The ugliest photo of food ever

Well, ok, perhaps it's not the ugliest. But it's getting right up there. It's a photo of tuna tartare from Gotham Bar and Grill found in the NY Times food section today. To begin with, the presentation on that dish looked to be a rather pathetic attempt at tall food: at the base a cylindrical pile of tartare, barely holding its shape and bulking under the weight of two long slices of crouton stuck on top, with some inconsequential and rather hairy-looking little greens caught in between them. And around it all, a so very perfectly symmetrical circle of overlapping cucumber slices, with a worrying little red dot piped ever so precisely at the center of each one.

And let me get this right, the folks at the Times called up the people at Gotham and asked for a shot of food and that's what they came up with? Worse yet, perhaps that's how the tartare look at the restaurant!?

The photo accompanies a funny piece by Alex Witchel about singing for one's supper. You got to go there to check it out.

Comments

[Piperita]

Dear Pim, let's say that even the other pictures on the site are not reaaly enviting. But, onestly, this is the worst, anche they even have the courage to send it for publicity??? Crazy people!!!
;-))

[L]

Wow. That is truly unbelievably bad. Thanks for sharing!

[Jimmy-in-Seattle]

Hi Pimmy...Just wanted to let you know that your blog name appears on the front page of our food & wine section in the Seatle Times this morning. The top of the page headline is "A Blog Smorgasbord". Some of your favorites appear there also. One of which you turned me on to 'seattlebonvivant.com' I noticed her site doesn't appear on your list anymore of 'daily blog reads.' How come? She has a great blog! So do you! Congratulations on your 'name' being on the front page of the section here!!....Jimmy-in-Seattle

[Barbara Fisher]

Yep. That is fugly. Sometimes I wonder what food stylists and chefs think about when they construct plates like that.

[EToohey]

but I would still eat it. ;-)

[slurp!]

LOLz .. perhaps these was designed by engineers? :D
come on, give them some encouragement, perhaps this just beta 0.3? ;)

[J]

The article is indeed fun; thanks for including the link! Turns out they needed a shot of Gotham's tuna tartare, which, according to the columnist Alex Witchel, "comes built in a tower that other people find annoying. He continues to say that he's "never let the presentation of great food get in the way of [his] devouring it."

I have to say that when I make a cake that collapses, I dig right in without pause, especially if it's chocolate!

[ccookiecrumb]

I howled when I saw that picture in the paper yesterday, and it's even funnier here.
Are people still doing vertical food? Jeepers.
xx

[SamanthaF]

It looks like a bug hot-dog.

[Dan]

Highly unlikely that the restaurant came up with the photo, though possible. I had many experiences dealing with the Times over the years, and they always insisted that one of their own photographers take the photos of a dish, even if we already had one in stock.

[Mark]

I realize that it's not the NYTimes, but I think I've got that photo beat in the ugly department:

http://vegetarianduck.blogspot.com/2005/08/surimi-fasolatedo.html

[Gabriella True]

that is terrible! I am sure they thought they were being super creative. sometimes simple is much more appealing.

[eurofoodie]

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