Midtown Lunch

So apparently my superficial “first look” at the new coffee, sandwich and salad place Macchiato was not thorough enough for the owner.  Here is his email to me, presented unedited (except for parts that are soooo not true):

I still haven’t decided if the small review was good or bad.  However, I have my comments on the decency and injustice of the piece.

You might not care, and that is totally fine, but I believe that if you are writing a review on a restaurant, maybe a taste of the Danesi Coffee, or Jim’s Organic for American drip would excite you more than just how the price averages against Starbucks. I also think you somehow missed the fact that everything is baked on premise including the breads for the sandwiches and the croissants and muffins.  While many places in the US serves the tuna salad, egg salad, turkey and Swiss sandwich, a quick conversation with me would have probably revealed that all our ingredients are the highest grade you can get, including the Greek Halumi cheese for the Macchiato Sandwich, the fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, and the imported Proscuitto di Parma. Not to mention the Chunks of white Albacore Tuna that is used in our salads or the hearts of palm, imported goat cheese and roasted red peppers, which is a high ticket item not commonly used.

I would have loved to offer you a cup of coffee or even have you compare the taste to Starbucks’ cup and not just the price (and I totally understand that you cannot argue on taste and preferences).  I don’t think anything like this space exists in the vicinity in terms of design and whether or not you like the line or not is again a matter of preference.

When you asked to take a picture and I asked to see some kind of proof or an email before your review (as most bloggers, respectable magazines, or papers usually do) to check facts you wrote about, you said that you are just writing about places and not reviewing them. 

(NOTE: I said that I was not reviewing HIS place, only writing about how it had just opened.  Sorry to interrupt…)

Obviously this is not the case, and if you taste the food and coffee and hate it for whatever reason, I tip my hat off to you.  It is absolutely your prerogative to voice your opinion, but I beg of you before stating opinions, about fare, ingredients or preparation methods, to give them a try or verify the facts.

My offer to buy you a cup of coffee still stands my friend, whether you like it or not, or prefer it to other places, is entirely up to you and your opinion is what I value the most.  After all you are my consumer…

Well, my “valued opinion” remains that upon “First Look” “most of the choices looked pretty standard” and I *still* urge people to check it out and let me “know if the Turkey and Swiss sandwich or the Greek Salad transcends the usual Midtown fare.”  “Injustice” is a strong word for what I wrote, and “indecent” should only be used about me when talking about how much chinese food I can eat at a buffet.

Your sandwiches actually sound really good when you describe them.  Lord knows no respectable publication would ever hire me to write about food.  Good look with the real restaurant reviewers… my sarcastic, meaningless blog’s “First Look” (that urged people to go try it for themselves) will end up feeling like a glowing review!

As always, everyone is welcome to email me or post comments (none are ever deleted).