I asked C, "Is this the most pretenious Yelp review ever?"
Timothy M.
Boston, MA
Ok. So I had heard about the charm about Carmen and it's romantic atmosphere in this tiny N. End dining spot. I read Melanie's review as well the others and looked up the Phantom Gourmet's review (which was surprisingly good) but I decided I will give it a try and form my own opinion. I made a reservation as they suggested, since the restaurant fills up fast especially on a Saturday night. The staff was friendly, although you this should be an expectation from everyone where you go and spend your hard earned money. The atmosphere was indeed charming. The dining room was tiny and crammed with small tables. Yet there were many candles giving it a more romantic like atmosphere (although I would not give Carmen the award for romance.) The food - the reason why most of us go out - was disappointing. To say it may be the best restaurant in Boston tells me that many readers hardly ever or never go out and if they do, they don't know what good food is. The truth is the food at Carmen was average or mediocre at best. It might have been better than a Vinny Testa's or Maggiano's but if so it would be a close race. You simply cannot say the food was good when you have other places of comparison such as The White Barn Inn in ME exists (BTW a PG 97 rating http://preview.tinyurl...
Per Se in NYC setting a world wide standard - http://perseny.com/ or French Laundry - http://www.frenchlaund.../ and closer to home restarurants like Clio & Mistral (with only 90 PG ratings BTW.) Before you can comment that the food might be the best ever, you have to first understand the rules. The rules are you must rate experiences on the full range, not in a vacuum. Carmen has not won national or international awards of excellence and it never will. There are good restaurants, great ones, excellent ones and then the very few standing on the top of the pyramid. Those few that do are like the great quarterbacks and athletes of our time. They simply are not that many relative to the population. The simple fact is the food here is what you would expect from the N. End - it was very average. You don't go somewhere and pay north of $25/$30 for a dish an expect mediocracy. You should instead expect excellence. Not here. If you want to try good food then instead of eating out twice or three times wait and save up your money for one of the places above and only then will you experience what true culinary talent can bring to your palete. Sorry Carmen but you are just like alot of other folks- very, very average.
Her response:
I feel like I should write to Tim and be like, honestly pal, great that you threw out two of Tom Keller's retaurants promptly after his new book was published and the James Beard Contenders just came out, but seriously, have you eaten at either of his restaurants???
Also, given his logic, contextually, shouldn't you rate restaurants on their demographic? For example, I loved the wings at the chicken bone, and would've given it 3 stars in that it was a good, convenient wing & beer place and it surpassed my expectations as such. I wouldn't put it up against Mario Batali's restarant in NYC (which PS I have eaten at) or even Strega or any one of Todd English's restaurants because they aren't comparable in their offerings...
I want to go toe-to-toe with Tim. What a dink!
Also, Tim spelt palate wrong. What a tool. I hate him.
Per Se in NYC setting a world wide standard - http://perseny.com/ or French Laundry - http://www.frenchlaund.../ and closer to home restarurants like Clio & Mistral (with only 90 PG ratings BTW.) Before you can comment that the food might be the best ever, you have to first understand the rules. The rules are you must rate experiences on the full range, not in a vacuum. Carmen has not won national or international awards of excellence and it never will. There are good restaurants, great ones, excellent ones and then the very few standing on the top of the pyramid. Those few that do are like the great quarterbacks and athletes of our time. They simply are not that many relative to the population. The simple fact is the food here is what you would expect from the N. End - it was very average. You don't go somewhere and pay north of $25/$30 for a dish an expect mediocracy. You should instead expect excellence. Not here. If you want to try good food then instead of eating out twice or three times wait and save up your money for one of the places above and only then will you experience what true culinary talent can bring to your palete. Sorry Carmen but you are just like alot of other folks- very, very average.
Her response:
I feel like I should write to Tim and be like, honestly pal, great that you threw out two of Tom Keller's retaurants promptly after his new book was published and the James Beard Contenders just came out, but seriously, have you eaten at either of his restaurants???
Also, given his logic, contextually, shouldn't you rate restaurants on their demographic? For example, I loved the wings at the chicken bone, and would've given it 3 stars in that it was a good, convenient wing & beer place and it surpassed my expectations as such. I wouldn't put it up against Mario Batali's restarant in NYC (which PS I have eaten at) or even Strega or any one of Todd English's restaurants because they aren't comparable in their offerings...
I want to go toe-to-toe with Tim. What a dink!
Also, Tim spelt palate wrong. What a tool. I hate him.
She also had some Matt Lauer thoughts/panic attacks:
Matt Lauer cheated on his wife?!? I am more upset hearing this right now than I was over the following (in no particular order):
1.) My bday party invitations being backordered, and subsequently disco’d by the mfr
2.) Big Papi admitted juicing
3.) Tiger Woods train of beautiful, upstanding mistresses
4.) Jesse James cheating on Sandra Bullock. SANDRA BULLOCK!
5.) Britney Spears circa 2007
6.) Jason Varitek getting divorced due to infidelity
7.) Lindsey Lohan’s downward spiral post-mean girls
8.) The package store being closed by time I got home on Monday night
9.) John Mayer’s recent playboy interview
10.) That time you tricked me into watch the NFL draft.
If Matt Lauer (MATT LAUER!) and his hot wife can’t make it work, what are we doing?
...But it’s matt lauer! He isn’t famous really either. He’s supposed to be the all-american everyman! How could he do this?
-K
