Star System Fails Again: Leslie Brenner Hands The Grape Two

Posted on July 21st, 2011 10:30am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under Burgers, Restaurant News, Reviews

I’m going to make this quick and clean: Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Leslie Brenner doesn’t understand Dallas. Don’t shank me, let me type. I am not being mean; I am expressing my opinion. I have no vested interest in The Grape or The Commissary, two restaurants she has reviewed recently, but in both cases I felt she wrote dismissive evaluations using a damning-with-faint-praise attitude.

I’m also picking The Grape and The Commissary as examples because they both recently received 2 stars. I agree the service at The Commissary is still laughable, but Brenner failed to mention (or count as a plus) the fact chef John Tesar charges $6 for a burger cooked sous vide before finished off on the grill.

However, that doesn’t bother me as much as her parental attitude towards The Grape. Brenner just kicked a faithful old dog that is still learning new tricks. She ends her report with “And because there’s clearly some talent in the kitchen, it shouldn’t be too hard to fix what’s wrong on the plates.” In other words, do the plates my way and you’ll be a great restaurant.

73 comments

  1. This is a ridiculous review, especially when only yesterday you have Nancy Nichols claiming The Grape as one of her favorite restaurants in Dallas. Might I add a lot of people responded and agree. I’m glad no one listens to Leslie Brenner or anyone else at the DMN, they are a joke.

    @ 10:51 am on July 21, 2011

  2. I think everyone knows that you don’t care for Leslie Brenner or the way she does her job. You have made that very clear. I still read your blog, even though I’m thoroughly irritated by your grudge. PLEASE, focus on sidedish.

    @ 10:52 am on July 21, 2011

  3. @George, or what?

    @ 10:54 am on July 21, 2011

  4. Nancy, it’s easy to assume that you are criticizing LB for not liking two restaurants that you like — and perhaps restaurants/chefs for which you have a soft spot. But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you simply don’t agree with the way she reviews places and/or her writing style. An easy way to prove that the former is false and the latter is true: can you point us to what you would consider an equally infuriating LB review (or three) where she likes a restaurant considerably more than you did? I.e., show us that LB doesn’t “get Dallas” via a review where she gave a restaurant an undeservedly good review.

    @ 11:08 am on July 21, 2011

  5. @Borborygmus, I guess I’ll just stay irritated. No need to worry.

    @ 11:11 am on July 21, 2011

  6. I generally like Leslie’s reviews, but I agree she got it way wrong in this case. The Grape is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. I’ve eaten there numerous times and have never been disappointed in the slightest. Every meal I’ve ever eaten there has been a wonderful experience.

    @ 11:22 am on July 21, 2011

  7. This is quite interesting that a critic, which you claim to be, criticizes another critic because you don’t happen to agree with her. It is surprising that, because she doesn’t agree with you, that she is the one that is wrong. I always thought a restaurant critics job was to give THEIR opinion when reviewing a restaurant based on their findings after several visits. I thought Wick was the only one over there that irritated me!

    @ 11:34 am on July 21, 2011

  8. What a terrible post.

    First, you claim to have to have no vested interest in the Grape, despite the fact that you just declared it to be your favorite restaurant in Dallas. No interest indeed. We all have an interest in our favorites.

    Then, you simply review another critic’s review and say she doesn’t “get it”. Could you be more sophomoric? Perhaps a simple, “nuh, uh” would have worked. I agree that your constant references too Leslie Brenner are tired and just plain silly. Just do your work.

    Finally, I will add that a 2-star review may be harsh, but it’s close. The Grape is just nothing special. I have gone there twice in the past year with friends, and probably 3 times in years past. I was not impressed by any of it. It was pretty routine food and service in a very worn and old fashioned (not in a charming way) room. Yes, it’s old Dallas and there is something nostalgic about it, but that simply is not the standard by which I judge restaurants and certainly not the standard that I would expect a professional food critic to use.

    @ 12:10 pm on July 21, 2011

  9. @joeat – But what if a critic is off-base, does no one have the right to respond? What if one’s opinion is that the critic in question, is writing very bad reviews? Do you just shut up, or do you say, “Hey, that lady’s taste buds must be dead, because she can’t tell “good” when it smacks her between they eyes”?

    Personally, I think her writing is as uninspiring as her reviews of what she likes or doesn’t like in food. But that’s just my opinion.

    @ 12:12 pm on July 21, 2011

  10. Leslie sure picked the wrong restaurant to be critical of. The Grape is the restaurant I always choose for special family meals, client dinners,& the place I go when I just want a great foodie experience in an intimate setting. Plus it is well priced, and their wine offerings are a great value. I have never been disappointed, and when people ask me where to go eat in Dallas, The Grape is one of my first recommendations. Plus Brian and his team always make you feel so welcome, and I love supporting our locals.

    @ 12:16 pm on July 21, 2011

  11. I don’t understand these comments so far. Who could possibly defend any of Brenner’s reviews that knows anything about Dallas culture or (and especially) Dallas restaurants? She’s an arrogant little snot who seems hell bent on dragging every city favorite through the gutter. My opinion was solidified with Brenner’s amuse bouche post. What a complete moron. Why would a Dallas newspaper hire someone who can only focus on french cuisine? Brenner fails to respect anything non-french … which turns out to be a very non-Dallas approach. Thank you, Nancy, for continuing to stick up for this city’s finest restaurants and continuing to be a resource for those of us who enjoy food over snobbery.

    @ 12:25 pm on July 21, 2011

  12. Dear Nancy,

    All those over rated “Dallas Favorite” restaurants that you like. Almost all of them suck. They laugh at you as they take your money, and serve you chain restaurant food. The standard come-back is that someone “doesn’t understand Dallas”. I think the opposite is true. I think they understand completely. The restaurant emperor has no clothes, Dallas people. You are so self-conscious that you will defend garbage restaurants to the death rather than admit how little you know about food. It would be almost as bad if someone said there was a whole lot of bad hair in Dallas. They would get attacked in the same way by people who will never look in the mirror and admit the truth.

    @ 12:42 pm on July 21, 2011

  13. @Dawn (and others): are you saying Brenner doesn’t like ANY of Dallas’ favorite restaurants? Check out her review of Stephen Pyles’ place (4 stars), or Smoke (4 stars), or Neighborhood Services (4 stars), or Tei Ann (5 stars). Don’t these qualify as “real” Dallas restaurants? None of them qualify as French cuisine.

    That was my point of my earlier post — you can’t just bash on a critic for not liking some place just because YOU like it (whether “you” there is Nichols or Dawn or anyone else). If you want to prove to me that LB doesn’t “get” Dallas (whatever that means), then show me examples of restaurants that she likes that don’t deserve her praise (though I may still require you to show me how that means she’s not the right critic for this town).

    @ 12:43 pm on July 21, 2011

  14. @Dawn. What is this “Dallas Culture” you speak of?

    @ 12:45 pm on July 21, 2011

  15. @ Sparky. To quote the late, great Hanna Raskin “Just because you like it, doesn’t make it good”

    @ 12:47 pm on July 21, 2011

  16. Sparky, I’m not quite sure I understand your question. I do not have a grudge against Leslie. I disagree with her from time to time but more importantly, here, I am expressing my opinion on her writing style. I don’t know how, if you mean her methods, she reviews restaurants. It’s just that sometimes after I read one of her reviews, I feel like she’s made herself more important than the restaurant. That is her style. It obviously works for her. I have a different style and many people may not like it and you are free, and so is Brenner, to criticize it.

    My basic theory of reviewing is to get a sense of a restaurant’s goals, experience the place, and then reflect on how the place is performing towards their goals. If the goal of say, The Grape, is to serve classic Continental-style dishes and bistro food and that is what they serve, then goody for TGrape. You know what to expect. Most of the time I try to stay away from “they should” or “if they would” statements because it connotes (to me anyway) that I am standing in their shoes and I could do a better job. I prefer to say “they fail” or “what they are trying to do isn’t working for me.”

    Listen, I’m no saint and not trying to paint myself as such. I believe in healthy conversation. It’s one of my goals on SideDish. If I am wrong I will say I’m wrong. Think of this post as a political discussion: two parties with different ideologies. Again, I don’t have a dog (restaurant) in this fight. However, I felt Brenner failed to point out some important details in her reviews: the sous vide aspect of the burgers at Commissary and the extensive charcuterie program at The Grape which I see as the heart and goal (soul?) of each place. Okay?

    @ 1:02 pm on July 21, 2011

  17. Nancy — I don’t think that your original post indicated, clearly at least, that you had a problem with LB’s “writing style.” You said that she “doesn’t understand Dallas,” and I’m trying to figure out how, aside from giving two restaurants recent two-star reviews, you believe that to be the case.

    If she doesn’t “understand Dallas,” then there must be more to it than missing the point of The Grape’s bistro-style or the Commisary’s sous vide burgers. Is she, as Dawn alleges, giving preference to French cuisine at the expense of, say, barbecue? Is she saying that a NY import like the (deservedly departed) “Smith and Wollensky” is better than a Dallas mainstay like Bob’s or Nick and Sam’s? What part of Dallas does she not understand?

    Believe me, I’m not here to say she’s perfect. Nor am I here to criticize your reviewing/writing processes, which I think are both top notch. I not only expect, but rather enjoy, when I get two differing critiques of the same joint. What I am trying to ask, to those who decry LB as an outsider, is “what leads you to point at Brenner and cry ‘carpetbagger!’ so heartily and so often?”

    @ 1:19 pm on July 21, 2011

  18. Something about Brenner has always rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t understand when the “food scene” became so darn sophisticated. Great flavors, presented in new (or even old!) ways by great service should always win, every time. When I read her reviews, she makes me feel like every restaurant that is under $50 per entree is not worth her/my time. I don’t care what Brenner likes or does not like, instead, I want to know is the restaurant doing well what they set out to do.

    @ 1:20 pm on July 21, 2011

  19. Why do you have to know a city to review its restaurants? Food is food.

    I’m not defending Leslie’s review, but I’ve never understood the line of logic used here to eviscerate it.

    @ 1:27 pm on July 21, 2011

  20. Several great comments came in as I was writing the post above. And you know what? I’m going to rephrase my position. Sparky made me think. My gut feeling for a long time has been that Leslie Brenner doesn’t “get Dallas.” It’s a feeling I’ve picked up from reading her stuff, particularly when she compares foods here (like Tex-Mex) to what she found in LA. I lived in LA too. I also catered in LA. I understand the palates of both cities. When Brenner wrote Tex-Mex wasn’t one of Dallas’ strong suits, I felt she didn’t get Dallas. So, let’s let all of that go for the purpose of this conversation. (Oh, maybe I can’t) My lede to this post should NOT have been Leslie Brenner doesn’t get Dallas. That premise is not correct in this case. I don’t like the way she presented her criticism of The Grape and The Commissary is what I mean this conversation to be about.

    @ 1:33 pm on July 21, 2011

  21. Fair enough (and this only lends credence to your prior assertion that you will admit when you are wrong, which is a great trait).

    In that same vein of reconciliation — I had actually forgotten about The Great Tex-Mex Debacle of 2010 Or Whenever It Was, and you are right, that was way off base and made her look silly. It’d be like being a food critic in Winston-Salem and complaining that all the BBQ sauce was “too vinegary.”

    @ 1:45 pm on July 21, 2011

  22. @BigJonDaniel and @Wes … I guess I could ask Daniel Vaughn to explain to you why someone who tries to compare Dallas cuisine to LA cuisine just doesn’t get it. Generally, it matters because people in different parts of the country and world have different cooking techniques, palates and levels of formality. As Nancy said, the goal is to see a restaurant for what it is and compare that to what it aspires to be. If this concept is confusing to you, I’d encourage you to continue reading Brenner’s tunnel vision articles about her hopes and dreams for every restaurant in Dallas living up to her wine and menu expectations (which are both uninspired and predictable). If you are equally confused about the culture of this city, I pity you and I encourage you to venture outside of McKinney Avenue.

    Nancy’s last post doesn’t change my stance. Brenner’s review of The Grape and The Commissary are consistent with all of her past reviews. The point is that Brenner refuses to see value in any restaurant whose goals are not aligned with hers, which happens to be nearly every restaurant in this city.

    @ 1:47 pm on July 21, 2011

  23. This was the first DMN review I’d read since Bambu. And to be honest, I was pretty surprised she even had that Thai restaurant on her radar considering her track record of being completely clueless.

    My issue is with her vapid style of writing and ignorance in general. The DMN blog has seen much better days and the content is just so dull now. The ignorance also has nothing to do with being an outsider considering she’d gained that notoriety when she was still in L.A. and no one there finds anything she says reliable.

    I’ll never be able to figure out if her scorn towards some of these restaurants is intentional, or if she’s truly doesn’t “get it”.

    @ 1:47 pm on July 21, 2011

  24. Brenner is completely independent. She’s no friends with restaurant owners, chefs, sommeliers, waiters… the reason why she is the only one who can be trusted as a critic in Dallas.
    You guys because of your conflicts of interest, friendships and all can’t do your job honestly.
    We are a lot in Dallas who prefer a critic who came from out of state with no agenda. As for understanding Dallas, yeah I think she gets the point, she understands mediocrity and is not afraid to point it out. Bravo. And when it’s good she says it. Plus 2 stars for the Grape, ain’t that too bad. Read the definition of 2 stars in the DMN.
    Plus and obviously she has class, and you don’t. She never bitched about you guys even once. How many times did you attack her in your columns? Take a lesson.
    Nancy you lived in LA a century ago. Tex Mex over there has evolved. Yes, definitively yes, Tex Mex is not Dallas’s strong suit. Too bad. Maybe it was at some point. It is not anymore. Dallas has better things to offer.

    @ 2:02 pm on July 21, 2011

  25. Dawn, you keep making unfounded assertions that LB doesn’t like any restaurant or that she “refuses to see value” in “nearly every restaurant” in Dallas. Yet you ignored my question above, so I’ll ask again: how do you explain the good reviews of Stephen Pyles’ Restaurant, Smoke, Neighborhood Services, Tei Ann, and Samar? What goals do they have that align with Brenner’s such that she can give them 4+ star reviews?

    @ 2:03 pm on July 21, 2011

  26. Jack Perkins today wrote on Maple & Motor’s facebook page about why he eats where he eats (and one of those places is the Grape). He likes places that fill your stomach as well as your soul. One of the reasons you were so glowing of the Grape is because you had one of those soulfilling experiences that so many of us (myself included) have had there. Leslie Brenner, rightly or wrongly, has a much more technical approach which I think causes her to sometimes miss the glory (and soul) of places like The Grape.

    @ 2:13 pm on July 21, 2011

  27. I just re-read a piece in the NYT about Leslie and her main complaints with Dallas restaurants. I’m indifferent about Leslie but she was right on target with her complaints.

    @ 2:26 pm on July 21, 2011

  28. I havent read a LB review since DMN changed to a pay site. Or should I say I havent read more than the first couple of lines that are a preview before you are asked to sign in. I guess its time for me to stop being so cheap and pay for a subscription.

    @wes I completely agree that food is food. I dont go to restaurants because they are “so dallas” or whatnot, I go because the food is good and I read reviews hoping the food is reviewed and not the context of the restaurant in the city.

    @ 2:27 pm on July 21, 2011

  29. It just seems like LB reviews are just done to stir up controversy to acquire more DMN readers. With that in mind, The Grape, a culinary Dallas pillar (and a solid one), is an easy target. But I ain’t taking the bait; I’m still not going through their paywall.

    @ 2:36 pm on July 21, 2011

  30. “doesn’t understand Dallas” – yes, accurate as stated. I believe Hully & Mo’s low end bar food got 3 stars from our illustrious, unbiased reviewer. So The Grape gets 2? Bar food gets 3?
    What is there to understand about that? She’s an idiot.

    @ 2:54 pm on July 21, 2011

  31. Maybe, to use NN’s criteria, the “goal” of H&M is to be an upscale sports bar serving — surprise — bar food, and maybe they live up to that goal at a three-star level. Part of NN’s point (the one at 1:02pm), which is well-taken, is that you can’t compare apples to oranges. You can’t rip H&M for not serving a top-notch spicy tuna roll.

    @ 3:12 pm on July 21, 2011

  32. Also, to all of you commenting on the paywall at DMN: It won’t be long before a lot more content goes behind a paywall. My hat is off to the DMN for being one of the first. Subscribe to local publications like you would eat local food.

    @ 3:20 pm on July 21, 2011

  33. So here’s what I want in a critic; Consistency. And enough explanation for me to understand the evaluation. Then I can decide for myself. If I don’t like hot/spicy and a critic consistently does, and mentions same, I can calibrate. I think Leslie does a pretty good job at this. (For instance, I have no objection to very full plates of dinner. Apparently she does.)

    So here’s my question: Aside from the debate about the Dallas “style,” did Leslie get anything wrong? Was a dish properly prepared when she said it wasn’t. Were those fried green tomatoes crunchy and firm instead of hard and unyielding? Or some other example? (I note that she was pretty darned happy with that burger. But one wonderful burger does not a three-star make, I think?)

    @ 3:20 pm on July 21, 2011

  34. I agree with paying the subscription; it’s only $10 a month for on-line reading and I feel I get my money’s worth.

    There are so many variables to be considered in personal enjoyment of a restaurant. My guess is that Jack Perkins is friends with Brian, and they have their own mutual admiration society going on. Leslie’s review was based on her perceptions, Nancy’s are based on hers. Both are legitimate and one shouldn’t trash the other for a review that is different.

    @ 3:32 pm on July 21, 2011

  35. Someone explain “Dallas” to me.

    So many complaints about LB is that she “doesn’t ‘get’ Dallas.” What Dallas? Who’s Dallas? Your Dallas or mine?

    Where do you live? Where do you dine? Which highway’s gridlock ruins your commute? How much do you earn? How much do you spend on food? How often do you eat out? How often do you return to the same restaurants? Does Plano/Allen/McKinney/Frisco/HEB/Arlington/FW all qualify as “Dallas?”

    This “getting Dallas” bit is very narrow minded.

    LB gets paid to go out and eat at DFW restaurants and write her opinions of the food and her experience(s) while dining. And that’s all she’s doing.

    @ 4:10 pm on July 21, 2011

  36. JI
    Nancy took the get Dallas out of the discussion a long time ago. But if Leslie thinks Dallas doesn’t excel at Tex Mex do you think she understands the culture here?

    @ 4:18 pm on July 21, 2011

  37. They stay pretty full. The loyal and regular customers will not be bothered by this review.They will continue to pack the place.Better to be full then loved by that 5% of the dining populce who self apply the label “foodie” and rely on food bloggers and citics.I agree with WHEELER. Leslie is definatly not a “Chef Groupie” (see Dottie Griffith’s recent review of The Commisary.

    @ 4:27 pm on July 21, 2011

  38. Wow! Looks like you people have nothing else today then picking each and every one. No wonder our economy is screwd….

    @ 4:45 pm on July 21, 2011

  39. Jim you are right. We have so much time in your hands so we dont no what to do ??? So we like to BS !!! about others….and waste time..

    @ 4:47 pm on July 21, 2011

  40. @William …the culture here? Give me a break…here’s your culture: http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-cities-that-spend-the-most-on-fast-food-2011-7

    As much as I love Tex-Mex in any form, no one in their right mind would ever consider 90% of the Tex-Mex we consume locally as quality food. It’s crappy fast food disguised as something better because you sit at a table. A menu of 50 items, all just rearrangements of 10 basic ingredients. It’s all prepared en masse, frozen and microwaved/sterno’d/heat-lamped until you get a “hot plate.”

    Maybe that’s why Dallas has been yearning like idiots for In-N-Out…we like our fast food the same way we like our women: _______________________________!

    @ 4:52 pm on July 21, 2011

  41. I used to read the eatsblog a lot. Can’t take LB anymore. I stopped reading months ago, especially when they started charging for reviews. I thought her reviews were not very helpful anyway, so I just don’t bother anymore. Sidedish and Observer are much more entertaining. She has run the eats into the ground.

    @ 4:59 pm on July 21, 2011

  42. JI,
    YOu are right.. When ever I go on Preston in
    Frisco there will be a Crazy line in front of In-N-Out… No wonder Dallas people taste buds sucks!! and on the top media like to write about this fast food places….

    @ 5:01 pm on July 21, 2011

  43. LB is a great critic and she knows what she is talking about.

    @ 5:03 pm on July 21, 2011

  44. BTW, the Grape is severely overrated. Although pleasant, the food and wine list are merely medocre. It actually is a two star restaurant in my mind.

    @ 5:16 pm on July 21, 2011

  45. @william – go eat Tex Mex in Austin, SA and Houston. BBQ too (expect pecan lodge and Lockhart). The Dallas consumer wanted crappy chains, so the family owned places are long gone. In these other cities, this did not happen. That’s why the Tex-Mex and BBQ is better in the rest of Texas

    @ 5:54 pm on July 21, 2011

  46. Last I went to the Grape was a few years ago after the ownership and chief change. It was a two star meal at best. Before that it had been a long time favorite of mine. I was hoping it would get back to its old high standards, but the DMN review echoed my experience unfortunately.
    Its not a Dallas v. non-Dallas thing. Its that the Grape used to be great, and is now living on its atmosphere and past reputation.
    Oh course Sidedish defends them – this is the same Sidedish that celebrated Mi Cocina binstalling another clone in Lakewood.

    @ 6:09 pm on July 21, 2011

  47. @ JI “It’s crappy fast food disguised as something better because you sit at a table.” I’m still remembering the 3 star review of Zinski’s, highlighting the delicious $9.79 roast beef dinner that still tasted like the (Sysco) plastic bag it was cooked in. And the Grape gets two stars, bummer.

    You want to have really crappy Tex-Mex? Go to Chicago. Or Boston. Or Washington D.C.

    I guess some of us are saying “It’s a crappy review disguised as something better because she’s the DMN reviewer”.

    @ 6:19 pm on July 21, 2011

  48. No Nancy the system doesn’t fail again.

    According to the comments posted here and there, it looks like Leslie Brenner has been trashing restaurants since she got hired by the DMN.
    I’ve been reading her reviews and I have never felt that way. To set the record straight, check her record on Guide Live of the DMN website. You’ll all be surprised!

    She has given…

    3 ***** including one French, one Italian, one Japanese

    17 **** French among them? Bijoux, Nosh. But among them are also a Thai place, a Chinese place, several Texas places, 2 steak places

    44 ***

    32 **

    18 *

    So in fact, the majority of the reviews I’ve written have been “very good” or better.

    @ 6:35 pm on July 21, 2011

  49. Duh, I mean the reviews she’s written. I wish I could do that!

    @ 6:40 pm on July 21, 2011

  50. DMN reviews cannot be trusted since Dotty left so many years ago. Not only was she a stellar writer, she actually knew how to judge a restaurant. I disagree with Leslie on many of her reviews. Her writing style is sub-Dotty, but I will admit that Leslie is a lot better than that last guy they had.

    @ 6:42 pm on July 21, 2011

  51. Evaluating food, wine and or anything that can remotely be argued is a complete fail..

    It’s all opinions people..just have your own and move on…

    @ 7:15 pm on July 21, 2011

  52. Dear, dear “Wheeler.” If you’re going to mount a passionate defense of Brenner’s work, you might want to double check before hitting the “Submit Comment” button, when your last line reads: “So in fact, the majority of the reviews *I’ve* written have been ‘very good’ or better.”

    Might want to check the IP address that “Wheeler” is posting from, Uncle Nancy.

    @ 7:22 pm on July 21, 2011

  53. Judging by the 50+ responses so far… My guess, is that wheeler is actually wheeler X 8… MONKEY!!!! MONKEY!!!! MONKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    @ 8:53 pm on July 21, 2011

  54. I don’t read the DMN, LB, online or whatever, don’t care. But, I do appreciate Sidedish for keeping me up to date on the banter from the “other” dining reviews. Keep up the good work. And, I will continue to visit the restaurants I want to visit, for the reason that I want to visit.

    @ 9:16 pm on July 21, 2011

  55. Wowwwwww.

    You should have corrected it to “Duh, I mean the reviews I’ve *read*…” That would have sounded much more beleivable.

    No shame though “Wheeler”. Nancy’s boy Tesar is on here posting about himself all day so if you can’t beat ‘em…

    Freakin A, this blog is better than TMZ.

    @ 9:23 pm on July 21, 2011

  56. @”Wheeler” – Thank you for making my day. Absolutely priceless blunder.

    @ 9:36 pm on July 21, 2011

  57. Sparky – nice try, but there is no 5×400 matrix out there that allows a critic to give 3 stars to “bar food” and 2 stars to “fine dining”. The food is either 3 stars or it isn’t. Zagat, NYT, LAT, Michelin, etc, etc don’t give 3 stars to “bar food”, they give 3 stars to food, regardless of genre, if it is deserving, in their opinion. The food at Hully & Mo’s is barely above frozen Swanson. No one asks how good the “bar food” is, they ask how good the “food” is. “Bar food” is not a separate micro-sub-category. There is an absolute standard, which is to say that indeed a taco stand can be 5 star but only if it is truly magnificent, as any 5 star dining experience should be. To say that Hully & Mo’s is “pretty good bar food”, so here’s 3 stars, is a complete cop out because in reality they are not rate-able because the food is below rating standard.They are not serious about food and should not be “rated” against a true chef driven kitchen. A constructive example is Franklin’s BBQ in Austin. Until recently it was a truck diner, but no matter, the bbq is otherworldly, even if it is served on paper plates. It is a truly unique and memorable 5 star dining experience. Hully & Mo’s is not 3 star food. It’s zero and yet our divine reviewer chose to give it standing by rating it as “food”. Her rating did not say 3 stars for “bar food” it just said 3 stars. So when she says The Grape is 2 stars, she’s saying Hully & Mo’s is better, no matter how you choose to spin it. She’s ridiculous and an embarrassment.

    @ 12:10 am on July 22, 2011

  58. The real question is: Does Dallas deserve Ms. Brenner? Yes, keep me amused by her north-of-Alpha Rd. snobbery. Apparently the $30k millionarie has transmogrified into a food critic!

    @ 2:03 am on July 22, 2011

  59. Someone actually reads a column by a DMN “critic”?

    Any paper that publish Blow and Floyd proves it’s editorial judgement can’t possibly be trusted. The DMN has chosen preferred critics that are cheap and fast over competent and professional for years

    I do think some of Ms. Brenner’s past behavior does raise questions about her judgement:

    http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2010/12/07/leslie-brenner-finds-herself-on-romenesko/

    @ 7:57 am on July 22, 2011

  60. I’m not saying I like the plagiarizer Ms. Brenner, I’m just telling Nancy to attempt a moment of grace, and not throw “understanding Dallas” around as if this is a good thing

    @ 9:08 am on July 22, 2011

  61. BigJonDaniel, please read the comment I made at 1:33 yesterday. I changed my premise. Thanks.

    @ 9:19 am on July 22, 2011

  62. I think it’s good to point out that the DMN’s ratings are much different than other papers or mags. However, The Grape is more than a Dallas restaurant. Sure, it’s not as hip as the latest Stephen Pyles or Tristan Simon creation. However, it really sums up the Lower Greenville and East Dallas neighborhood restaurant experience. It’s not trying to be the most inventive place in town, but it really captures the essence of what is great about East Dallas. It’s too bad that Leslie doesn’t take into account the whole experience of the place. In my mind, we need less trendy places in this town, and more neighborhood spots like The Grape and Lucia.

    @ 9:50 am on July 22, 2011

  63. @runDMC – last post here on this page, so forgive me if I don’t reply again, but: you’re missing the point of reviews if you believe that the “star” system is across the board. NN said it herself — you have to rate a restaurant on what it’s trying to do. One can debate the merits of the “star” system as a whole (just as local wine critic Jeff Siegel decries the Robert Parker-esque numeric rating of wines) but if you accept the premise of having one, you can’t expect it to apply across the board. It’s not fair to expect a, say, Twisted Root to compete against Fearing’s. Or Javier’s against Taco Joint. It’s not the way it works.

    And please tell me that Wheeler = LB. That would make my week.

    @ 9:59 am on July 22, 2011

  64. If there is one thing I know about the restaurant business is you quickly become irrelevent when people stop talking about you and from what I can tell, The Grape has nothing to worry about. The Grape restaurant provides a one of a kind experience, it always has. There is nothing like it in Dallas. That has been the case from day one. Brian is a tremendous Chef with a gut wrenching dedication to his craft. After reading the review in the DMN, I can’t wait to go back. She professed a great deal of enthusiasum for most items tried. Let’s not forget that LB is a stickler for wine service and she quickly brushed over the perfection of wine service execution she recieved. I for one can say Courtney and Brian have taken on a huge task to further the greatness of this Dallas icon, which they certainly have. Their commitment to this fickle industry as well as their generosity to give back to the community by donating their time and energy to help local, worthy causes has always made them stars to be commended. Two stars, three stars, 4 stars..Who gives a shit! This is a great restaurant serving great food and wine with pride, creativity, and dedication..period. Keep up the good work, I for one can’t wait to try those ” Fried Green Tomatoes!”

    @ 2:02 pm on July 22, 2011

  65. This is a question for Nancy:

    It seems like the problem is that DMN uses a very subjective star system while papers like the NY Times uses a more “objective” star system. Since the Times is that which all other star systems seem to be judged against, I feel like the confusion arises there. Of course, all food criticism is inherently subjective but how stars are regarded and awarded is another story.

    As far as The Times is concerned, isn’t it pretty much impossible to achieve above a certain level based on the style of your restaurant and concept? For example, a little Chinese place that gets two stars in the NY Times is going to be packed forever. Hell, one star is good for a casual place. But no matter how amazing they make a Foo Yong, they can never, ever achieve even 3 stars. It’s like the caste system. You are relatively limited based on birth status.

    Here, we have the “relative-to-what-you-do” system of BS ratings where a crappy Thai place and Dean Fearing’s (I’m not a super-fan but gotta respect the dude) can get identical star ratings.

    I feel like you might have some perspective on this to add to the discussion. I decry the DMN version of a star system to anyone who’ll listen, so in that regard, I agree with you. I think we are just thinking of very different alternative solutions here. I believe in star systems that are designed with some rigid limitations, if there is such a thing.

    So my question is, do you think the star system needs redefinition or should be done away with?

    @ 3:14 pm on July 22, 2011

  66. Oh Hospitality Instructor, I am so glad you ask. About one a year I try to cure the ailing DMN star system. Two years ago I proposed what I felt to be a brilliant solution. It is designed to allow the crappiness of your Thai place shine in its own category at just a glance. Unless you are color blind. Here it is:

    http://d-m.ag/q199Pk

    It is also worth a read for some of Brenner’s explanations of how she grades different price point restaurants. Craziness,

    @ 4:43 pm on July 22, 2011

  67. Time for this again?:
    http://www.thebradsblog.com/food/2010/10/the-black-hole-of-restaurant-star-ratings.html

    @ 4:54 pm on July 22, 2011

  68. Brenner sticks to calling it like she sees it, unafraid to draw tons of ire. Some of her reviews I agree with, some I don’t. Regardless, I highly appreciate the fact that she remains principled despite facing pressure – so I’ll continue to let her help me decide what new place to try next.

    @ 5:34 pm on July 22, 2011

  69. In my opinion, the star system is as much about the restaurant’s expected performance as it is about the execution of that performance. Not all restaurants aim for five star. This is why there was massive controversy when some forgotten restaurant got only four stars and not the five it was aiming for. And I agree that giving what is ordinarily a four-star restaurant two stars is a pretty severe downgrade that is almost certainly unwarranted (if the reviewer understood what we expect when we see the stars in her report).

    @ 6:57 pm on July 22, 2011

  70. I notice NN always prefers the places that kiss her big fat skirts.

    @ 10:32 pm on July 23, 2011

  71. and Dottie was the same way….

    @ 10:33 pm on July 23, 2011

  72. After BBQ-Gate and her catty replies to Daniel Vaughn I lost all respect for her. By her logic, any professional critic can copy and paste anyone’s review from yelp, urbanspoon, chowhound, blogs, etc.. and claim it as there own with nothing more that a few tweaks here and there.

    I won’t say she isn’t smart, she is. She is a good writer even if some of her statements come off as written for snarky shock value (IMO). BUT when you rip off someone elses hard work, don’t give a proper reference to your source material and then write them a snooty reply stating that no credit was deserved since it was just used as a starting point! Starting point my @$$! It’s just wrong.

    http://eater.com/archives/2010/12/03/dallas-food-critic-sources-best-of-list-from-a-blogger.php

    @ 11:00 am on July 25, 2011

  73. Stand your ground, Nancy. You’re completely correct. Trashing for the sake of trashing is an old trick, used to jumpstart an inexperienced critic’s reputation. Master critics, like master sushi chefs, develop with years of experience. There’s really no substitution for seasoning. Please keep up the good work. Between Yelp and today’s brand of foodless food writing, you’re a breath of fresh durian essence.

    @ 6:29 am on July 30, 2011