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Food

Chew on This: Is it Fair to Judge a Brand-New Restaurant?

Written by Kate Nerenberg
| Published on November 16, 2010
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In the first few weeks of a restaurant's life, there are inevitably hiccups—slow service, too much salt here, too little pepper there. Such was the case for one reader who participated in restaurant critic Todd Kliman's chat today, talking about an experience at the newly opened Michel by Michel Richard in Tysons Corner. "Shrimp dish was very poor," the reader wrote, "something you would get at Red Lobster. . . .We spent $245 for 2 people. I think Michel has a bomb here." Following Kliman's response (which included a "caution about writing the obituary of a place that just opened and, because of that—and because of the towering reputation of its chef—deserves the time to find itself."), readers went back and forth on visiting a restaurant in its infancy. We want to know what you think: Is it fair to pass judgment on a brand-new restaurant? Does your opinion change if a meal costs $245 for two people?

Let us know in the comments.

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