Wish List: Knife + Fork

Knife + Fork was supposed to come off the wish list last night, but I was sick so we had to cancel our reservations… sort of.  That is I left a message on their machine, letting them know we weren’t coming- but I’m not totally sure if they got it.  I started calling in the early afternoon- once I knew I wasn’t going to feel well enough to make it, but got the machine every time.  It didn’t seem weird at first, because I had to leave my name and number on the machine to get a reservation in the first place… but by 6:30pm, with nobody answering the phone- I was forced to leave a voicemail to cancel my 7:30 reservation.  I felt really bad… but then again- nobody was answering the phone all day!

Does anybody know what the deal is with this place? 

When Knife + Fork first opened, it flew under the radar, and the reviews seemed really stellar.  It also seemed like the diners were getting a personal one man show from Chef Damien Brassel, in a hidden jem of a restaurant that had managed a truly “soft” opening.

Then came the write ups in the mainstream media, praising the great menu, delicious food, and unbelievably cheap tasting menu ($45 for 6 courses). A two week wait for a reservation was the result- and now, the bad reviews are starting to pop up on places like Menupages & CitySearch.  Complaints about everything from the service, to the cursing chef, the lack of air conditioning, the portion size, and how undercooked many of the dishes on the tasting menu were.

Is it possible with the rise in popularity, this “one man show” is finding it harder and harder to make amazing food when the restaurant is full?  Has anyone been there lately?  I still really want to check it out.  The menu looks great, and I love little places like this- if the food doesn’t suck now that the place is full.  My initial thought is maybe it’s better to go on a weeknight, when it is dead- rather then a busy weekend night?  If you’ve been please comment…

One thing’s for sure… they need to hire somone to answer the phone!

Knife + Fork, 108 E. 4th St. btw. 1st & 2nd Ave., 212-228-4885 (good luck!)

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Review [Daily Candy]
• Menu & Reviews [MenuPages]
• Old Review [Chowhound]
• More Mixed Reviews [CitySearch]

****ADDITION**** Made on 6/26/06

Another negative review posted on Chowhound!