I'll check this place out in a few months when the hype has waned to a reasonable level and they've had time to work the kinks out. In the meantime, I have Sal's and Carmine's one block away from my apt., the best by-the-slice pizza in Manhattan :P
I did my share Adam. Check out my comment on the B&B blog (as well as the Slice NYT Motorino link). If I had known, I could have offered them a ride to Motorino and saved them all the stress the subway caused them. And perhaps my son could have gotten some play with B&B.
I picked up Ham n Cheese and a Boscaiolo on Thursday night, planning to eat half of each and have some nice leftovers. Well, I ate 3/4 of each. Light and crunchy crust is great and the toppings are really nice. The Boscaiolo was spicier than I expected, moreso than shaking crushed red pepper on your favorite slice. Really nice though. The Ham and Cheese was great. The saltiness of the cheese with the proscuitto, which retains its tenderness, is perfect. Co. is a few blocks from my apartment, I can see myself working my way through the menu pretty quickly.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah....you complain about the long lines, but when the value of your neighborhood condo triples in five years, you types don't complain much.
PS. I am working on the spreadsheet at this writing showing the correlated increase in property values with proximity to great slices!
@Uglycuss: Were that only the case, I would totally welcome the long lines. I don't own a condo in Chelsea, as you would have seen had you read my original words closely. Also, I think most people have picked up on the fact that this is largely tongue-in-cheek.
Now, let's talk about this spreadsheet! I would love to see that thing when it's done. I wonder if there's any real relation.
The line is long in that picture because it had been advertised that they open at 4pm, but that day they opened later. That picture was taken before anyone was seated.
@Adam.......,didn't mean to dish ya....my apologies....will send you the spreadsheet w/GIS mapping when completed..it's a modeling based on the Burgess Theory of urban land values.....if your interested see... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentric_ring_model
@Uglycuss: Can't wait to see it. I would guess that pizza would have little effect on the property values but that property values would have a great effect on the pizza, e.g., prices go up and the small awesome pizzerias leave. Are you working on this on your own or as part of something else?
I looked over the pics on the Blodie and Brownie site. That pizza looks kick butt.
Living in south eastern Va., I am lucky to have some really good pizza shops near me. Mainly run by those who moved down here from the New York and surrounding area. Still, i'll have to back New York and residents of Conneticut. Every year we stopped on our way to Maine, and had pizza somewhere within that area. Some of the best pizza I have ever had for sure.
That line is testimony to how "in" good pizza is. We are headed for some years of deflation and no growth and those who can do something really well will survive. But their product has to be delivered at a price that people will respond to
Last night, we watched the waiter tell the two diners next to us (who had waited for 40 minutes for a table and who had ordered 20 minutes prior to this) that the restaurant was OUT of PIZZA DOUGH. It was not even 10PM. The manager, at first refused to even come to the table to talk with the diners, and when he finally did show up he refused to cover even the cost of the drinks. The couple was irate (and rightly so) and one of the diners used the f-word at which point the manager kicked them out of the restaurant.
We were still discussing the horrible treatment the couple had received when NOT TEN MINUTES LATER, the hostess sat another group of 3 diners at the SAME TABLE. We waited for the waiter to come over and humbly apologize for a lack of dough, but instead they brought them FOUR PIZZAS! SO, it appears that you have to be SOMEONE in this town to get decent service (and possibly even PIZZA) at this restaurant.
DO NOT GO TO CO.
The pizza was fine, but nothing amazing. Definitely not worth a 45 minute wait. And definitely not if you need ANY customer service!
I have to say, I've been to Luzzo's six times now and I've never had an outstanding pie there. I keep going back because it's convenient to the East Village where I work and live. I'd like to try their by-the-slice joint on the UES but I'm never up that way.
I agree with AverageJoe because I saw same thing, actually people who sat down were investors of this worse pizza place in NYC so for them was easy to get pizza and for us regular customers who are paying to this people NOT!!! Also Adam Kuban is friend of Jim(owner of this place), so everyone who is reading this realize why he left such good feedback on pizzas. What to say about manager, unprofessional, no respect for customers, rude.... should I go on?? I think his name was GUY funny name but worse thing is that I think he never worked in restaurant business before. Waiters was polite and nice, especially ours, this guy was from Serbia if I remember it right. Very talkative guy, explained menu and food, very fast with drinks,smiling and knows the restaurant job. Only good hiring in that place are waiters, manager is WORSE IN WORLD!!! Please don't go here if you don't want to wait for 2 hrs just to sit down and then 1 more hr to get this worse pizza in city!!!!!
So Adam why don't you tell everyone here how you and Jim Lahey are friends??? All people who are reading this scam blog DON'T GO TO CO. Worse management in world. It is unbelievable that we had to wait for 2 hrs to sit down, and how about waiting 1hr for pizza to come out to table. Pizza was burned and no taste. Only good thing about this place was polite waiters which get 5+ for customer service but even that is not good enough. So Adam tell to your blog readers about FACTS not show picture and say it is nice place which IS SIMPLY NO TRUE!!!!! All readers stay away from this place so you save your nervous system.
Adam, you are not the only one with a Truth Hammer. Diner1966, perhaps you and others had a less than positive experience, but if you do not believe in the integrity of Slice management then you really should be posting on a site that you do trust. Now that's the truth. In the meantime, the people who do believe in the objectivity of the best Pizza blog on earth will keep posting here.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
P.S. - If Adam was really shilling for Jim Lahey, why didn't he remove the two other identical posts that AverageJoe placed on two other Co. articles here on Slice?
@Diner1966: I have met Jim Lahey twice, which I'd hardly say makes us friends. I believe I was upfront with readers in my original post on Co. when I was able to try the pizza in preview.
When we went on opening night, Lahey was unaware I was there, as he was at the pizza oven the whole night. It wasn't until we got our pizza that one of the managers recognized me, and our service did not noticeably improve.
The fact is that, yes, I did have special access on the preview night. On the soft-opening night, however, it was first-come, first-served, and we happened to get there at 6 p.m., right as they opened. So I cannot attest to lines or poor service because the place was not packed with a line going down the block.
I agree with you that 2 hours is not an acceptable wait time—for any pizza. I would also say that anyone going in this first week or two is foolish if they think they're going to be able to waltz right up and get in. This is New York, where people mob the next new thing. The buzz will eventually die down and wait times will likely get shorter.
As far as AverageJoe's story, there is no excuse for that weirdness going on with one party being told there's no dough and another getting pizza just afterward. That is not expected, but I'd say a long wait at a just-opened place is.
@Paulie: Thanks for your responses here. Also: I did let AverageJoe's cloned comment stand on all the Co. posts just because I didn't want to look like I was clamping down on him on Lahey's behalf. Generally, though, I don't like when someone clones out the same comment across multiple posts. I do understand why they do it—so people coming to any post on the place will see it. But the way blogs work is imperfect in this respect. I like how Chowhound has "Places," where perhaps a comment like this would have a better home, as a sort of overall running commentary on a specific place. I have talked to our developer off and on about the feasibility/ease/cost-benefit of doing some sort of "Places"-like implementation, but I don't know if we'll have the budget to do it in this economic climate.
@Adam I don't know why you lie to people who read this, you and me know that you are payed by Jim to post this and that is the truth!!!! One more thing people who read this will decide to go or not, but if you go you will think same as me about this place.
@Diner1966: I was not paid by Jim Lahey to post this. It looks like I will not be able to convince you otherwise, so you may go on believing that.
@everyone else: Diner1966 raises some good points here, but I will point out that I was not paid by Jim Lahey to post this. I think longtime readers (like Paulie Gee) know that I struggle to maintain the integrity of this site—with some stumbles here and there but never any as egregious as taking pay for play.
Wow, which pizza place does Diner1966 work for? Someplace that feels threatened by Co. obviously. I highly doubt he ever went to the restaurant, waited 2 hours for a table, or saw any investors. Sounds like an anti-shill by a hater. If he had any clue, he'd see that both critics and commenters alike on *most* blogs out there are raving about the place. I have gone twice already and been impressed with the 2 pies I had. Will stop by again Friday or Saturday, tho living a few blocks away I have the luxury of getting take out and not dealing with a weekend wait for a table!
also -- it's not like lahey has been toiling in obscurity. he has lots of fans (with good reason) from his baking so it's only natural that people would be interested in his pizza. it was impossible to get into nancy silverton's pizza place when that opened too. simply put, jim lahey doesn't need to pay anybody to get people in the door and in all my years of reading adam's posts on slice i have never seen any reason to question his integrity.
@Big B your comments on my post are more than just stupid cause I am not from any restaurant or pizza place, second I WAS THERE when they didn't have any pizza dough and people started leaving place and 3 investors walked in and had 3 or 4 pizzas. How do I know??? Just because that investor is no other than Jean George, and if you don't know about him it is your fault not mine!!!!! So people go to co. and have same bad experience as I did and, I am hoping that someone is going to prove me wrong!!! Again they have no idea about management sorry to say but it is the truth!!!! One more time Adam I know from good source that you are payed by Jim even if u say here you are not we both know the truth!!! Thank you.
@Diner1966: Please either post the proof to all the world or reveal your "good source." Otherwise this becomes (s)he said–he said. I'm curious where you're getting your information, as are, I'm sure, the other folks paying attention to this thread.
Yes I know who JG is, I worked for him many years ago. Your fervor in telling everyone "DO NOT GO" reeks of bullshit. And unfounded accusations of payoffs that simple do not make sense! Lahey has absolutely 0% reason to pay Adam or any other blogger. No dig at Slice, but this isn't exactly a NY Times review and the payoff for bribing Adam would be pretty minimal. That 95% of readers have been leaving rave comments really shits on your outlying negativity. You're a clown.
Hmmm you sound like friend of Jim, all I said that people will only go ONCE and never go back like me. I am not going to go so low as you calling you clown. I am just honest New Yorker who was there and had this experience and it is not up to me or YOU to decide about CO. lets leave it to New Yorkers. Not you or anyone else can't stop me post what i experienced and what I know about CO., one more thing WHERE are those positive posts??? I haven't seen any here AT ALL!!!!!!
You haven't seen any here? Myself,Tusayan, Superdlux, Alaina Browne between the 3 threads.
Not to mention other websites and the actual blog/print reviews.
And no, I have never met Jim. And no, you are not just a NYer with an experience, you are making outrageous allegations and stomping your feet. We get it, you had a long wait and saw the investors get special treatment, stop carrying on like a child.
Haha Adam, great entertainment! Since when did Slice start hiring clowns for juggling pizzas the Shanghai way? Ooh, ooh, be careful, that one on the end looks like it's gonna fall....!
If I was Jean Georges and I spent millions of my dollars on this resto, you'd be damn sure I'd get a pie whenever I damn pleased and I wouldn't give a rat's ass about what your whiny ass thought about it.
You see that is where you are wrong!!! Customers first!!!!!! Always, so finally people who read this get it. You people think that 20 people who were waiting for pizza got out of restaurant and investor got 4. I rest my case!
I'm with Diner1966 on that one, Simon. However, I bet if J-G knew the situation he would have refused those pies and insisted they went to the customers.
Four pies aren't what will make or break this or any place. I assume they didn't kick everyone out of the resto after JG had his pizzas. The manager fucked up. Big deal. It's a new place, service is always bumpy at first. Diner1966 needs to wash the sand out of his vagina.
WHOA guys let's be a little peaceful.
wsup wit the love :)
yo i am am eager to check this place out regardless
anyway God Bless
and try to make peace over....what else....Pizza
Gianluca http://www.pizzaandcoffee.com/
Jim Lahey seems like a really chill guy, but I highly doubt the respectable (and lovable) Kuban is shilling for him. I will admit that we had service problems I was able to overlook; I understand that most restaurants get a week or two to get comfortable and work out the kinks. Co. instead got slammed from the moment the doors opened. It doesn't help that two tables are communal. As far as running out of pizzas, you might want to blame some of your fellow customers. We witnessed two different sets of people taking pizzas they hadn't ordered. I'm honest to a fault so I refused all three that came to us that weren't ours. Again, the table numbering and lack of experience likely had something to do with this.
I too would serve an investor before a customer, especially in the beginning, if only to put their mind at ease about the product they have invested in. They probably had some dough in the back 'just in case,' or maybe JGV called earlier saying he'd be by.
When I read AverageJoe's comment, it sounds like the party (later said to be JGV's) had already ordered pizzas before they sat there - perhaps at another table. Then, there this on Eater:
"Jean-Georges Vongerichten occupied a big table with an entourage, that moved to another table when the Food and Wine group arrived."
So, maybe they weren't getting preferential treatment at all.
Also, I've known places where the chefs were expected to dine at the restaurant regularly for quality control and similar purposes. And good chefs generally taste all the food they can while they are cooking. But you can't just take slices of customers' pizzas for QC, can you? If a (non-slice-joint) pizzeria wants to ensure they are making great pizza, they have to reserve some of the dough for QC. Most of the time that's not an issue. When a place newly opens and is running out of dough, it becomes an issue. But that's also the time when QC is most necessary.
Analogy time (yuck): Toyota couldn't meet demand when the Prius came out. Should they have canceled crash-tests to make a couple more customers happy?
Of course, maybe the mgr could have been nicer, maybe they should make more dough, yada yada yada.
I'm curious as to why the first accusation that Adam and Lahey are friends was subsequently followed with an insistence that Lahey's paying him off. Whose friends make them pay for a favor? Apparently that commenter's.
As to his/her identity, I would first suspect someone who has a vested interest in Co. rather than a rival because controversy draws publicity. And given the irate nature of the comments and the absurd personal accusations, the end result is having the integrity of Adam's positive review reinforced. On the other hand, it could just as easily be someone throwing a hissy fit :)
I went there last week and was very impressed. tuesday at 6pm 9 of us were sat down right away. me and my 8 friends (my "pizza club") got to try almost every pie which i liked. Santo was by far the best though so definitely get this if you go. feel free to check out my pizza blog: www.idreamofpizza.com
I'm sure the purist thought is that all these issues stem from Lahey throwing the dough. All of this could have been avoided if he hadn't thrown the dough...sigh. ;)
I trust you Mr Adam! I love the se sites and love that when I read slice I can pretend I am back on the east coast and not in a town where Pizza Hut is considered gourmet! (pity me,please)
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52 Comments:
I'll check this place out in a few months when the hype has waned to a reasonable level and they've had time to work the kinks out. In the meantime, I have Sal's and Carmine's one block away from my apt., the best by-the-slice pizza in Manhattan :P
simon at 3:35PM on 01/05/09
I did my share Adam. Check out my comment on the B&B blog (as well as the Slice NYT Motorino link). If I had known, I could have offered them a ride to Motorino and saved them all the stress the subway caused them. And perhaps my son could have gotten some play with B&B.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 4:11PM on 01/05/09
Why is the line so long? By the way... Co. was deeelicious.
siggfan at 4:29PM on 01/05/09
I picked up Ham n Cheese and a Boscaiolo on Thursday night, planning to eat half of each and have some nice leftovers. Well, I ate 3/4 of each. Light and crunchy crust is great and the toppings are really nice. The Boscaiolo was spicier than I expected, moreso than shaking crushed red pepper on your favorite slice. Really nice though. The Ham and Cheese was great. The saltiness of the cheese with the proscuitto, which retains its tenderness, is perfect. Co. is a few blocks from my apartment, I can see myself working my way through the menu pretty quickly.
Big B at 4:51PM on 01/05/09
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah....you complain about the long lines, but when the value of your neighborhood condo triples in five years, you types don't complain much.
PS. I am working on the spreadsheet at this writing showing the correlated increase in property values with proximity to great slices!
Uglycuss at 4:59PM on 01/05/09
@Uglycuss: Were that only the case, I would totally welcome the long lines. I don't own a condo in Chelsea, as you would have seen had you read my original words closely. Also, I think most people have picked up on the fact that this is largely tongue-in-cheek.
Now, let's talk about this spreadsheet! I would love to see that thing when it's done. I wonder if there's any real relation.
Adam Kuban at 5:02PM on 01/05/09
The line is long in that picture because it had been advertised that they open at 4pm, but that day they opened later. That picture was taken before anyone was seated.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 5:03PM on 01/05/09
@Adam.......,didn't mean to dish ya....my apologies....will send you the spreadsheet w/GIS mapping when completed..it's a modeling based on the Burgess Theory of urban land values.....if your interested see... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentric_ring_model
Uglycuss at 5:49PM on 01/05/09
@Uglycuss: Can't wait to see it. I would guess that pizza would have little effect on the property values but that property values would have a great effect on the pizza, e.g., prices go up and the small awesome pizzerias leave. Are you working on this on your own or as part of something else?
Adam Kuban at 6:03PM on 01/05/09
I looked over the pics on the Blodie and Brownie site. That pizza looks kick butt.
Living in south eastern Va., I am lucky to have some really good pizza shops near me. Mainly run by those who moved down here from the New York and surrounding area. Still, i'll have to back New York and residents of Conneticut. Every year we stopped on our way to Maine, and had pizza somewhere within that area. Some of the best pizza I have ever had for sure.
Raiders757 at 7:05PM on 01/05/09
That line is testimony to how "in" good pizza is. We are headed for some years of deflation and no growth and those who can do something really well will survive. But their product has to be delivered at a price that people will respond to
gaffer at 7:44PM on 01/05/09
Seems a little silly to write at least 5 posts on this blog hyping up a restaurant and then be disappointed that too many people show up.
Also, are they open for lunch?
jmunchie at 2:44PM on 01/06/09
@jmunchie: Was written tongue in cheek.
Adam Kuban at 2:55PM on 01/06/09
No. Not open for lunch. They said possibly late January for lunch. We'll see. It took them forever to open in the first place.
Adam Kuban at 2:55PM on 01/06/09
I was trying to play along. Thanks for the lunch info.
jmunchie at 3:56PM on 01/06/09
They have tongue and cheek pizza? Holy Mozzarella!!!!!!!!
Raoul Duke at 4:14PM on 01/06/09
@jmunchie: Ah. Sometimes I can't see the tongue in cheek. :(
@Raoul Duke: It's on the secret lunch menu. Heh.
Adam Kuban at 4:25PM on 01/06/09
Last night, we watched the waiter tell the two diners next to us (who had waited for 40 minutes for a table and who had ordered 20 minutes prior to this) that the restaurant was OUT of PIZZA DOUGH. It was not even 10PM. The manager, at first refused to even come to the table to talk with the diners, and when he finally did show up he refused to cover even the cost of the drinks. The couple was irate (and rightly so) and one of the diners used the f-word at which point the manager kicked them out of the restaurant.
We were still discussing the horrible treatment the couple had received when NOT TEN MINUTES LATER, the hostess sat another group of 3 diners at the SAME TABLE. We waited for the waiter to come over and humbly apologize for a lack of dough, but instead they brought them FOUR PIZZAS! SO, it appears that you have to be SOMEONE in this town to get decent service (and possibly even PIZZA) at this restaurant.
DO NOT GO TO CO.
The pizza was fine, but nothing amazing. Definitely not worth a 45 minute wait. And definitely not if you need ANY customer service!
AverageJoe at 1:36PM on 01/07/09
Did a visit:
Top Neo. pizzas in met. area
1. Luzzo
2. Motorino
3. Il Brigante
4. A Mano
5. Co
6. Frannys
7. Una Pizza Neo.
Tusayan at 2:55PM on 01/07/09
I have to say, I've been to Luzzo's six times now and I've never had an outstanding pie there. I keep going back because it's convenient to the East Village where I work and live. I'd like to try their by-the-slice joint on the UES but I'm never up that way.
santoslhalper at 3:16PM on 01/07/09
I agree with AverageJoe because I saw same thing, actually people who sat down were investors of this worse pizza place in NYC so for them was easy to get pizza and for us regular customers who are paying to this people NOT!!! Also Adam Kuban is friend of Jim(owner of this place), so everyone who is reading this realize why he left such good feedback on pizzas. What to say about manager, unprofessional, no respect for customers, rude.... should I go on?? I think his name was GUY funny name but worse thing is that I think he never worked in restaurant business before. Waiters was polite and nice, especially ours, this guy was from Serbia if I remember it right. Very talkative guy, explained menu and food, very fast with drinks,smiling and knows the restaurant job. Only good hiring in that place are waiters, manager is WORSE IN WORLD!!! Please don't go here if you don't want to wait for 2 hrs just to sit down and then 1 more hr to get this worse pizza in city!!!!!
Diner1966 at 7:22PM on 01/07/09
So Adam why don't you tell everyone here how you and Jim Lahey are friends??? All people who are reading this scam blog DON'T GO TO CO. Worse management in world. It is unbelievable that we had to wait for 2 hrs to sit down, and how about waiting 1hr for pizza to come out to table. Pizza was burned and no taste. Only good thing about this place was polite waiters which get 5+ for customer service but even that is not good enough. So Adam tell to your blog readers about FACTS not show picture and say it is nice place which IS SIMPLY NO TRUE!!!!! All readers stay away from this place so you save your nervous system.
Diner1966 at 7:28PM on 01/07/09
Adam, you are not the only one with a Truth Hammer. Diner1966, perhaps you and others had a less than positive experience, but if you do not believe in the integrity of Slice management then you really should be posting on a site that you do trust. Now that's the truth. In the meantime, the people who do believe in the objectivity of the best Pizza blog on earth will keep posting here.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
P.S. - If Adam was really shilling for Jim Lahey, why didn't he remove the two other identical posts that AverageJoe placed on two other Co. articles here on Slice?
pauliegee at 7:45PM on 01/07/09
@Diner1966: I have met Jim Lahey twice, which I'd hardly say makes us friends. I believe I was upfront with readers in my original post on Co. when I was able to try the pizza in preview.
When we went on opening night, Lahey was unaware I was there, as he was at the pizza oven the whole night. It wasn't until we got our pizza that one of the managers recognized me, and our service did not noticeably improve.
The fact is that, yes, I did have special access on the preview night. On the soft-opening night, however, it was first-come, first-served, and we happened to get there at 6 p.m., right as they opened. So I cannot attest to lines or poor service because the place was not packed with a line going down the block.
I agree with you that 2 hours is not an acceptable wait time—for any pizza. I would also say that anyone going in this first week or two is foolish if they think they're going to be able to waltz right up and get in. This is New York, where people mob the next new thing. The buzz will eventually die down and wait times will likely get shorter.
As far as AverageJoe's story, there is no excuse for that weirdness going on with one party being told there's no dough and another getting pizza just afterward. That is not expected, but I'd say a long wait at a just-opened place is.
Adam Kuban at 7:48PM on 01/07/09
@Adam My hat off to you for a very patient and courteous response.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 8:04PM on 01/07/09
@Paulie: Thanks for your responses here. Also: I did let AverageJoe's cloned comment stand on all the Co. posts just because I didn't want to look like I was clamping down on him on Lahey's behalf. Generally, though, I don't like when someone clones out the same comment across multiple posts. I do understand why they do it—so people coming to any post on the place will see it. But the way blogs work is imperfect in this respect. I like how Chowhound has "Places," where perhaps a comment like this would have a better home, as a sort of overall running commentary on a specific place. I have talked to our developer off and on about the feasibility/ease/cost-benefit of doing some sort of "Places"-like implementation, but I don't know if we'll have the budget to do it in this economic climate.
Adam Kuban at 9:50PM on 01/07/09
@Adam I don't know why you lie to people who read this, you and me know that you are payed by Jim to post this and that is the truth!!!! One more thing people who read this will decide to go or not, but if you go you will think same as me about this place.
Diner1966 at 1:08AM on 01/08/09
@Diner1966: I was not paid by Jim Lahey to post this. It looks like I will not be able to convince you otherwise, so you may go on believing that.
@everyone else: Diner1966 raises some good points here, but I will point out that I was not paid by Jim Lahey to post this. I think longtime readers (like Paulie Gee) know that I struggle to maintain the integrity of this site—with some stumbles here and there but never any as egregious as taking pay for play.
Adam Kuban at 9:19AM on 01/08/09
Wow, which pizza place does Diner1966 work for? Someplace that feels threatened by Co. obviously. I highly doubt he ever went to the restaurant, waited 2 hours for a table, or saw any investors. Sounds like an anti-shill by a hater. If he had any clue, he'd see that both critics and commenters alike on *most* blogs out there are raving about the place. I have gone twice already and been impressed with the 2 pies I had. Will stop by again Friday or Saturday, tho living a few blocks away I have the luxury of getting take out and not dealing with a weekend wait for a table!
Big B at 11:33AM on 01/08/09
also -- it's not like lahey has been toiling in obscurity. he has lots of fans (with good reason) from his baking so it's only natural that people would be interested in his pizza. it was impossible to get into nancy silverton's pizza place when that opened too. simply put, jim lahey doesn't need to pay anybody to get people in the door and in all my years of reading adam's posts on slice i have never seen any reason to question his integrity.
sloppy at 1:15PM on 01/08/09
@Big B your comments on my post are more than just stupid cause I am not from any restaurant or pizza place, second I WAS THERE when they didn't have any pizza dough and people started leaving place and 3 investors walked in and had 3 or 4 pizzas. How do I know??? Just because that investor is no other than Jean George, and if you don't know about him it is your fault not mine!!!!! So people go to co. and have same bad experience as I did and, I am hoping that someone is going to prove me wrong!!! Again they have no idea about management sorry to say but it is the truth!!!! One more time Adam I know from good source that you are payed by Jim even if u say here you are not we both know the truth!!! Thank you.
Diner1966 at 1:19PM on 01/08/09
@Diner1966: Please either post the proof to all the world or reveal your "good source." Otherwise this becomes (s)he said–he said. I'm curious where you're getting your information, as are, I'm sure, the other folks paying attention to this thread.
Adam Kuban at 1:40PM on 01/08/09
Yes I know who JG is, I worked for him many years ago. Your fervor in telling everyone "DO NOT GO" reeks of bullshit. And unfounded accusations of payoffs that simple do not make sense! Lahey has absolutely 0% reason to pay Adam or any other blogger. No dig at Slice, but this isn't exactly a NY Times review and the payoff for bribing Adam would be pretty minimal. That 95% of readers have been leaving rave comments really shits on your outlying negativity. You're a clown.
Big B at 2:46PM on 01/08/09
Hmmm you sound like friend of Jim, all I said that people will only go ONCE and never go back like me. I am not going to go so low as you calling you clown. I am just honest New Yorker who was there and had this experience and it is not up to me or YOU to decide about CO. lets leave it to New Yorkers. Not you or anyone else can't stop me post what i experienced and what I know about CO., one more thing WHERE are those positive posts??? I haven't seen any here AT ALL!!!!!!
Diner1966 at 3:15PM on 01/08/09
You haven't seen any here? Myself,Tusayan, Superdlux, Alaina Browne between the 3 threads.
Not to mention other websites and the actual blog/print reviews.
And no, I have never met Jim. And no, you are not just a NYer with an experience, you are making outrageous allegations and stomping your feet. We get it, you had a long wait and saw the investors get special treatment, stop carrying on like a child.
Big B at 4:09PM on 01/08/09
Haha Adam, great entertainment! Since when did Slice start hiring clowns for juggling pizzas the Shanghai way? Ooh, ooh, be careful, that one on the end looks like it's gonna fall....!
fileunderk at 4:50PM on 01/08/09
If I was Jean Georges and I spent millions of my dollars on this resto, you'd be damn sure I'd get a pie whenever I damn pleased and I wouldn't give a rat's ass about what your whiny ass thought about it.
simon at 5:48PM on 01/08/09
You see that is where you are wrong!!! Customers first!!!!!! Always, so finally people who read this get it. You people think that 20 people who were waiting for pizza got out of restaurant and investor got 4. I rest my case!
Diner1966 at 6:11PM on 01/08/09
I'm with Diner1966 on that one, Simon. However, I bet if J-G knew the situation he would have refused those pies and insisted they went to the customers.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 6:58PM on 01/08/09
Four pies aren't what will make or break this or any place. I assume they didn't kick everyone out of the resto after JG had his pizzas. The manager fucked up. Big deal. It's a new place, service is always bumpy at first. Diner1966 needs to wash the sand out of his vagina.
simon at 8:23PM on 01/08/09
WHOA guys let's be a little peaceful.
wsup wit the love :)
yo i am am eager to check this place out regardless
anyway God Bless
and try to make peace over....what else....Pizza
Gianluca
http://www.pizzaandcoffee.com/
nextgospel at 9:54PM on 01/08/09
Jim Lahey seems like a really chill guy, but I highly doubt the respectable (and lovable) Kuban is shilling for him. I will admit that we had service problems I was able to overlook; I understand that most restaurants get a week or two to get comfortable and work out the kinks. Co. instead got slammed from the moment the doors opened. It doesn't help that two tables are communal. As far as running out of pizzas, you might want to blame some of your fellow customers. We witnessed two different sets of people taking pizzas they hadn't ordered. I'm honest to a fault so I refused all three that came to us that weren't ours. Again, the table numbering and lack of experience likely had something to do with this.
I too would serve an investor before a customer, especially in the beginning, if only to put their mind at ease about the product they have invested in. They probably had some dough in the back 'just in case,' or maybe JGV called earlier saying he'd be by.
queensblondie at 2:24PM on 01/09/09
Awww, thanks, Queensblondie!
Adam Kuban at 5:28PM on 01/09/09
When I read AverageJoe's comment, it sounds like the party (later said to be JGV's) had already ordered pizzas before they sat there - perhaps at another table. Then, there this on Eater:
"Jean-Georges Vongerichten occupied a big table with an entourage, that moved to another table when the Food and Wine group arrived."
So, maybe they weren't getting preferential treatment at all.
Also, I've known places where the chefs were expected to dine at the restaurant regularly for quality control and similar purposes. And good chefs generally taste all the food they can while they are cooking. But you can't just take slices of customers' pizzas for QC, can you? If a (non-slice-joint) pizzeria wants to ensure they are making great pizza, they have to reserve some of the dough for QC. Most of the time that's not an issue. When a place newly opens and is running out of dough, it becomes an issue. But that's also the time when QC is most necessary.
Analogy time (yuck): Toyota couldn't meet demand when the Prius came out. Should they have canceled crash-tests to make a couple more customers happy?
Of course, maybe the mgr could have been nicer, maybe they should make more dough, yada yada yada.
pizzalogist at 6:43PM on 01/09/09
I'm curious as to why the first accusation that Adam and Lahey are friends was subsequently followed with an insistence that Lahey's paying him off. Whose friends make them pay for a favor? Apparently that commenter's.
As to his/her identity, I would first suspect someone who has a vested interest in Co. rather than a rival because controversy draws publicity. And given the irate nature of the comments and the absurd personal accusations, the end result is having the integrity of Adam's positive review reinforced. On the other hand, it could just as easily be someone throwing a hissy fit :)
Kudos on the diplomatic responses, Adam.
nyc_boxer at 6:49PM on 01/09/09
I went there last week and was very impressed. tuesday at 6pm 9 of us were sat down right away. me and my 8 friends (my "pizza club") got to try almost every pie which i liked. Santo was by far the best though so definitely get this if you go. feel free to check out my pizza blog: www.idreamofpizza.com
nycdailydeals at 12:01PM on 01/10/09
Truth is Lahey can't pay anyone to write anything. Dude does not have a dime to his name.
yellowKimono at 10:55PM on 01/12/09
I'm sure the purist thought is that all these issues stem from Lahey throwing the dough. All of this could have been avoided if he hadn't thrown the dough...sigh. ;)
tonecapo at 1:59PM on 01/19/09
Finally tonecapo enlightens us with the truth.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 2:46PM on 01/19/09
I trust you Mr Adam! I love the se sites and love that when I read slice I can pretend I am back on the east coast and not in a town where Pizza Hut is considered gourmet! (pity me,please)
love2cook at 11:13AM on 01/21/09
pizzologist is one hundred percent absolutely correct in his assessment of Jean Georges and his involvement. He's been eating there A LOT:
"I’ve been at Co. every other night since it’s opening"
"I think I’ve gained about 4 pounds these last few weeks. I need to go back on my soba diet…"
I think the griping is 99.8599% sandy vagina related.
simon at 5:32PM on 01/21/09
Wow! WTF, people?? Waiting 2 hours or more for a pizza?? That's insane.
Mooner at 11:26PM on 01/21/09