Clearly, you need to start awarding the good places four stars. They just cannot stay in business with a measly 3.5 star rating...

Crandall: Whatcha got here Smitty?

Smitty: Suicide.

Crandall: This damned city chews 'em up. What's the story?

Smitty: A chef. A good one. Got three and half stars from Liz Large.

Crandall: She's a tough cookie. I heard she keeps a pet owl in her yard that kills mice and rabbits, maybe the occasional terrier.

Smitty: Rumors, Crandall, rumors.

Crandall: Still, you hear stuff.

Smitty: Yeah, what a waste. This guy had some real chops. A real original. Picasso with a spatula.

Crandall: What kind of grub?

Smitty: Choice. He made a damn fine Five Spiced Beef Short Ribs.

Crandall: Sounds tasty. With fries?

Smitty: Nah, red wine poached parsnips with a roast cipollini onion jus. Snazzy but gives you a bellyful of good.

Crandall: This city. This damned city! It eats 'em up.

Smitty: Pull yourself together Gus.

Crandall: Sorry Smitty. Was there a note?

Smitty: Yeah.

Crandall: What'd it say?

Smitty: Six sad words: "People come in and want wings."

Crandall: Damn this city! Damn it all to Hell!

Drat! I hadn't gotten there yet.

I don't think you are the problem, but rather Chef Cyrus Keefer. He had the same problem at Saute, where he totally misfired and left a few months after opening the place.

In both instances it seems he designed a menu that was not appropriate for his clientele. Understanding what will work in a given establishment is part of being a good chef.

I should make it clear that he isn't leaving (at least not immediately). He says he had a hand in coming up with the new concept EL

Gravytime Noir Dinner Theater ... duh duh dum. Just the facts Owl, just the facts. I think Crandall has seen Planet of the Apes one too many times. :-)

This makes me sad. based on the review and the "controversy" during restaruant week, I went there last week with friends. the food was very, very good and the service excellent.

The dining room was not as empty as I had feared it would be on a weeknight but the menu and prices weren't as recession-friendly as I think most people want right now. I enjoyed it and would have gone back the next time I wanted to spend a little extra on dinner out, if only for the puff pastry version of bread we were served.

Nooooooooooooooo!!! The food they were serving at the Cosmic Cocktail was delicious! It was thoughtful and elegant, great flavor.... I mean, I love soul food, but they were doing good stuff before, darn it. I hate to lose that.

I don't think you are the problem

Trust me it's EL's fault. I blame her for many things,including the new North Pacific hand-cut panko-breaded cod sandwich available now at Wendy's. She's got that kind of power.

You know, I've never ordered wings. Something tells me they are nothing next to duck confit.

Wings are great diet food.

I wonder when the last time, outside of New Orleans, a restaurant converted from French to soul food under the same chef?

Owl,
you forgot that fresh kaiser roll that the fabulous cod rests upon, inderneath a blanket of cheese and gobs of tartar sauce.

Reviews are not the problem, it's the economy for one and lack of really good talent is another. Chefs in Baltimore now look at stuff out of books by more accomplished chefs then they try it....and it is terrible. Look, this is not New York...where reviews matter. It's a blue collar town with some good choices. They will either received by the people or it wont.

It's not the economy or the chef. Maybe it's the prices of the dishes and maybe it's the marketting of the restaurant and bar. If they had a good review maybe they just need to wait it out. It could be the location or just their overhead. The restaurant business is tough, it takes a "special" person to run it well. It's a shame that they are changing their menu up but it isn't the end of the world. Maybe they are just catering to their customer's needs and their next menu will get 4 stars. I wish them the best of luck.

It has been rough to go through this. We create food because we like to eat it, and chefs cook what they love about food. we can only try to predict the markets outcome. In this case Our club and location didn't favor a brasserie setting. We've changed to an affordable southern flair, regional cuisine with baltimore flair, and keeping it economically friendly. We gave it our best, and we have to do our best to survive, It is a business. I will miss the old concept, it was precious to all that were a part of it. Please be thoughtful, restaurants are extremly complicated, we have already faced our blame.
Chef

OT - The Pomona location of the last 2 kosher restaurants appears to becoming either Mexican or Tex-Mex. The name includes salsa and actually, the sign says "open for business" but we didn't stop. Apparently there is either a breakfast cafe inside or somewhere else inside the shopping center - didn't get out and investigate.

While driving by Valley Village I had 2 kids stare as hard as possible to check it out and all 3 of us agreed that we think Egyptian Pizza is no more.

There is a new middle eastern place called Tahinas sandwiched between Quedoba (I think that's spelled wrong!) and Noodles. Although I begged to try it out the other night I was overruled by the masses and we had Mexican food instead. My co-worker who tried it early on said the food is fresh and tasty and very affordable.

A new cafe is opening in un"Friendlys" on Main Street. I hear they will be something like Panaras.

And we're all still waiting for something new in the former Hops building which as I recall some time ago, the company said they had people lining up already to go in there.

Many thanks. EL

You see, this here is an opportunity.

"Say, this is a nice little restaurant you have here. It'd be a shame if someone were to review it."

"No! Anything but that!"

"I could see to it your place don't get larged…for a price."

for what its worth..keefers honesty and his willingness to come on this thread makes me want to try his food...sorry i didnt get a chance to try the the brasserie but i i will look for something in the future...

Oh that's just wrong. Using large as verb.

Here's a very deep question: How do reviews genuinely effect a restaurant either good or bad?

Owl, I think small well reviewed restaurants can get a lot of milage off of that good review. Especially if they are in a place seldom traveled by most. A big heavily traffic area place (especially with parking) has less riding on a review. Especially if they have a built in neighborhood crowd that they can actually survive on.

I think that a review can move a restaurant on to my radar. I may or may not get there, but I will "mean" to do so. A poor review....sigh...if I am in the neighborhood and someone in our party says, "Oh, let's..." I usually don't remember.

I had the opportunity to make good on my Restaurant Week night gone awry at Brasserie 10 South. The place was busy with the majority of the tables in the dining area seated. There was a really good energy in the restaurant that I think came from a mix of the patrons and the really great layout of the place. Most importantly, though, the food was REALLY good. The lamb shank was probably the table favorite but there were other dishes that were tasty and original. With all that being said, I am disappointed to hear of the upcoming changes. It gives me that bad feeling down in the pit of my stomach. That feeling that says, " The worst is yet to come..."