Guy Fieri fires back at scathing New York Times review

Guy Fieri attends the 137th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, 2011. / Getty

Guy Fieri is not going to take criticism sitting down.

On Tuesday, New York Times' food critic Pete Wells published a scathing review of Fieri's new Manhattan restaurant, and now the celebrity chef has fired back in an interview with "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie.

Wells reviewed Fieri's new Times Square restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, labeling it "poor" and calling the food "inedible," "greasy" and "ruinous."

"I just thought it was ridiculous," Fieri, 44, said Thursday. "I've read reviews. There's good and there's bad in the restaurant business. But that, to me, went so overboard. It really seemed like there was another agenda."

Fieri said he had a problem with the tone and the question-style nature of the piece. Practically the entire article was posed as a series of questions, beginning with: "GUY FIERI, have you eaten at your new restaurant in Times Square? Have you pulled up one of the 500 seats at Guy's American Kitchen & Bar and ordered a meal? Did you eat the food? Did it live up to your expectations?"

Fieri maintained that Wells came in "with a different agenda" -- particularly having visited the establishment four times in the two months it's been open, Fieri said, adding, "That's tough times, especially this size of a restaurant."

Guthrie then pointed out that his new spot had 2.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp, noting, "So it's not knocking people's socks off.

"At two months? Not really expecting to," Fieri responded.

The Food Network star said he will continue to stand by his food and his team.

Fieri has been in the restaurant business for 25 years, winning the second season of "The Next Food Network Star" in 2006. He launched the series, "Guys Big Bite," the next year, followed by the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" in 2007.

Watch the "Today" interview below:

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[Misty5648]

Guy,

Love your show, love you. You are a nice, down-to-earth guy with a heart of gold. I have never eaten your food, so I can't comment on that.

However, as a former New Yorker, I can tell yourself to get out of New York City, move to a friendlier state where people appreciate comfort food. New Yorkers are Obama loving snobs, think they are better than anyone else.

As for the critics, let them eat tofu. What do these snobs know about good, down-to-earth comfort food? Don't let 'em get to ya, Guy!

[jakewestwn]

We all know who runs the media and newspapers. Their comments hold little sway anymore. It's actually unusual for them to attack someone like Guy Fieri. Perhaps an elite's son or daughter has restaurants that lost ratings compared to Guys businesses but I would think they have bigger fish to go after. He hit a nerve with someone either in politics or business without realizing it perhaps.

[Xercos]

Open for two months and still gets only 2.5/5? How much time does he think the world should give him? How long does he expect his name alone to bring people in? The owners of new restaurants I've seen open want things to be perfect on day one, and will rehearse with friends and family of the staff for *weeks* before opening.

[akibeel]

I've eaten at one of his restaurants and the food isn't that good.

[46tallison]

I've been there. The review isn't that far from the truth...

[Choons]

who freaking cares? The real story is why all the major news media covered this

[MerrellOBrian64]

I'm not a chef. I don't own a restaurant. However, I've been in the customer service business for decades. If my joint was open for, let's say, four months, and I had a 2.5 out of 5 score. Okay? That's scenario. First, I'd be firing people left and right and the world would know it. I'd say, "This is NOT a 2.5 out of 5 restaurant!" I'd make my case. I don't know the critic or the food he had. But the answer, "I wouldn't expect to" about the rating? I wouldn't eat there.

[RuinedbyBush]

For the record: regarding many comments con/pro towards Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.

I am fully aware that vegging out in front of a TV is wasted time, but on the occasion when I do choose to do this due to fatigue, escapism..whatever:

This is the only show on my wide array of cable selections where:

--I am not subjected to at least one visual killing [something for which I do not need to see]

--I am subjected to some bloody dead body in some SVU type show
--I am subjected to some mindfully insulting low intelligence type sitcom show, eg How I Met Your Mother
--Some beyond stupid reality show like the Voice
--the entire spectrum of TV is pure garbage, except for the occasional Nature show on PBS or similar.

--So DDD does generally show fatty, crappy food, but its not violent, its about food [ my passion] and occasionally I do get a good idea when he visits a decent restaurant.

very, very few other shows on my cable are even mildly worthwhile.

[type_11]

My problem isn't the show, it's the host. DDD is a great concept for a show and I love similar shows like Man vs Food. But Guy Fieri is just an obnoxious jerk. I'd say his comments on "Today" are further proof of that.

[akibeel]

So basically you're just some fat a$$ that likes to watch nature shows and stuff your pie hole with food while whining about Bush.

[RuinedbyBush]

and this is newworthy? One critic? really?

[Forty-Four]

To be fair, a critic is exactly that...a critic. However, one person's tastes may greatly differ from that of another person's.

On the other hand, Leezee, for some reason I do not doubt the things that you claim. He seems like the kind of person to do that sort of thing...kind of like Tim Allen when he is off camera

[leezee63]

I used to like Guy, until he kind of became full of himself. When he visited a local restaurant for Diners, Drive-ins.... the staff there pretty much all said he was a jerk. Personally, I don't like how condescending he is to chefs at the restaurants showcased on his show. He NEVER lets them finish describing their OWN recipe. He constantly has to butt in or roll his eyes when he feels they aren't doing things the way he would.

[micmac666]

'Another celebrity (cook, mechanic, carpenter, whatever) due to marketing savvy and little else.