Miami New Times Fixes 'Inconsistencies' in a Review; Restaurant Claims Reviewer Never Ate There

Yesterday, the Miami New Times ran a review (that's an updated version with strikethroughs) of the restaurant Route 9 that seemed off to owner Jeremy Goldberg. Not in that it wasn't a particularly flattering review, but rather that it was riddled with factual inconsistencies. Oh, and the fact that Goldberg is pretty sure that Miami New Times restaurant critic Lee Klein never even ate at his restaurant..

The review was pulled overnight and reposted today with updates (the errors are marked with strikethroughs). Editor Chuck Strouse, told Eater Miami he made the decision to pull it because "Story had some errors."

What kind of errors, you ask? The original review claimed Goldberg and his wife/Route 9 co-owner Paola Goldberg graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1991, despite the fact that Goldberg was only nine years old at the time. The new version corrects that error as well as some inaccuracies concerning the menu.

But that's not all: Goldberg says he remembers some of the incidents that are mentioned in the review, and that he can trace them back to a "difficult table" that happened to leave a business card when they left. The card belonged to Klime Kovaceski, executive chef at Miami's Trio on the Bay, who, Miami food blogger Frodnesor discovered after some sleuthing, just happens to be working on a book with Klein.

Route 9 maintains Klein wasn't dining with Kovaceski. The restaurant's twitter feed claims, among other things:

· "unless lee is really a local chef, klime kovaceski, new times allowing competition to write reviews. lee klein was never here!"
· "In small chance he came, was with a competing new restaurant."
· "After spending 20 minutes with table, "Lee" though we were in our 40s. Should of asked NT photographer to see picture. He was not here!"

The new version of the review does not address these accusations.

In an email to Eater Miami at 1:30 AM last night, Klein said "I don't know what happened yet -- i didn't even know it wasn't up until i read your email." Miami blog Random Pixels says they heard that "Strouse could be heard throughout the entire newsroom Wednesday afternoon yelling at Klein over the phone," so who knows.

Update: Miami New Times editor Chuck Strouse has a blog post up with details about the corrections and responds to the accusations.

· Route 9: Great service but inconsistent food [Miami New Times]
· New Times' Route 9 Review Takes Some Twists and Turns [Food For Thought]
· Miami New Times Pulls Suspect Restaurant Review [Random Pixels]
· All Critics Coverage on Eater [-E-]