Last Wednesday night as I was working the floor in The Modern there was a fellow taking photographs. He was everywhere. He was from the New York Times. This means that this coming Wednesday, May 4th we are going to be reviewed in the Times.

Everyone works so hard to open a restaurant. It is very challenging. You do your best. You eagerly read the reviews in various publications. If they are good, you are happy; if they are bad, you feel disappointed and sometimes pissed. You see elements of truth in all of them...But the one that REALLY counts, the mack daddy of reviews is the New York Times. Frank Bruni, the reviewer, has eaten here 9 times I think. That is alot. Does it mean he loved us? Or does it mean that he didn't know what to make of us? Did he appreciate the extensive armagnac, cognac, scotch...list I developed? Did he enjoy one of our specialty cocktails. Will he mention the wine program at all this go round. So many questions are swimming in our heads.

On Wednesday, May 4th we will know. All of our efforts will be distilled into that one column. No matter how it goes we will keep trying to wrap our arms around the beast and keep trying to get better.

The pressure is keen. We all look forward to it being over so we can get on with our lives.

I will follow this up with a post review blog. Wish us luck!