Tyler Florence »
Tyler Florence Showcases Taxidermy In New Restaurant; Insults New York Food Scene
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If you haven’t heard much from Tyler Florence lately, it’s probably because he’s been busy making Wayfare Tavern, his newest restaurant, look as creepy and uninviting as possible. The restaurant is located in San Francisco, though the dead deer, animal bones, and brown witchy twigs strewn about make it feel much more like Hannibal Lecter’s living room. We’re not hungry; we’re scared. The only thing missing from that mantle is an eye of newt and a mason jar of goat blood.
Our friends at Eater have more photos of the place, and it’s filled with tacky wallpaper, skulls, dark wood, dark chairs, dark lights, dark ceilings, dark photos, and dead things. The “50-seat dining table” on the 3rd floor is nothing more than a bunch of wooden tables that have been slammed together cafeteria-style, and adorned with silver goblets and miscellaneous animal horns. Next door, the pool table lounge looks like a room from the hotel in The Shining. Gee, I sure do hope the red phone on that back wall is a direct line to the police.
In his interview with Eater, Tyler also took a moment to slam the New York food scene:
NY is all about the import. The new Japanese guy in town, the California wine, the new Italian fennel pollen, whatever. It’s all about these things that come into Manhattan and are done very well by great people, but there’s very little local story. -Tyler Florence
As a Manhattan-area resident, I found that comment to be both offensive and inaccurate. New Yorkers, what do you have to say in response to Tyler Florence?
Exxxxxxactly.
Other posts on Food Network Humor:
---Tyler Florence On The Today Show---Tyler Florence Should Have Someone Proofread His Twitter
---How Tyler Florence “Rolls”
---Tyler Florence’s Brownies Taste Like Dead People!
---Twitter Users Sick Of Tyler Florence – Are You?
- Tyler Florence
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77 Responses
He has truly lost his mind.
Tyler’s Ultimate Meatballs and bolognese sauce
Is the very best!!!!
niece and her husbands own/operate a couple bbq joints in texas and I know for a fact that one of them is festooned w/ hunting trophy stuffed heads. I really think they should include a steer head, pig’s head and a chicken head to truly reflect the spirit of the place.
This article was so funny!
I am really against hunting and taxidermy makes me ill. Just another reason to dislike Tyler Florence in my book.
Y’all better be a vegan or whatever they call that, cuz if you eatin’ meat, well, you know.
a lot of meat eaters can eat meat that’s not hunted. wild meat and domesticated meat are two different ball parks. Meat that is domesticated relys on humans for life where as wild meat is self sustaining.
In the interview, he said he decorated the place along with some random decorator. So he is directly responsible for all of the ugly we’re seeing.
Ha! He’s your problem now, California!
Well, I’m from Chicago but I love NYC too, and he is full of shit. The food scene in New York is unsurpassed. That “restaurant” looks like some dusty, fossilized men’s club, where old guys drink scotch and die in their chairs and nobody disturbs them for days because they think they’re asleep. I can’t imagine wanting to eat food in such surroundings.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see a “no women allowed” sign on the front door.
The He Man Women Haters Club.
Funny, the Hangtown Fry on the WayFarAway menu is described as ‘a dying man’s last meal’. He’ll kill you for $18.
Menu: http://sf.eater.com/uploads/WayfareTavernMenu.pdf
Daily specials: http://sf.eater.com/uploads/WayfarePlateSpecials.pdf
Desserts: http://sf.eater.com/uploads/WayfareDessert.pdf
No fan of the Flo.
I just hate taxidermy
He decorated like Claimjumpers. They do fabulously and people don’t seem to mind the decor one bit, while they are enjoying ther $100 family meals there. I dont like the decor, but I think he stole from Claimjumpers :)
I was scrolling through the pictures on Eater and the caption on one of the pictures: “The second floor has a dining room too.” made me laugh hysterically. Like they seriously could thing of nothing else to say.
How are deer heads and skulls about the “local story of New York”?
Puddin, maybe we don’t want to know…
I’m assuming it has to do with early settlers and the first Thanksgiving and shit like that. LOL.
I’d eat in the kitchen. Looks better than the hideous front of the house drab vibe.
Florence is a dork, but hunting is cool, as long as it’s fair chase and otherwise ethical. That’s a nice buck. I conditionally approve as long as dude actually took it himself rather than calling Rent-A-Trophy.
An old-school urban club ambiance would be a nice change of pace, and would make me more likely to frequent a restaurant. I’d MUCH rather dine among bookshelves, red brick, and leather chairs than this lame modernist designer crap all over HGTV lately, where only washed-out whites and grays are approved. Yuck.
With that said, it does look too dark and Gothic in that second photo. The goal should be worn and comfortable, not Edward Gorey.
Um, isn’t the local food story of NYC that anything goes? I always thought the beauty of it is being able to get pretty much any cuisine you can think of done deliciously regardless of price point. Tyler is too damn pretentious. Batali should dutch over his ass!
over=oven damn typo
I’ll try to remember what a maverick you are in the food scene Tyler, the next time I see you make fuckin chicken salad on your ultimately shitty show!
Saying that there is “no local story” in NEW YORK, is like saying there’s no wettness in water. New York is the epicenter of diverity in culture and food, and it’s where the “local stories” of food originated! Even Long Island wineries are starting to kick the ass of the famed Napa valley!!!!
Exactly Rich! And yes there is California cuisine but really, what else are they doing that is different than anywhere else.
What exactly do rooms themed like they are out of the game Clue, adorned with animals remains, have to do with the “local story” of San Fran?
Now what’s the point of even going to his restaurant? I like a balance of food and atmosphere. I already KNOW the food will be horrendous, but now I can’t even sit down without worrying that I’m going to be hunted down like one of those deer? No cuisine, no atmosphere, no talent. And for gods sake he needs to get Christopher Lowell or someone in there when he starts his next restaurant 30 miles away in Napa. He knows nothing about aesthetics.
Sas Saad, could I please take the liberty of correcting your post? It should have read “He knows nothing” (just end your sentence there. I’m not criticizing you – you must have just typed faster than you thought! Sorry. LOL
Hypocrite. The exact thing he is slamming NYC on is what he is trying to do in SF. Isn’t he trying to be the new (cough) chef in town? Besides, there seems to be more than a whiff of bitterness in that statement. I guess NYC has decided this is an emperor with no clothes.
It’s clear this entry wasn’t written by Jillian, but I’m curious as to who wrote it since they are listed only as “FNH staff.”
I personally don’t see the issue with the taxidermy stuff there, but it is painfully clear that Tyler is trying waaay to hard to be masculine. Compensation much?
There is no “staff” at FNH, it’s just run by Jillian and Michelle. They often work on posts together, no matter what name is attached to it when posting. So no, it’s not clear Jillian didn’t write it.
On the subject, TYFLO is an ass. We knew it .. and those pictures are hilarious.
It’s tone certainly doesn’t *sound* typical of Jillian. And yes, I’m well aware that the only true staff is Jillian & Michelle as I am a very long-time reader here. I was asking in case this some posted as some sort of reader entry that one of the two of them liked enough to share, or in case they did for whatever reason bring another person aboard.
If you are a long time reader here you would know that if it was written by a guest blogger it would have been titled under ” FNH Guest Blogger ” :)
The tone of it sounded fitting to me.
I have one little quibble: TyFlo’s place is called ‘Wayfare Tavern,’ not ‘Wayfarer’. Dang, the place is gloomy! Yeah, the compensation factor is ginormous. Check out all the hornage, though. LOL!
I believe his restaurant failed in NY which would explain the bitterness.Perhaps his restaurant would have more appeal if his head were mounted on the wall.Then again, maybe not.
I hope there’s a vomitorium somewhere in that place. I think he’s going to need one.
ROFL!!!
‘Perhaps his restaurant would have more appeal if his head were mounted on the wall.’ The wall isn’t big enough.
He put Bambi’s head up in an eatery in SAN FRANCISCO??? Home of peace, love and granola? Is he insane? He’ll be back in New York in no time.
perhaps he had a flashback to his SC roots…they luv hunting there.
LOL he’s so damned pompous it’s scary. Get over yourself you pretentious, prattling prick.
Enthusiastic second here. He has no more credibility with me than Sandra Lee, thanks to his tendency to spout non-facts as truth – like his preposterous assertion on his tiresome “Tyler’s Ultimate” program that gelatin is what the thickener is in jams and jellies. Really, Tyler? REALLY? Ever heard of ‘pectin,’ you fleshy dope? That was the last time I ever watched a show involving that man. What a waste.
If TyFlo believes this gobbledeegook is going to fly in uppity, non-hunty California–he’s crazier than a shithouse rat. And, seriously–MORE BURGERS from assholian FN stars? Is there no other idea out there for menu items?
1. I’m thinking the NY food scene is big & strong enough to take a one-sentence criticism from the likes of Tyler Florence.
2. In the eater interview, Ty said, “I cleared my schedule for the year.” I wonder what, exactly, that means? No appearances? Demo’s? Food festivals? Television shows? Is his contract with FN done? He’s pulling a Chiarello?
3. Hunting is cool. Any anyone who doesn’t think so AND eats meat is living in a dream world.
4. Taxidermy is also cool. Odd choice for a restaurant, but totally in line with a Barbary Coast / Hunter’s tavern feel. Am very curious to see how it goes over.
“He’s pulling a Chiarello?”
LOL!
O/T, but I saw Chiarello on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” the other night and I barely recognized him. He was so bloated and covered in pancake make-up, he was glowing orange.
@stoup, “he was glowing orange” – that show is so weird! I’m thinking they have an orange filter on their cameras?
*scratches head*
“Hunting is cool. Any anyone who doesn’t think so AND eats meat is living in a dream world.”
Amen, Lana!!
(Kinda like the “vegetarians” who won’t eat anything with a face, but have no problem wearing leather shoes and jackets – oh, brother!)
Did you see Michael Chiarello last year on “Top Chef Masters”? That guy has mad kitchen skills! I actually want to try his restaurant next time I’m in The Bay Area, as he was one of those few “Food Network Gods” that really knew how to cook and really wanted to share real culinary insight with his audience. Heh, I guess that’s why he left Food Network…
STFU Tyler Florence! What a hater!! NYC is one of the best if not the best culinary destinations in the world! Who the hell b*tches about the culinary scene in NYC?? Better than San Francisco. Your post about his restaurant is HILARIOUS!
Who knew Tyler had it in him? All the creepiness. If the food is about wild game and hunting, I could see the point of the animal heads and bones, but it seems really out of place in SF.
I live in the NYC area (and I don’t mean NJ when I say that) and I can assure Tyler that both Manhattan and the Hudson Valley have plenty of farm-to-table restaurants, or at lesat restaurants that source much of their food from upstate farms.
I have no problem with hunting or taxidermy, but you’re right – it’s so out of place in this setting. I don’t know what Flossy’s restaurant experience may be but he doesn’t seem to have a very firm grasp on what people want in a dining out experience.
Maybe he’s going for a more rugged, rough trade butch vibe? Hee hee!
I read the article – all the black walls look very modern but then he has very decidedly “country” wood furniture and floors mixed in with it which is just weird. And the wood floor does look beautiful, but I wonder did he have to destroy a whole barn in Kentucky to get them? And hopefully this barn he refers to was not some type of a landmark.
He goes on to brag about his house in California with all his trees and honey (who cares?) and then says being a restaurant cook is who he really is and the TV is just to pay the bills. Yes really.. I wonder how FN feels about that? And if he enjoys cooking so much, funny that he’s not doing the actual cooking in his restaurants!
I can only stand being in Manhattan for 24 hours, tops, but the food in NYC is unbelievable and unsurpassed. I have been to NYC a couple times JUST FOR THE FOOD.
(of course, I live in the DC area, where there REALLY is no culinary culture. The only reason famous chefs open up restaurants here is all the douchebags who want to say they “ate at so-and-so’s place” but coudl care less what they shovel in their gaping maws)
Tyler is one of those people who really shouldn’t talk so much. His arrogance and condescension come through too much.
God he is such an insufferable ass. The decor looks like something I’d see at the Renaissance Festival. It’s so drab. I am really against hunting, so this makes me dislike him even more.
Hasn’t NYC long been touted as the world’s greatest “melting pot”? From which ship did this idiot’s ancestors arrive at Ellis Island?!?
I’m guessing they floated in on deer antlers.
LOL. A pool table in a room that isn’t big enough to actually play.
Seriously, the whole place looks like walking through a series of countries that don’t actually exist.
What’s wrong with this guy?
I like Tyler, actually. I don’t like the decor of this new restaurant, but I don’t think he’s a bad dude. He seems like he’d be friendly and easy to talk to. Still, I do love the humor on this site, and I can see why people target him at times. He does put his foot in his mouth.
Tyler tweeted about this post, fyi. “Glad to see Food Network Humor hasn’t lost it’s since (sic) of……. Humor. Check out their glowing pre-review of Wayfare Tavern. Love you guys..
Then another tweet linking the post. Lol.
I really don’t know much about Tyler Florence, he seems a little cocky though. His wiki is about as vague as other information about him. I agree with other posts though that this restaraunt and the area aren’t a very good match.
Well good for Ty! Smells like maybe HE’S developed a scents of humor?
;-)
Whoops, I mean to Sad Saad.
One question: did he ever find his giant fork?
Maybe he should just rename the restaurant “Skull and Bones” and be done with it.
FIGJAM Florence. What a total weiner. I wonder if he still has major wandering eyes and hands ?
Well as a West Coast FNH fan, I have to stick up for Tyler Florence just a little (and I promise, it will ONLY be a little!) here. Sure, we all know NYCers LOVE their food scene and NYC is a foodie paradise… But so is SF! My goodness, The Bay Area is like a cradle of culinary innovation. It certainly helps that they have a climate that welcomes all sorts of fruit, veggies, herbs, and so much more.
OK, and that being said… Where’s the innovation here??!! Perusing the Wayfare Tavern menu, it looks so “been there, done that”. It’s like he just copied off Alice Waters and Bradley Ogden! I know Tyler is a “Food Network God” and all that, but personally I’d rather enjoy the real deal than risk suffering a mediocre (or worse, queue Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill…) meal at some “Food Network God in Absentia Palace”.
Tyler is a big blowhard. Someone needs to put a pin in that giant balloon head of his.
The place looks creepy. Just because you’re a “chef,” doesn’t mean you know how to decorate. Its an ugly, gloomy hodgepodge of crap.
Looks like a cheap ripoff of Saddlepeak Lodge in Santa Monica, CA
Personally, I like it. Reminds me of the supper-clubs of Wisconsin. We have a great German place here that has tons of guns, mounted animals, Kraut war memorabilia on the walls, ceilings, and in glass cases. And some kick-ass schnitzel dishes.
Sheesh, nothing like denying where our ancestors got their vittles from.
I think that Tyler did not say everything you have in the quote above. If you go to the original article, it appears that the interviewer is noted in bold (except for the name of some people and places. In this case, the quote beginning at “NY is..” and ending at “whatever” I believe, should be attributed to the interviewer, not to Mr. Florence.
That being said, Tyler didn’t disagree with the interviewer’s comments. He seemed to agree and elaborate.
I take my comment above back. That blog is confusing. I can’t tell who said what in bold anymore.
I hope he features specials from his ultimate Applebee’s abortions. Anyone who insults New York with shit like that just embarrasses themselves – we’ve got it all and then some. Go to any fucking pop up market in the summer and see all types of local shit – Peoples in Brooklyn fucking farm these days.
just read this post…and as someone who lives in NYC, that statement is INCREDIBLY inaccurate. Very little local story? Is Tyler nuts?
There’s more local story here than a good majority of cities in the country..
Next episode of his show (whatever it’s called, I can’t stand watching him) will feature clothing and accessories from Hot Topic.
It really is unfortunate when people think and act outside of their ability. That’s the luxury fame and a little money provides.
I hate to say this but Florence’s tavern looks like my “lair”, sans fireplace, bricks and twigs…
Oh, and I was in Ithaca, NY, and there was this place called Antlers that is full of taxidermy. It’s a hunting lodge style restaurant. Really cool!
i just ate here a couple days ago. yes, tons of deer horns all over. weird, moody music. was excited about the fois gras until it arrived absolutely covered in strawberry ruhbarb jam. why?! couldn’t even taste the fois gras. and my friend’s pork was smothered in sugary bbq sauce. also, the tyler florence brand sauvignon blanc was too sour. pass.