NYCReview
I'll be the first to admit it when I'm wrong, as it happens a lot. For example, when we first put @infatuation on Instagram, I was convinced the platform was supposed to be used as a history of our travels, and argued with Stang that photos like this were completely acceptable. That one's embarrassing. Another thing I was wrong about: Marc Forgione. Of all the reviews we've written (over 800) in the last five years, one of the ones that we've had the most disagreement on is Marc Forgione. Back in 2010, we gave it a lukewarm 6.8. Not a slam by any stretch of the imagination, but not a stamp of approval either.
We had two main problems the first time around. First off, there was a terrible cover band playing U2 songs inside the restaurant while we were attempting to eat an expensive meal. Talk about killing a vibe...jesus. Someone once emailed me that they thought that my comments about the live music led them to believe I was discriminating against Forgione himself because he had a mohawk and a "rocker" look. Little did they know I grew up a wanna-be suburban punk, and Rancid remains one of my favorite bands of all time. But a) U2 sucks, and b) the only time a U2 cover band is acceptable during dinner is at the wedding of some other dude who plays in a U2 cover band. Period.
As for the food, we just didn't initially love it. Everything sounded awesome on paper and looked beautiful on the plate, but didn't really deliver once we got around to eating it. Hence the mediocre rating.
It would seem, however, that things at Marc Forgione have changed for the best. That, and I was probably just wrong in the first place. We've been back a few times over the last year or so, and the restaurant really seems to have found its stride. The food is excellent, the service is good, and the upscale, rustic room has always been one of our favorites in NYC. Marc Forgione is Perfect For those times when you want to throw down on a baller meal and not think twice about the bill, or go out for a Special Occasion dinner that's not quite as expensive as the other big boys, but also doesn't feel as stuffy.
So now that we've given Marc Forgione its rightful 8.2, please stop telling me I'm wrong. About this at least. I'm not budging on the U2 thing.