With all due respect, I find the reasoning here somewhat scattershot.
If I'm grasping the argument, you're saying that a dish like Georges Bank cod with fennel artichoke ragout, saffron infused shellfish veloute is well done and elegant, and I've no doubt that's true, but isn't it the case that a majority of people in the metro area would find it pretentious?
Roger,
Maybe this helps: When I was talking about unpretentious-ness (Is that a word?), I was referring to the restaurant and it's atmoshere, not the food. What I meant was that in a gorgeous, very elegant (and expensively created) restaurant, it was a breath of fresh air to see the Chef enjoying the beverage he likes without being worried about anybody else's opinion (including the Food Editor of LEO). If that's what he likes, that's what he should drink. Now, if his staff had suggested Bud with our meal, I might have had a different view.....
Regarding pretentious restaurants: to me that's all about the mood, service and treatment of the customer. I've been in some fine, big city restaurants where it's so important to impress and put on airs, that it becomes snobby and stuffy (and in some cases very judgemental) , and to me that's not a great dining experience regardless of the caliber of the food. Corbett's doesn't feel like that: they spent the attention to every detail and spent a great deal of money on those details, but it still feels very comfortable and welcoming, not like you have to be up on all the latest food trends to be able to or want to eat there. And I'm betting that most of that feelings coming from Chef Dean and the way he selected and trained his staff.
Does that help?
Deb