restaurants everyone seems to love but you don't" thread started in May, I named No. 9 Park. While I wouldn't put my feelings about the restaurant quite at your end of the scale, it continues to baffle me why people gush over it. I found it over-rated, over-priced, and most importantly I found the food merely passable. I would never include it in a list of “must go to” restaurants in Boston. Sat Nov 14 05:57:37 -0800 2009 5180500 14275 StevieC 2 5180888 sad...it seems to have gone downhill since say 5yrs ago when it was more at the top of its game (especially with the lunch tasting menu which was actually reasonably priced for what it delivered) PS. the bartending is still stellar though and I did have a very competent hanger steak frites there not too long ago Sat Nov 14 06:37:56 -0800 2009 5180843 13161 barleywino 2 5194264 I think it comes down to this all too often when it comes to high-end restaurants: Status. Without status symbols there can be no status. The way it works is you and all your fellow elitists agree on what is considered high-end/in-style and then you all judge each other on how well you keep up. "Look at me!!!" No really, look at me. I'm special, aren't I? G&Ts only during summer, which high-priced restaurants are in (the more expensive the better), which cars are the best, when to wear white loafers, when not to, what's artistic and what's an abomination, etc. If you dare to shoot down one of the sacred status symbols in Boston, how do you plan to impress your friends? Give me the very best burrito, hot dog, 6 course tasting menu, churrasco, roast chicken, duck confit, excellent piece of fish, sushi, in town and I'll gladly go back, and I will pay a premium for it too. But don't just serve me your reputation on a plate. When did the restaurant business cease to be a meritocracy? The truth is in highly competitive markets it hasn't. Boston just isn't one. Maybe if the media reviewers sharpened their pencils and palates we would have a Darwinian process at work. Or if the look-at me(s) started keeping their credit cards or worse, expense accounts, only on the really best tables? Thu Nov 19 10:06:21 -0800 2009 5180843 146089 lola22 1 5180954 i'm in the camp who never thought the place was all that. if i order 3 plates, say 2 apps and a salad, and one is a fail, that is unacceptable in that price range. that was my experience more often than not, even at private industry dinners with specially designed menus. combine that with the wine mark-ups and i simply couldn't justify the expense only to feel pillaged and hungry. the boston globe recently re-reviewed it and the article was telling. although by my reading furst had more complaints than satisfactions, she still pronounced it fantastic. talk about sacred cows. i wanted to throw the paper against the wall. http://www.boston.com/ae/food/restaurants/articles/2009/10/21/no_9_park_is_still_tops/ i will give them an "a" for excellent service every time i have been. Sat Nov 14 07:15:21 -0800 2009 5180500 30273 hotoynoodle 2 5181090 Pretty much sums up my longstanding take: awesome service and bartending, solid food with a few outstanding dishes (I've never had close to the kind of dreadful experience of the OP), and murderous prices on food and wine, practically a hallmark of the empire (I've shown my math on the wine pricing). It's worse now that they shot the old, relatively reasonable bar menu and restored it with one whose average plate price is $18. That felt like a slap. I was surprised by Devra's re-review, too, but more for the fact that there wasn't really a great reason to do it (no reconcepting, new chef, etc.) other than to work out the ole expense account. I would characterize the Hamerley's comparison as apples and orange: the chefs are aiming at completely different targets. That said, I'm a big admirer of what Hamersley has done with so much consistency over the years (as summed up in my recent Stuff Magazine piece), and do think it's a better value than No. 9. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Sat Nov 14 08:38:58 -0800 2009 5180954 10143 MC Slim JB 3 5181202 i love hammersley's and it gets little love on here, i think, because his food is not about bells and whistles. it's consistently executed, always. my admiration and respect for gordon is huge in that he is on that line most nights, and never succumbed to the siren song of tv. there is a tipping point for celeb chefs where they are more about building empires than maintaining the foundation. the wider and higher they build, the bricks simply do not hold. their restaurants coast on reputation alone. lynch's next project in the seaport will shoot for $145 pp check average. stuff that in your pipe and smoke it. gold-leafed foie gras fed to me by harem boys? good jeebus. Sat Nov 14 09:26:58 -0800 2009 5181090 30273 hotoynoodle 4 5181476 I know, Hammersley's delivers every time and it is not overly ambitious. I have to tell you I still cannot shake the sensation of that foie gras in my mouth. the texture, the taste. I shudder. We had to stay up until 2 last nite just to get that food to digest enough to go to sleep. I wish I had my $300 back, plus we got a parking ticket. I am seriously thinking of calling and asking for a refund! I have never, not even a greasy McDonalds burger, so regretted eating something. The service WAS excellent. The tip I would not want refunded! But the drinks were only so so. My husband's G&T was Beefeater. A beefeater G&T? WHO DOES THAT? And then charges $9 bucks for it? A Beefeater G&T should be free at an all you can eat BBQ place. Sat Nov 14 11:51:24 -0800 2009 5181202 146089 lola22 5 5182064 Parking ticket? shame but not #9's fault... You don't like the foie gras? why not tell them..first course, no? If you hated the meal so much, maybe you should have voiced your complaint on the spot instead of the foolish idea of asking for your $300 back now..after the fact. I don't know what BBQ places you go to where you get free Beefeater G&T's for free but please share. 9 Park may not be that great but it's not that bad either, Sat Nov 14 16:51:33 -0800 2009 5181476 10111 9lives 6 5182964 We def. should have, wished we did. I just sent them a note. And no, of course the ticket was not their fault! It was just the cherry on the evening. Sun Nov 15 08:09:19 -0800 2009 5182064 146089 lola22 6 5184764 I disagree. I love fois gras, and the complaint was with the preparation, and not the ingredient. How could the OP know that they would butcher it. Also, many of us, me included, can be shy at No. 9 Park. I think the idea of asking for a refund, minus the tip of course, is eminently reasonable.\, sfter the fact, and would encourage this to happen. Mon Nov 16 02:38:36 -0800 2009 5182064 15387 aadesmd 7 5184862 I disagree with you. The OP didn't state whether she ate the entire foie gras so we don't know. If she did, she has no valid reason to ask for a refund the day after. Same with the other dishes or beverages... If she didn't eat the dish and only took 1 bite, the time to make her dissatisfaction known to the restaurant is at the time it's served so the rstaurant has the opportunity to correct things. If someone is shy, call your server over and softly inform them of your dissatisfaction.. The OP did send a note to the restaurant and maybe they'll give her a refund; more likely a credit for $50-100 for good customer relations; but in general, this type of grievance is better handled on the spot. Mon Nov 16 05:02:00 -0800 2009 5184764 10111 9lives 5 5182182 Jumping on the Beefeater bandwagon for mixed drinks - prefer it to Bombay, in fact. If you want something else, ask and you would probably get it. It's a well gin at Drink where they are very serious about quality of every drink. I don't like No. 9 Park for lots of the reasons noted by other posters ( and haven't been there for several years), but the parking and gin issues are yours, not theirs I do imagine once you think through the legit issues, Barbara Lynch probably would appreciate hearing constructive feedback from you - she seems quite serious about quality as far as I can tell. Sat Nov 14 17:57:26 -0800 2009 5181476 10399 rlh 5 5182823 your husband might considering ordering a different drink next time-- ordering a G&T at a bar like 9 Park is like ordering, say, a hot dog at Hamersley's, or chop suey at Peach Farm...better to play to the restaurant's strengths, which in the case of the bar at 9 Park is creative, unusual and well-balanced cocktails. He also could have asked for a different gin and I'm sure they would have obliged him. we once ordered drinks for which they didn't quite have enough of one of the ingredients (barolo chinato iirc) to make full sized pours for our group, so they made slightly smaller sized drinks and gave them to us on the house. A lesser bar would've left the ingredient out, hoping we wouldn't notice, topped off the drink with ice or tonic (or in this case, Bols Genever) and charged full price. Also (as better bars do), they will often give free tastes to help you decide what to order, which you probably won't find at an ayce bbq place Sun Nov 15 06:40:51 -0800 2009 5181476 13161 barleywino 6 5182963 He loves a G&T, what can I say. We try not to blindly follow food/drink rules. He love's Bombay and really likes the new Anchor Steam gin. I get that they have lots of cool cocktails, but they should apply the same attention to quality to all of their drinks. If they want to make a well drink like any of the crappy bars around town they should charge $4 for it. And we will gladly pay the 8 or 9 to up the quality to a better gin. Sun Nov 15 08:08:09 -0800 2009 5182823 146089 lola22 7 5183115 where on earth do you get $4 gin & tonics? i'd like to know for next summer! Sun Nov 15 09:41:09 -0800 2009 5182963 30273 hotoynoodle 8 5185501 The Kells in Allston, made with Reservoir brand gin ;-) Mon Nov 16 09:18:19 -0800 2009 5183115 161614 BlueTrain84 7 5183254 ask them to do a G&T flight next time (which used to be on their list, I"m sure they can still do it)...3 mini G&T's, one has a maraschino wash, one a chartreuse wash, one an apricot wash, etc. Sun Nov 15 10:50:46 -0800 2009 5182963 13161 barleywino 8 5183271 that sounds awesome! but there won't be a next time! Sun Nov 15 10:57:45 -0800 2009 5183254 146089 lola22 9 5183281 just sit at the bar and get a steak frites and some gougeres to go with your flight ;) Sun Nov 15 11:01:52 -0800 2009 5183271 13161 barleywino 7 5184925 I don't understand why he didn't ask for Bombay if that's what he loves. Anyway, I've not been to 9 Park, but people I do know who have been have not been swept away by the food and have felt a bit gouged. Mon Nov 16 05:45:09 -0800 2009 5182963 56815 pemma 7 5184975 As a number of posters have mentioned, Beefeater is a respectable brand and not exactly Poland Springs Gin. So how does using a brand not to your husband's taste equate to a poorly made drink? Honestly, I'm starting to think you just had a bad night and as a result have gone off the deep end on a rant. Just because you didn't get everything exactly the way you thought or hoped it might be doesn't make it terrible. Mon Nov 16 06:18:23 -0800 2009 5182963 231098 nickls 8 5187106 nickls: How do you figure? A bad night? A rant? We had 6 dishes, two drinks. 4 dishes were terrible. 1 ok, one good. One drink, the god forfend G&T and while it was ok, it was not worth $9. For $9 I would expect a better brand. The other drink, the wine (@12/gl) was terrible, the more it sat, the more it put off a chlorine odor. Those aren't good odds for a Chili's never mind a high priced supposedly top notch restaurant. But let me be very clear. Had this meal cost $85 all in, I would still have posted. We have a right to expect better food in Boston. That globe reviewer ought to, I don't know, have to eat 20 cubes of the deflated, separated, crusty foie gras? As for the poster that also got the calfouti, maybe my night it was overcooked? But it WAS dry, and it did stay on the plate. Those jelly cubes were dreadful weren't they? Like the jello blocks my mom made in the 70s. As for how many of those hideous chunks of ruined foie gras-- I ate one, DH ate one, and I admit, I ate the third one. Why? Frankly, I could not believe they were that bad! I figured it was the bourgeoisie hopeless wench that was eating it! Surely everyone could not be wrong! I'll tell you the only other thing I ever left on a plate. In Paris, andouillette. Go ahead, google it. I figured it must be me, right, this can't REALLY taste like $hit. I ate three bites of that too. I should have known when I ordered in barely passable French and the chef kept peeking out to see if I really ate it. As for the Beefeater drinkers out there, I'm sorry to offend. I am sure it is fine gin. I would not know, I despise all gin! In spite of the fact that DH likes a GT year round, I still love him, so quit it! And yes, I really do wish I had the nerve to say something right away. I was frankly in shock. We both were. Mon Nov 16 17:50:27 -0800 2009 5184975 146089 lola22 9 5190166 lola, Are you trying to say that your post wasn't a rant? I mean you went off on how the majority of the dishes were not just terrible but nearly made you want to kill yourself from their sheer horridness--I would call that ranting. I have eaten at No 9 as have a number of the other people who replied and I didn't see any other complaints about disgusting wine or near-poisonous food. I liked the prune gnocchi a lot and can't imagine the kitchen would send out dishes as bad as you make them sound. Not saying your opinion isn't valid, just that it sounds overblown. What was supposed to be wrong with the wine? Are you saying they didn't store it properly? If you don't think a gin and tonic is worth $9 don't order one. Tue Nov 17 18:13:03 -0800 2009 5187106 231098 nickls 10 5190229 Nickls--Geesh! Now who is ranting, engaging in hyperbole or off the exaggeration deep end? Also, I did not use any of the words you have attributed to me. Bottomline--did not like the food, the drink, felt ripped off, don't understand why the restaurant gets any buzz, there are better places to go. I wish I read a post like mine before I went. I would not have gone. And for what it is worth, there are others here who have echoed, if more subtly, or in part, my sentiments. If you disagree with me, why don't you just let it go? Tell you what, I will. C-ya! (but not at No. 9 Park!) Tue Nov 17 18:46:48 -0800 2009 5190166 146089 lola22 11 5190842 lola, you described your dining experience using the words and imagery that you thought was appropriate and would best convey to others what your experience was like. That is what this board is about. Continue to do it, and if people don't approve of your approach (e.g. by marginalizing it as a “rant,” which could equally describe about 60% of the posts on CH) then that's their problem. Wed Nov 18 05:40:34 -0800 2009 5190229 14275 StevieC 12 5191590 Stevie--I know, right? As long as you are speaking the truth of your experience, and it is an authentic post, isn't that one of the reasons the CH board exists? It can be a terrific resource. I come here ALL the time to get steered, one way or the other. I trust CHers. I found Fuloon on here, and a great little Central-American joint in Nashua. Still haven't tried Speed's dogs, but plan to soon. If people want to come here to blow sunshine around, then the board ceases to be useful. If you want to come here to read someone else's sunshine, then you should perhaps stick to those "restaurant reviews" that are really paid advertising you find in circulars and infomercials. It really is important to speak the truth about some of these "look-at-me" places, if the ratings really aren't based on the food being groundbreaking and/or extraordinary but more on the "experience" and the bragging rights of having eaten there. Wed Nov 18 09:40:08 -0800 2009 5190842 146089 lola22 12 5192803 Open of expression is vital, and I too thank lola for her opinion. That is the whole point of this board. I would love you to continue to post, but be aware that this bullying will probably occur again. Wed Nov 18 17:09:01 -0800 2009 5190842 15387 aadesmd 13 5194206 Thanks! You can probably tell this about me: it does not intimidate me nor does it make me back down from something I believe. My mom installed a pretty good backbone. Thu Nov 19 09:31:38 -0800 2009 5192803 146089 lola22 5 5191638 If your husband has a preferred gin of choice, why didn't he specify? Beefeater is respectable gin, especially as the well. Wed Nov 18 09:54:39 -0800 2009 5181476 92744 invinotheresverde 6 5194818 Look, I like Beefeater as much as the next person and wouldn't be ordering a G&T this time of year either but I think Lola is right on- if you're going to splash some well gin and tonic over ice, charging $9 for it is just absurd. Thu Nov 19 14:22:21 -0800 2009 5191638 10027 Chris VR 7 5195549 Beefeater isn't exactly well gin. The only places that use it as such are very high end. Beefeater kicks the crap out of Bombay Sapphire, for example. Just ask anyone who actually likes gin, not marketing. Thu Nov 19 20:57:14 -0800 2009 5194818 92744 invinotheresverde 1 5185526 I was at the bar at No.9 last week just to split a dessert with a couple of friends. It was tuesday night at 9:30 and pretty empty in the bar area (dining room was still full). We ordered the coconut dessert (my friend's choice) but the kitchen sent out two desserts "because one dessert didn't seem like enough for 3 people." the bartender explained. That was nice of them. The second dessert was the concord grape clatfoutis you speak of. The bartender said it was the pastry chef's riff on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ok, based on the name it would not be my first pick off the dessert menu. However, we ate it and we enjoyed it. I didn't find it bitter. The grape cubes were not my thing but jelly things never are. The peanut butter ice cream was far from "the worst thing ever made from peanuts." It was actually pretty tasty. Sweet? Yes, but it was such a little dollop that complemented the other thing on the plate. Who knows... it was free. Maybe that's why it tasted better to me. Plus my friend was in Town so I was in a great mood. And maybe you were miffed about the foie gras and your legitimate expectations for a excellent meal and that changed your mood for the rest of the meal. I think that one's mood effect on one's taste is an intriguing thing. Mon Nov 16 09:26:32 -0800 2009 5180500 162278 heypielady 1 5186045 Anyone know if they still have the excellent french fries at the bar at No 9? Not sure if they were on the menu. I ate there years ago and loved it but can't say how it is now... preferred the bar when I lived on Beacon Hill. I go to Drink now more often Mon Nov 16 12:09:52 -0800 2009 5180500 26754 unionsquaregrl 1 5186240 Ashame you had such a lousy experience. Guess I'm in the minority.I have dined at No 9 on several occasions and it has always been fabulous. Service, food, drinks and wine. It's been about a year but still look forward to returning. Not sure where on earth you can get a $4 beefeater and tonic. Even north of the city they run about $7. Yes No 9 is pricy but I'm usually not paying. Mon Nov 16 13:08:57 -0800 2009 5180500 221676 psirah 2 5188651 Lola, keep us posted on how #9 responds to your note. I was there Saturday night and had the gnocchi and loved it. Also loved the swordfish and the duck. I guess to each, his own. It is a shame you didn't say something at the time. There service is impecable, and given the chance I'd guess they would have brought you alternative food free of charge. Just seems unfair to bash them on chowhound when they didn't have an opportunity to make it right. Tue Nov 17 09:44:45 -0800 2009 5186240 1107672 MParente 3 5189734 Will do. They have an opportunity, so we'll see. Tue Nov 17 15:02:12 -0800 2009 5188651 146089 lola22 4 5194292 I'm also curious how they'll respond. If I were the restaurant, I'd have a hard time believing there was a flaw so major in the meal if it wasn't mentioned at the time. I'd assume you were just suffering from buyer's remorse and maybe, maybe send you a cheapie giftcard. Thu Nov 19 10:21:27 -0800 2009 5189734 92744 invinotheresverde 5 5194332 Maybe. They have done nothing yet. But I disagree with you. If they are even half, half!, the restaurant they are vaunted to be, they would do something. It would indicate a sense of pride in their work. If they don't, then I suspect they deserve the impression they made on me. Thu Nov 19 10:35:04 -0800 2009 5194292 146089 lola22 6 5194374 But you didn't speak up! Restaurants aren't mind readers and they can't correct problems they don't know exist. Anyone can send an email the next day, once the afterglow wears off, but the $400 tab hasn't. Thu Nov 19 10:53:15 -0800 2009 5194332 92744 invinotheresverde 7 5194476 Trust me, no afterglow and this isn't buyer's remorse. I have explained why we did not speak up. No point in going around on this point. Asked and answered. Thu Nov 19 11:43:24 -0800 2009 5194374 146089 lola22 8 5195562 "I have explained why we did not speak up." Because you "were in shock"? Thu Nov 19 21:05:34 -0800 2009 5194476 92744 invinotheresverde 1 5189792 Devra First at the Globe saw this post, talks about it on the Dishing blog: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/dishing/2009/11/the_rereview.html http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Tue Nov 17 15:22:48 -0800 2009 5180500 10143 MC Slim JB 2 5189967 I think what everyone is missing is that when #9 opened you could get great , ambitious food in the dining room while you could sit at the bar and order simple dishes(chicken, pasta steak) done really, really well. Great professional service and a few characters on the staff was a given. All those qualities made it's reputation. It attracted a local bar crowd which in turn made it popular with visitors and the expense account crowd. Like a lot of great chefs they feel the need to always aim higher (ie change)with their food when it's their original concept which made #9 so popular. Tue Nov 17 16:41:15 -0800 2009 5189792 36418 TopCat 2 5193945 i have no problem with a re-review, which she seemed to think was a salient point in this thread. after 10 years of being heralded as one of the city's best, does it still measure up? the ny times occasionally will do this, but seems to be more honest in it assessments. as i said upthread, first's dinners had more hits than misses, yet she managed to gush about excellence she didn't actually experience. calls into question credibility imho, although i realize an overly-critical critic won't have a job very long. Thu Nov 19 07:37:05 -0800 2009 5189792 30273 hotoynoodle 1 5193750 Very recently, my friend was served raw chicken at No. 9... TWICE. The first attempt, they gave her back the very same piece of meat!! With a piece cut out of it and all. Wouldn't one expect that they'd prepare a fresh piece of meat for her? After the first fix-attempt was a fail, they prepared a new plate and piece for her. Thu Nov 19 06:30:54 -0800 2009 5180500 188116 SaraASR 2 5194189 I wouldn't expect a restaurant to use a fresh piece of meat for something undercooked. Overcooked, of course. Been in the biz for a long time and I've never known anyone to do so. Thu Nov 19 09:25:40 -0800 2009 5193750 92744 invinotheresverde 1 5193920 I have dined at #9 Park twice, and came away both times unimpressed. While some of the food was exquisite, none of it was worth the exhorbitant price, especially since if you only have three courses, you're probably going home hungry. I don't need huge portions, one of my favorite restaurants is Hugo's in Portland ME whose portions are about the same size. The difference is for a blind tasting of 6 courses at Hugo's, you'll spend about $80 per person. Try having 6 courses at #9 Park for that price. Thu Nov 19 07:29:11 -0800 2009 5180500 203280 kimfair1 2 5196211 Kimfair1, actually the 7 course tasting menu at No 9 is $96, which on a per-course basis is barely more than the price you quoted for Hugo's. I've done it a few times and it definitely fills you up. Fri Nov 20 07:49:24 -0800 2009 5193920 13101 kt1969 3 5196345 I also did the seven course tasting menu and I've never felt so uncomfortably full in my life. I ordered two drinks and they gave me an additional two drinks free of charge.... a lot of drinking might have had something to do with it. Fri Nov 20 08:46:32 -0800 2009 5196211 268475 Snoop37 4 5196497 Unfortunately when I ate at #9 Park those two times, I wasn't quite ready to do a blind tasting (something I've overcome in the past few years), so we ended up doing a traditional 3 course, which at $65 currently (I don't remember there being a prix fixe 3 course when I went, but it could have been there), is still pricey for the size of their plates. $39 for an entree there is just highway robbery considering the size. Also, I can barely remember what I ate on those two occasions, while I can give you run downs of my blind tastings at Hugo's and Craigie, both of which I liked much more than #9 Park. Her food is good, but I've never found it transcendant, and for those prices I think it should be. That being said, everyone's opinion is different. I have a friend who adores #9 Park, and didn't enjoy her Craigie on Main experience, while my feeling is the opposite. We both enjoyed Hugo's, however, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who hasn't been up there to dine. Fri Nov 20 10:10:03 -0800 2009 5196345 203280 kimfair1