This response to last week’s infamous reduction in star for DANIEL is a smidge long but well worth getting to the bottom and reading what Amanda Cohen from Dirt Candy has to say.  I like her.  She’s funny.

Chefs, Restaurateurs and Writers on VIP Treatment

Last week, New York Times critic Pete Wells knocked Daniel down from four stars to three. In the piece, Wells explained that during the review process he had arranged for a colleague to dine at the restaurant at the same time. That plan, according to the critic, ended up revealing a discrepancy between the level of service given to Wells and the unidentified colleague — one that merited a demotion. “I knew my servers were trying to make my night one I’d recall with a smile,” Wells wrote. “And I wished everyone could be so lucky.”  READ MORE