Guy Fieri Responds To Wells' Review

This morning's TODAY show covered the question-filled saga that is Pete Wells vs. Guy Fieri (or perhaps Guy Fieri vs. Every New York Critic), and Fieri gets his word in as the TODAY show calls him a "seriously bruised restaurant owner" after Pete Wells' review (who a man-on-the-street calls "another pompous New Yorker.")

"I just thought it was ridiculous," Fieri says. "I mean 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."

As for why his Yelp page only has 2.5 stars (and all the other critics seemed less than happy with their own Guy Fieri American Bar & Kitchen experience)? "At this point in time at two months in, [we're] not really expecting to [be perfect]," he says. Try six months later.

In any case, Fieri stands by his food and claims Wells has a chip on his shoulder. "To me, it's impossible to come in to have a dining experience and have every single thing wrong unless you come in with a different agenda and you want to sensationalize something and you want to blow it out of the water," Fieri says. "It's a great way to make a name for yourself." Of course, Wells already has a name for himself, as he is The New York Times food critic. But then again, we don't know if he's making $100,000 for an hours' worth of public speaking. Check out the full interview below, plus The Daily Meal's interview with Fieri.

Update 3:54 p.m.: Guy Fieri has sent out a statement officially responding to Pete Wells' review, saying, he "wholeheartedly disagree[s]" with The Times. "I normally do not respond to reviews or critics, however, given the tone of Pete's piece, it's clear to me that he went into my restaurant with his mind already made up," Fieri said in his statement. "That's unfortunate. I take comments from patrons, fans, and visitors very seriously, and if there is ever a problem with our service, I'll fix it... I'm proud of the food we put out, and always will be."

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