Fieri says farewell to Times Square

NEW YORK >> On his website, the platinum blond celebrity chef and Food Network star Guy Fieri says he has “opened over 63 restaurants around the world and at sea.” He doesn’t say how many he has closed, but the 500-seat monster, Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square, is about to become one casualty.

Its signature Donkey Sauce will stop flowing after the nearby ball drop on Sunday.

“I’m proud that for over 5 1/2 years, Guy’s American in New York City served millions of happy guests from all over the world,” Fieri said in a statement. “And upon the restaurant’s closing, I’d like to say thank you to all of the team members and guests who made it all happen.”

Fieri did not say why he was closing the restaurant, which features what he calls “American comfort food gone wild.” The demise could not be attributed to the scathing, no-stars review by Pete Wells of The New York Times because that appeared back in November 2012, shortly after the restaurant opened. The review, which went viral, noted, among other details, “how very far from awesome the Awesome Pretzel Chicken Tenders are.”

Eater first reported the news of the closing Dec. 28.

The restaurant is part of the Blue Stein Group, a New York collection of restaurants that includes the Heartland Brewery chain and similar places that feature beer. Jon Bloostein, the group’s chief executive, is out of town and could not be reached for comment.

And as a postscript, another New York restaurant from a Food Network star, Cat Cora’s Fatbird Southern Kitchen and Bar in the meatpacking district, is gone after a mere seven months, Eater reports.