What’s fair game to reveal in a review of a restaurant’s opening night?
By Francine Cohen

It seems this was a bonus week for New Yorker diners. First up, The Dutch. Chef Andrew Carmellini’s much awaited Soho restaurant that opened with a savory late night menu and compelling cocktail list to satisfy the hordes of hungry fooodsters (some of whom are even bold-print names, but there’s no need to go there). So many showed up for The Dutch’s opening nights that the dining room at midnight was buzzing so loudly it might as well have been high noon on the playground. www.thedutchnyc.com

Then, on Wednesday, April 27th, LTO www.ltonyc.com debuted its former Broadway East restaurant space as pop-up restaurant/chef incubator.

The first one in whites to step behind the stoves downtown was James Beard award-winning RJ Cooper; noted DC-based chef and Iron Chef contestant. Later this spring or early summer Cooper will be opening up his 52-seat prix fixe menu restaurant, Rogue 24.

To be completely candid, INSIDE F&B was there for Rogue 24’s dinner as the restaurant’s guest. And, while we encountered some bumpy service, giggles over utensils, a few dishes we didn’t love as much as the langoustines or the foraged Shenandoah greens, and it became a meal that was paced quite a bit slower than we had anticipated, we took it in stride; understanding that this was the first night they were open. We had expected the kinks and walked in knowing we might be more than welcome guests, we’d possibly be called upon to be willing guinea pigs. And that’s okay. In fact, we think it’s terrific. We’re always more than happy to get behind the scenes, see the wheels in motion and help steer the ship however we can.

Which leads us to wonder just when you think it’s okay for journalists and bloggers to start publicly releasing their critiques of a new restaurant.

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