• Jeff Vandam looks at Uncle Paulie's Restaurant, "the only restaurant in a neighborhood full of hard-labor businesses" ... "The fare at Uncle Paulie's is a cut above most lunch-counter fodder, much of it cooked fresh by Mr. Pedro himself, who is, in fact, an uncle. He prepares his own veal Marsala, lemon chicken and grilled, roasted pork chops. A full plate costs $6." ... Greenpoint Avenue and Monitor Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, across the street from the Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant ... we hope Twenty Bucks a Day checks it out ...

• Veal Cheeks compares 2 Filipino restaurants ... Cendrillon ... had "a goat curry, served with plantain and a tangy fruit chutney. The best feature was the light rice pancakes that permitted the belief that one was treated to Moo Shu Goat. It was the high point of the meal" ... as an entree had "Salt Roasted Duck with Mango and Tomatillo Chutney and Cellophane Noodles ... for which the chutney was a necessary accessory" ... (previous reviews: Amateur Gourmet (TWIR, August 26, 2005), and Frank Bruni (TWIR, August 5, 2005)) ... web site, 45 Mercer Street, 212-343-9012 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and Ihawan, which "was local to the core" ... "lunch for two was only a bit more than an entree at Cendrillon" ... "Ordering a barbecue stick I imagined a small satay. What was served verged on being half a pig on a stick. The stick must have measured close on two feet with a large fillet of sweet and zesty thin cut pork." ... 40-06 70th Street, at Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-205-1480 [Bridge and Tunnel Club | openlist | Citysearch] ... had lunch at Gotham Bar and Grill, "one of the essential New York restaurants" ... "this could well have been the impressive lunch during my New York stay" ... "Moroccan Spiced Rack of Lamb with Couscous Salad, Roasted Eggplant and Lemon-Black Pepper Jus [:the] lamb was superb, as was its jus. I was less impressed by the couscous and eggplant" ... web site, 12 East 12th Street, at 5th Avenue, 212-620-7810 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• eat drink one woman says one word describes Hope & Anchor: OVERDRAMA ... and even though her "turkey burger with avocado ($8) was pretty tasty, the fries were crisp and hot, my ginger cosmo (ginger vodka, grand marnier, lime, and white cranberry juice) nice and strong, and the singing proprietor Joe was amiable and adorable... I'M NOT COMING BACK" ... 347 Van Brunt Street, at Wolcott Street, Brooklyn, 718-237-0276 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Augieland gave Devi "272 Jaganmatillian stars" ... had "the tasting menu with its paired wines" ... not-so-great service, but "As for the food, it really was great." ... "dinner was exceptional and I will definitely be going back for the food. I strongly suggest against the wine parings, though." ... web site, 8 East 18th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-691-1300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Plate Of The Day isn't screaming for the ice cream at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory ... "a cup of the vanilla with chocolate chips [was not] the very best ice cream i’ve ever had but for the scenic view and the amount they give you, it’s definitely worthwhile." ... Fulton Ferry Landing Pier, 1 Water Street, Brooklyn, 718-246-3963 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• The Girl Who Ate Everything had a Restaurant Week lunch at DB Bistro Moderne ... and had "indescribable duck raviole" ... but the best part of the meal was "the little, lovingly shaped frozen vanilla blop" that accompanied dessert ... web site (not the right use of Cab Calloway tunes), 55 West 44th Street, 212-391-2400 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• eating for brooklyn says the pizza at Fornino "was excellent. Not in the DiFara's/Grimaldi's league, Fornino is a wood-fired, artisanal league of its own. This pizza really reminds me of the kind you get in Italy. I love both New York style pizza and the Italian pies. Neither is better, just different." ... (previous review: slice (TWIR, January 13, 2006)) ... 187 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-384-6004 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Bergers & More "could have had 3" of the spiked egg cream at Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction ... "the food is good, but it is a little gimmicky" ... (previous reviews: Andrea Thompson (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Andrea Strong (TWIR, October 21, 2005), Peter Meehan (TWIR, September 30, 2005)) ... web site, 34 Avenue A, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• gothamist loved the Camembert Panini from Le Kiosk ... 75 East 1st Street, 646-234-1742 [Village Voice]

• Salli Vates made it to Gilt: "I found myself commenting that we were eating snowflakes - intricate works of art which melted in our mouths." (see reviews in last week's TWIR, January 20, 2006) ... and Mitsuwa Marketplace, "a sort of Disneyland for those who love Japanese food and culture (but especially food). The food court/grocery/shopping complex used to be known as Yaohan, but after changing names and undergoing renovation, it's even more of a food destination than before. Although Mitsuwa is not technically in New York, it's just a $2.00, 30-minute ride from Port Authority's Gate 51. The shuttle operates about every 30 minutes." ... web site, 595 River Road, Edgewater, NJ, 201-941-9113

• The Impetuous Epicure had "Szechuan Chicken Dumplings with chili and white soy beans" at Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, but "the filling wasn’t really up to muster. Sure, it tasted like chicken, just really bland chicken that was slightly spicy" ... however, the "Chocolate Soup Dumplings [were] actually pretty good” ... web site, 61 West 23rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, 212-924-9220 [MenuPages | Village Voice | NYT | Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema makes us want to try Minangasli ... "beef rendang ($6.95) has never tasted so good—in New York, at least." ... "the Sumatran satay turns these meat sticks (choose lamb, beef, or chicken) into a full meal. The brochettes arrive flung like pickup sticks across marvelous cubes of compressed rice starch called lontong, flooded with a sweet dark sauce and garnished with red chiles and fried shallots. A dish of more savor and delicacy can hardly be imagined." ... 86-10 Whitney Avenue, Elmhurst, Queens, 718-429-8207 [Mouthfuls | chowhound]

• Pascale Le Draoulec cautions readers to not be misled by an empty HQ ... "What makes [HQ's tuna tartare] rise above New York's tartare tonnage is the sticky brown nectar of curried honey that rings the raw fish. Spicy, sweet and so surprising." ... "Order the halibut, and you will be served a generous fillet riding a crisped hash-brown surfboard in a creamy sea of smoked mussels. Swiss chard makes a paltry (but delicious) attempt to cut the richness of this dreamy dish." ... (previous review: Moira Hodgson (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) ... web site, 90 Thompson Street, between Prince and Spring Streets, 212-966-2755 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Eric Asimov believes Spiga "has mastered the art of offering flavors associated with sweetness -- cocoa, honey, even licorice -- without the sweetness itself" ... "Too many dishes contained dried fruit, honey or chocolate. Fearing the worst, we tried as many as we could. Instead, we found compositions of exquisite balance in which the chef, Salvatore Corea, brought out the underlying flavors of the ingredients without permitting sweetness to intrude." ... 200 West 84th Street, Manhattan, 212-362-5506 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• David Rosen gave 1 star to Taboon ... "The menu reads as enticingly as the decor, but the kitchen does a poor job translating words into plates. In fact, after the delicious homemade bread baked with tangy yogurt spread, there is little else that does not warrant critique." ... "whole sea bass and the chicken ... are irremediably dry." ... "steak is tasteless and stringy" ... "The bill for our large table already included a 20-percent gratuity, but our server informed us only after we had signed a credit-card receipt on we which we left an additional 20-percent tip." ... why did it get 1 star? ... 773 Tenth Avenue, at 52nd Street, 212-713-0271 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Mona's Apple was disappointed by the fried artichoke hearts at Pair of 8's ... "But the sweet potato puree was excellent, almost like a very thick apple sauce, but with sweet potatoes. Mmm." ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, January 20, 2006), Gael Greene (TWIR, December 9, 2005), Pascale Le Draoulec (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) ... 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Joshua Bernstein says Palava Hut "is one of the warmest, most welcoming establishments I’ve visited in months." ... it carries "Guinness, Heineken and Beck’s in the stomach-pleasing 24-ounce size" for $4 ... "on one visit I tried fried rice, served alongside goat on the bone. It swam in a blandly named 'red sauce.' The okra-studded fried rice was savory and delicious--and large enough for two--while the goat was tender. The red sauce, however, was a five-alarm fire." ... sounds like a great place ... if you like music, read the entire article for a nice bonus ... 992 Atlantic Avenue, between Grand and Classon Avenues, Brooklyn, 718-623-3174

• Steve Cuozzo is "Sick and Attired" ... "a tip for the female managers at Spice Market who wander the floor in Club Med-like, back-exposing sarongs, and for certain women I saw dining at Jovia the other night: Butt cracks have their place. That place, however, is not a restaurant where the proper appetite is culinary, not carnal. Call me stodgy, but lots of what passes for casual today makes me want to puke." ...

• Peter Meehan writes that Falai Panetteria is "part patisserie, part bakery, part reasonably priced dinner spot. In fact, it's all those things at once, but it's hard to figure which is the most compelling reason to visit." ... "Veal meatballs ($7) are available as an appetizer and as a main course. And though ethereal is an overplayed adjective in food writing, it describes Mr. Falai's meatballs to a 'T.' They are light. They are impossibly tender. They are delicate in a way that most meatballs aren't." ... 79 Clinton Street, at Rivington Street, 212-777-8956 [Citysearch]

• Big Apple Dining Guide had the Scandia Meatball Burger at Smorgas Chef: "On one half of a Balthazar bun sat 8 or 9 (maybe 10) swedish meatballs with melted jarlsberg on top" ... (sounds like Ikea) ... "was also served with chive mashed potatoes that tasted exactly how my Tante Kari makes them." ... ... web site, 53 Stone Street, 212-422-3500 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong has a roundup of places serving melted cheese dishes ... Artisanal ... Home ... Craftbar ... Rosa Mexicano ... Mercadito ... Barbounia ... Country ... Christos ... Ama ... Butter ...

• Andrea Strong believes the food at Nobu 57 "is as good as I remember it from many meals at Nobu downtown, and in fact it is even better" ... "the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalepeno ... is perfect" ... "we were not prepared for how insanely good the king crab tempura with 'Amazu' sweet ponzu ($26) would be. The dish is a new to the menu, and it is brilliant" ... "the beef tenderloin ... was simply grilled and simply divine" ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni and A Brooklyn Life (TWIR, September 30, 2005)) ... web site, 40 West 57th Street, 212-757-3000 [MenuPages | NY Metro | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni spent a week as a waiter ... "I learned that for servers in a restaurant as busy as the East Coast Grill, waiting tables isn't a job. It's a back-straining, brain-addling, sanity-rattling siege." ... but we agree with what Bruni's fellow-server Tina said, "Some people are interested in having the experience of being disappointed." ... Waiter Rant offers to trade places with Frank for a week ... and gave 1 star to The Spotted Pig ... "Two hours might in fact be an acceptable wait for the Pig's fantastic gnudi, which are soft, rich dumplings made of sheep's milk ricotta and topped with fried sage leaves, browned butter and Parmesan." ... "the roasted black bass [was] astonishingly moist, and the herbs atop it (cilantro, thyme, flat-leaf parsley) were so fresh that my companion wondered aloud if the Pig had its own roof garden." ... "Go for lunch on a weekday." ... "Skip weekend brunch." ... web site, 314 West 11th Street, at Greenwich Street, 212-620-0393 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch | Gayot]

• The Bruni Digest had a scoop: "The Count poses as a WAITER??" ... and looks at Frank Bruni's Spotted Pig review: "The Spotted Pig: Too Hot Right Now" ...

• NYC nosh wants a job near Cafe Zaiya, which "makes its own impressive selection of sweet treats and replaces them with fresh items throughout the day" ... "we are madly and passionately in love with the yakimochi. These little discs are made from pounded glutinous rice dough, flecked with black sesame seeds, and filled with a velvety sweet white bean paste. They are grilled or baked" ... also serves lunch ... (Salli Vates loves their sugar-powdered chocolate souffles) ... 18 East 41st Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues, 212-779-0600 [Yelp | Citysearch]

• Amateur Gourmet ate at Cafe Asean: the green curry was "pretty good food in a charming environment" ... 117 West 10th Street, between 6th and Greenwich Avenues, 212-633-0348 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and "liked the burger" at Sparky's All-American ... 333 Lafayette Street, 212-334-3035 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Twenty bucks a day went to the newly opened Hanco for banh mi, "the sandwich king of the eastern hemisphere, and one of the city’s premiere cheap eats" ... ordered the classic spicy (pork or chicken?) ... " the usual banh mi cold toppings were augmented by slivers of a green pepper, which presented some additional crunch" ... 85 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, 718-858-6818 ... and had an excellent Chinese New Year dinner at Grand Sichuan International in Chelsea ... "ordered something called a 'spicy lamb casserole' from the special Chinese New Year menu [that was] more like a stew than anything else" ... "could easily feed two adventurous people, provided they didn’t mind sucking the meat off of various bones (the meat is tender and flavorful enough to make this rewarding)" ... (note that Grand Sichuan International is a small NYC chain and they are different than Grand Sichuan on Canal Street in Chinatown) ... web site, 229 9th Avenue, at 24th Street, 212-620-5200 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... had dinner at Rocco’s Calamari (not the same as Rocco's Pizzeria on 5th Avenue between 78th and 79th in Brooklyn) ... "The calamari ($9), which arrived last, was by far the best dish, and the least generic. Fresh, perfectly fried, and flavorful, this was among the best presentations of that oft-abused shellfish I’ve ever tasted." ... "other than the fried calamari, none of the dishes were truly exceptional" ... 6408 Ft. Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, 718-833-2109 [Village Voice | Citysearch]

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This Week in NYC Reviews - January 20, 2006

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

Winter Restaurant Week starts January 23 and runs for 2 weeks, excluding weekends: January 23-27, 2006 and January 30-February 3, 2006 ...

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

NYC Restaurant inspection results online

• Michael Saul warns: "Before you eat at your favorite restaurant, the city thinks there's something you should read - and it isn't a menu. A new Web site unveiled yesterday by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene allows diners to know what inspectors found the last time they checked out the kitchens of the city's 21,295 eateries. "New Yorkers obviously love food and they love all information about food that they can get - this is providing more information to people," Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said yesterday as he announced the site, www.nyc.gov/health/restaurants." ... and has a list of "Golden Apple Award winners" ... "Readers, uh, digest: City restaurant inspectors dish up grades on Web site," NY Daily News, January 19, 2006

• Not a review, but we loved the title and lede from an article by Cynthia Kilian: "Good Nitro, and Good Luck" ... "LIQUID nitrogen isn't just for welders anymore. Some top chefs use it, too." ... "' It's very fascinating stuff,'" said Gilt chef Paul Liebrandt ... next hot culinary trick: oxyacetylene cooking ... welders use it and it's fascinating stuff ... bet WhiteTrashBBQ has some tips ...

• Joe DeSalazar of foodie is moving from gothamist to decentcontent ...

• Lauren Collins asks if 202 is "Restaurant, Bar, Boutique?" ... "Bubble and squeak, an ample casserole of cabbage and potatoes, is like a starch pie, browned on the top and creamy underneath." ... "missing the tuna burger--which, unlike most versions, never comes overcooked and is slathered with guacamole--would be the worse crime." ... 75 Ninth Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets, 646-638-1173 [NYT | Citysearch]

• The Girl Who Ate Everything had dinner at Soba Koh ... "ordered the early dinner set ($16), which included savory egg custard, soba (hot or cold), a tempura medley, and broccoli rabe" ... "The soba was flat and thin with a light flavor. Of course, it was delicious" ... "loved every piece of tempura" ... "loved" the black sesame pudding ... (previous reviews: NYC nosh (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Salli Vates (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) ... 309 East 5th Street, 212-254-2244 [Citysearch] ... and says "the cakes are ADORABLE!" at the Golden Dragon Boat Cafe and Bakery ... lots of pics of adorable cakes ... 111 Bowery, 212-274-1822

• NYC nosh had dinner at Whym ... "the chopped salad, which here features asparagus, bosc pear, beet cubes, crumbled feta, and a basil vinaigrette ... works and is delicious" ... calamari, "served very lightly battered and dredged with a sweet chili sauce and a touch of harissa ... imports elements of Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines in equal measure. The result is a genuine winner of a dish." ... stuffed pork chop with polenta "was very well-cooked" ... 889 9th Avenue, between 57th and 58th Streets, 212-315-0088 [Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema had Greek mountain food at Metsovo ... "anyone who arrives intent on ordering seafood must be crazy, or ignorant of the treasures this joint is capable of." ... "Mountain food depends on sheep and goats for its main courses, and there's nothing better than the baby goat fricassee ($22), which the menu refers to as 'Ali Pasha.'" ... "Lamb Yannina ($19) is another mountain standard. While it looks good on paper, it turns out to be rather dull in execution." ... 65 West 70th Street, 212-873-2300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• A Guy In New York says the fries at Burke Bar Cafe are "incredible ...crispy, not soggy" ... also liked the margherita pizza and braised spareribs ... (previous reviews: Slashfood and A Hamburger Today (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) ... general web site, Burke in the Box web site, 1000 Third Avenue, 59th Street entrance, between Lexington and Third Avenues, 212-705-3800 [NY | The Strong Buzz | Daily News]

• Pascale Le Draoulec gave 1.5 stars to The Cafe at Country ... "flavor and vibrancy were often left out of the equation and food tasted well, flat. This, despite the many clever and interesting flourishes from the kitchen." ... (previous review: Frank Bruni (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 90 Madison Avenue, at 29th Street (in the Carlton Hotel), 212-889-7100 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Bergers & More had his first burger of 2006 at Paul's ... the burgers "were 8 ounces of delight ... greasy, flavorful and cooked to our specifications. They also got it right with the bun which was slightly smaller than the burger so you weren't stuck with a boring bun at the end. The shoestring fries were top-notch" ... the milkshake "was mostly milk and little shake" ... 131 2nd Avenue, between 7th Street and St. Marks Place, 212-529-3033 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and did not like the sliders at Burke in the Box at Bloomingdales ... "the sliders which at $9.95 include 3 mini-burgers in haute-cuisine style ... looked terrific and tasted terrible. A serious miss." ... earlier in the day is better ... and what about the fries? ...

• Moira Hodgson gave 1 star to Heirloom ... "portobello 'foie gras' ... doesn’t taste in the least bit like foie gras. It tastes like portobello mushrooms, and they are perfectly nice in and of themselves" ... the tofu was "leathery " ... had "a lovely salad of local greens laced with pecans and topped with candied grapefruit on sticks. Another terrific dish was made with grits, smoked hominy, avocado and queso fresco, with a roasted tomato poblano adding just the right note of heat and acidity." ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, January 6, 2006), Salli Vates (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) ... web site, 191 Orchard Street, 212-228-9888 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Veal Cheeks writes that his dinner at Per Se "was the best meal that I have yet eaten in this culinary capital. I will go one step further, before taking a step back. This was my first meal where all complaints deserve to be in small print." ... "failures are in the disposal, not on the tasting menu. The fact that this was the Chef's Tasting Menu, reconceived each market day, made its gaffe-free quality astonishing." ... "We selected the Chef's Tasting Menu: Nine courses composed daily, plus a few extras." ... "At the great restaurants, it is not doing the big things right, but doing the tiniest things astonishingly" ... web site, 10 Columbus Circle, at 60th Street and 8th Avenue, Time-Warner Center, 212-823-9335 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and says that Heirloom "in its current incarnation has much to offer New York diners, but rethinking the menu could make this a destination restaurant, rather than a diverting curiosity" ... "the Stir-Fried Spicy Rice Flour Noodles and Root Vegetable Kimchee, created with broccoli stems, honshimeiji (beech mushrooms), and galangal (ginger-like) teriyaki sauce [was] a happy mixture" ...

• Julia Moskin has an overview of Bukharian restaurants in Rego Park, Queens ... the "kebabs, stews, noodles and dumplings are savory and satisfying" ...

• Mona's Apple likes Pommes Frites, "a specialty shop serving authentic Belgian fries" ... "highlight of PF is the plethora of sauces you can choose from. We tried the sampler of three: parmesan peppercorn, roasted garlic mayo, and "especial" which is onions on top of ketchup on top of mayo. You can't go wrong with either of these." ... web site, 123 2nd Avenue, between 7th and 8th Streets, 212-674-1234 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld gave 2 stars to Blaue Gans ... "blutwurstgröstl, or blood sausage, is all crumbly baked goodness, mixed with roasted fingerlings, mounded on a fastidiously molded circle of tangy sauerkraut and sprinkled with fresh grated horseradish" ... "In this unpretentious, urbane context, nothing seems the slightest bit overdone." ... "Pork schnitzel is just as delicately breaded, remarkably light and greaseless." ... "As good as the goulash is, the classic Austrian dish called kavalierspitz-boiled beef shoulder, topped with apple-horseradish relish and served with the velvetiest spinach purée imaginable-is better." ... 139 Duane Street, near West Broadway, 212-571-8880 [NYT | Citysearch]

• Steve Cuozzo asks some of the same questions we had in his Gilt review, "The Ego Has Landed" ... " Chefs don't come more charmingly full of themselves than young Paul Liebrandt, whose argument-starting, 'modern European' creations might easily set you back $250 a head." ... "But will customers whose checks are not picked up by a newspaper spend as much as they would at Daniel, Jean-Georges or Le Bernardin on a cult-figure, 29-year-old chef in a hotel dining room? Because, stripped of its hype, that's Gilt" ... "With magical dishes like ocean trout slow-cooked with clementines and sunchokes, it's even potentially great. But it makes you want to call 911 — and not because its $92, three-course dinner prix fixe comes with $18-$28 supplements. No, it's the shakedown wine list aimed at wow-the-babe high-rollers who won't know what to make of Liebrandt's cooking that made me scavenge like a vagrant to find anything under $200." ...

• David Rosen awards 2 out of 4 stars to Gilt where "Servers descend upon tables with a clumsy attitude that indicates the first sign of troubles to come." ... "Three of the amuse bouches carry descriptions that could be used to describe toiletries. Air, bubbles and foam are respectively employed in combination with the words lemon, oyster and chestnut. Fortunately, the only one that tastes like soap is the lemon air, whereas both the oysters topped with zesty bubbles and the chestnut foam are deliciously appealing." ... "At these prices we expect perfection, and Gilt restaurant is still far from it." .. which is why it only gets 2 stars ... we hope next week is Gilt-free ...

• Andrea Strong had dinner at Del Posto ... "Del Posto offers three things: magnificent design, impeccable service, and yes, phenomenal food. They had me at Posto. Indeed, the Batali-Bastianich Trio has a major success on its hands." ... "The vegetable fritto misto with bagna cauda ($15), a compilation of fried vegetables, is clearly the work of a fry-station genius." ... "salumi misti ($18) is also required eating, a selection of fantastic cured and dried meats served with a surprise" ... "There are 15 pastas to choose from at Del Posto, an overwhelming choice especially when you consider that they all sound amazing. ... The pastas are remarkable." ... "The only issue with the pasta tasting is that the courses are served one at a time, and this can add an hour to your dining experience." ... "The lamb three ways ($30) is a flawless dish" ... "the experience of dining there as a whole—the palatial design, the flawless service, the killer food, and the attention to detail—was extraordinary, unique and quite special." ... 85 Tenth Avenue, between 15th Street and 16th Streets, 212-497-8090 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Pair of 8's ... "For $25 [Monday's only], Pair of 8's, a modest new bistro that doesn't feel like a comedown from where you really wanted to go, presents you not only with a two-course meal - appetizer and entree - but also with a glass of red or white wine." ... "The chef, Bill Peet, who worked at Lutèce and Café des Artistes, must believe that less is more when it comes to seasoning. It's a religion he should lose" ... "But his most successful dishes are several notches above what you usually find at a neighborhood restaurant." ... "sorbets and ice creams are made in house, and the sorbets in particular (coconut, lemon, passion fruit) are terrific" ... (previous reviews: Gael Greene (TWIR, December 9, 2005), Pascale Le Draoulec (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) ... 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and tried Dani ... "I was impressed by some of what I ate at Dani, including a thick, juicy pork cutlet with a thin, crisp crust. I was less taken with other dishes, including cavatelli with braised veal cheeks, which was underseasoned." ... 333 Hudson Street, at Charlton Street, 212-633-9333 [Citysearch]

• The Bruni Digest looks at "Pair of 8's: Franklene's Basement" ...

• slice finally got to DeMarco's ... and compares it favorably to Di Fara ... "the DeMarco's slices this weblog had Tuesday night for dinner and yesterday afternoon for lunch were very good approximations of the master's [Dominick DeMarco at Di Fara] craft." ... "a similar well-proportioned balance of crust, sauce, and cheese." ... "DeMarco's is very good. And it's only been open a short while. We suspect it'll only get better" ... 146 West Houston Street, at MacDougal Street, 212-253-2290 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Twenty Bucks a Day also went to DeMarco’s ... and had a "Pizza Margherita. It’s the simplest Neapolitan pizza out there – just crust, tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella di bufala. It’s also the easiest to screw up – there’s not much margin for error with so few ingredients, and if any of them are off (or out of balance), the pie just isn’t the same. Fortunately, I was in the hands of a chef who was having an extremely good day." ... "The 12” Margherita is the most European pizza I’ve ever eaten in America" ... and had dinner at La Maison du Couscous ... "though it’s a little expensive, the food is worth traveling to try in any weather" ... "The couscous (interestingly also served in a tajine – I have no idea if this is typical) was sweet in an earthy kind of way, with golden raisins, prunes, and dates." ... web site, 484 77th Street, Brooklyn, 718-921-2400 [NY Metro | Go Brooklyn | Village Voice | Citysearch]

• Gael Greene titled his quick review of Gilt "Is it Gilt or just plain brass?" ... web site, 455 Madison Avenue, at 50th Street, 212-891-8100 [NYT | Citysearch]

• The Hungry Rose had dinner at Compass ... "salad of heirloom beets and ruby red grapefruit with Greek yogurt and pistachios ... blew me away ... a terrific combination of ingredients" ... "veal tenderloin ... was a rather large, tough and rather texture-less hunk of meat ... I felt I could find this in a diner" ... "mango mousse ... wasn’t the most impressive dessert I’ve had" ... (previous review: Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 25, 2005)) ... web site, 208 West 70th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and West End Avenue, 212-875-8600 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Amateur Gourmet has a list of the best things he's eaten in the last two years ...

• Big Apple Dining Guide says the 3rd time was the charm for wine at i Trulli ... Bucatini alla Guanciale ... really needs the chili flake. But the pasta was delicious and perfectly cooked. Also, just enough parmagiano." ... "Coniglio - Rabbit roasted in a clay pot with black chickpeas and rosemary ... The essence of rabbit simply wasn't there. The pancetta that wrapped the loin was too rubbery and added little to no flavor." ... "The desserts [Crespelle and Panzerotti] made everything just right for both of us." ... "Overall it was a good dinner. But a bit expensive for what we got. $107.50 before tip." ... web site, 122 East 27th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues South, 212-481-7372 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... had a quick dinner at Petite Abeille: "ordered the Moules Jamaicaines (2 lbs of steamed mussels in a Jamaican curry sauce with apples) which was nothing short of delicious." ... bacon cheddar cheeseburger "was very good as well but the biggest disappointment was the frites." ...web site, 401 East 20th Street, 212-727-1505 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch] ... and had dinner at Cosette ... "escargots came out how I like them: slightly still sizzling (unlike the popping and overbubbling from La Petite Auberge). They were good and had a pleasant but not overly powerful garlic butter which I greatly enjoyed" ... "having tried the cassoulet at Park Bistro, Artisanal and now Cosette within the last few months, I found this to be my least favorite though all were quite different." ... web site, 163 East 33rd Street, between Lexington and 3rd Avenues, 212-889-5489 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Joan Reminick visited Ali Baba 2 several times ... "would readily return for the borani badim jam, sliced eggplant cooked in tomato sauce with onion and spices, topped with a creamy dollop of yogurt. Hummus, the thick, garlicky Middle Eastern chickpea spread, was good slathered onto the ridged pita-like house bread. I especially enjoyed the sambuseh, crisp dumplings stuffed with a well-spiced hash of ground beef, vegetables and seasoning." ... 17-19 Broadway, Hicksville, NY, 516-931-7111

• Peter Gianotti gave 2 stars to Four Food Studio ... "Four Food Studio lands on Route 110 with the heat of a South Beach club, the cool of an upscale- downtown restaurant and the impact of an extraterrestrial. There's nothing like it on Long Island." ... "the crisp-tender combo of rock shrimp and calamari with citrusy aioli and the aromatic duck risotto are well done." ... "But steamed mussels turn up dry; and a shared opener of steamed Manila clams, while in savory broth, is overdone, too. The main course bouillabaisse, artfully arranged, is just bland and near soup-free." ... web site, 515 Broadhollow Road (Route 110), Melville, NY, 631-577-4444
  

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This Week in NYC Reviews - January 13, 2006

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• The Girl Who Ate Everything went for dim sum at 88 Palace ... and liked the "Shiny Green Dumplings" and "Ginormous Meat Balls" and "Chinese sausage wrapped in steamed bread" and "the super awesome turnip cake" ... what, no chicken feet? ... (previous review: NYC nosh (TWIR, September 23, 2005)) ... 88 East Broadway, under the Manhattan Bridge in the East Broadway Mall where you can also catch a Chinatown bus, 212-941-8886 [Citysearch]

• The Bruni Digest, finally, gets around to Frank Bruni's review of Centrico ... "Centrico: Frank Said Knock Mama Out" ...

• Peter Meehan likes the pizza at Adrienne's Pizza Bar ... "Pizza purists may be happiest with the nighttime pies [dinner menu], rendered with precision in a Neapolitan style. But the big rectangular pizzas [lunch menu], with their thinnish crusts, charred around the edges and toasted if not exactly crisp in the middle, are certainly good eating." ... 54 Stone Street, between Coenties Alley and William Street, 212-248-3838 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• slice hjghlights Peter Meehan's review of Adrienne's .. and eats take out from Fornino while at "a Mario Kart DS party" ... the pizzas "were certainly delicious but, as expected, suffered a bit due to time spent in the pizza boxes. Still, it was a luxury being able to order up such 1st place pies while racing for the prize" ... 187 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-384-6004 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• foodite had baby cow pancreas at Craftbar ... "I took a bite through it's crispy fried exterior to find a pillowy and buttery texture and flavor that was good. It was really good. So good that it's probably unhealthy for you." ... (previous review: Adam Platt (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) ... web site, 900 Broadway at East 20th Street, 212-461-4300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Steve Cuozzo has "some unsolicited advice for the people at new Telepan, the latest place out to prove that the Upper West Side Is Now a Serious Dining Destination: Be nice to your neighbors, because you'll need them when scene-making foodies from afar move on." ... (previous review: Andrea Strong (TWIR, January 6, 2006)) ... web site, 72 West 69th Street, between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, 212-580-4300 [MenuPages | Mouthfuls | Citysearch]

• David Rosen ate at Telepan.... "Among the appetizers, the scallops with mushrooms and spinach are flawless" ... "roasted sirloin steak with an oxtail glaze is by far the best main course we sample here. The steak is as fine as one served in a top-rated steakhouse, but the oxtail glaze gives it a deeper dimension that is both earthy and elegant." ... and did not like the decor: "The two narrow dining rooms, separated by a small oval bar and a charming wine room, are quite gloomy." ...

• Veal Cheeks visited Russian Samovar, which "fashions their own vodka. Perhaps they don't rely on a bathtub in the basement, but the infusions are home-made. Among the choices are Tarragon, Garlic, Coriander, and Cranberry Vodka (the most popular). At the suggestion of a companion I ordered Horseradish Vodka, a peasant favorite. This libation was the high point of the evening, pungent while retaining the smooth fire of this fine liquor." ... web site, 256 West 52nd Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue, 212-757-0168 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and ate at 3 Asian restaurants ... Bali Nusa Indah: "a very satisfying post-theater treat." ... 651 Ninth Avenue, between 45th and 46th Streets, 212-974-1875 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... Cafe Mingala: "one of a few Burmese restaurants in town ... Although the ground beef and potato mix was curried, it was a curry that any Brit could love. I fantasize that Thai gourmets whisper that their neighbors are wimps, but the dish was a pleasant surprise: a Boeuf Wellington for everyman." ... 1393B Second Avenue, between 72nd and 73rd Streets, 212-744-8008 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch] ... Jackson Diner: "The Jackson buffet doesn't deserve a standing ovation, but at $9.95, it does what it needs to do. I particularly enjoyed the juicy Tandoori Chicken and the sweet, creamy Kheer (Indian rice pudding with raisins). " ... 37-47 74th Street, Jackson Heights, Queens, 718-672-1232 [NYT | Citysearch]

• Owen Phillips raves about Fatty Crab ... "the salad of fried pork belly and watermelon, dusted with sesame seeds and set on the pickled rind of the melon—a sweet and savory contrast that makes you long for humid weather." ... (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, December 16, 2005), Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 643 Hudson Street, 212-352-3590 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... we'll say it again: if you want real Malaysian food, go to Sanur ...

• Veal Cheeks also went to Fatty Crab ... the "Watermelon Pickle and Crispy Pork" was "luxurious. The cool and sexy watermelon pickles kept the plate from pure decadence but it was as close as might be found outside Crobar. This was a dish for the Book of Days. Short Rib Rendang, braised with kaffir lime, coconut and chili matched the salad in indulgence." ... "Black Grouper Masak Lemak with a sauce of chilies and potatoes, poached in coconut broth with bok choy and jalapeno was libertine as well." ... Mr. Cheeks, get thee to Sanur ...

• Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Barbounia, serving "modern Greek cuisine with Mediterranean influences." ... "your red mullet doesn’t arrive hot off the grill garnished only with a piece of lemon; it comes instead with a red-wine shallot reduction. And sardines, “fire-roasted,” are lightly coated with mustard oil and paired with a salad of Granny Smith apples and fennel. Charred octopus gets a kalamata tapenade and is laced with pieces of crystallized lemon. All are delicious." ... 250 Park Avenue South, at 20th Street, 212-995-0242 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Chris Erikson went searching for the "Real N.Y. Bagel" ... "The sad truth is, for all of New York's pride in its bagels, classic old-school bagels - the kind a generation of city Jews grew up eating, the kind that made New York bagels world-famous - are becoming as rare as 50-cent cups of coffee." ... but likes what he finds at ... The Bagel Hole: "The ultimate old-guard bagel: small, crisp on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside." ... 400 Seventh Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn, 718-788-4014 [Citysearch] ... Bruce's Bagels: "Slightly larger, but a top-notch bagel with a nice blistered crust." ... 1975-A Flatbush Avenue, in Marine Park, Brooklyn, 718-377-0061 ... The Bagel Spot: "Defiantly old-school; small and very chewy." ... 4305 14th Avenue, at 43rd Street, Borough Park, Brooklyn, 718-853-4450 ... Daniel's:"Modest-sized and beautifully blistered." ... 569 Third Avenue, 212-972-9733 [Citysearch]

• Twenty Bucks a Day got back into town from Vermont ... and rips Mama's Food Shop: "The macaroni and cheese is, indeed, quite tasty – I’ll give them that much. But the veggies and starch really leave something to be desired. They’re served cold! I realize that the afore-mentioned menu explains that they’re served that way because 'Mama' said to do so, but I have a feeling that this 'Mama' isn’t the sort I’d want making my holiday dinners. The egregious laziness of cold vegetables is made particularly obvious by the presence of a microwave (WTF?) near the cash register (and, for what it’s worth, I don’t care that they’re crispy as hell because they’re made in a convection oven if you’ve still got to nuke them like they’re week-old leftovers). I tried the bok choy, the green beans, the turnips, the broccoli, and the sweet potatoes, and none made an impression large enough to overcome their lack of internal energy." ... "Mama’s 'lack of affectation' is a front for its extreme peculiarity, and not in the good sense of that word. " ... 200 East 3rd Street, 212-777-4425 [MenuPages | VillageVoice | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and says Nectar is OK ... "How does Nectar’s wrap rate on the global scale of lamb sandwiches? Well, I wouldn’t pick it over a good doner kebap, nor is it the equal of Bedouin Tent’s lamb or merguez sandwiches (both of which, I might add, are cheaper) – both bread and meat at Bedouin Tent are superior. But, for a change of pace, or for those Cobble Hillers who just need a quick bite on the way home, the Moroccan lamb wrap ($7.75) is a fine choice." ... 198 Court Street, at Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, 718-855-6166 [Citysearch]

• Adam Platt went to Falai, which "seems to have developed a following among uptown connoisseurs who favor fashionable new places downtown, and among fashionable Italians who like to dine in places that remind them of their fashionable restaurants back home." ... "The best was the eggy house fettuccini, tossed simply with butter and piled (for $45 a plate) with shavings of white truffle from Alba. If you think the appearance of $45 plates of fettuccini with white truffles is a sign that Clinton Street’s beatnik culinary revolution is over, you might be correct." ... 68 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton Streets, 212-253-1960 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• eat drink one woman had dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns ... "The appetizer course was a knock out" ... Maine crab and "crisp scallop on a bed of slivered fennel and apple" ... "the fish courses [white poached cod and Atlantic char] were impeccable" ... "I pretty much squealed at my plate of Berkshire pork" ... "one of the best meals we'd had in years" ... web site, 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, NY (just past Tarrytown), 914-366-9600 [New York | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and at Zabb Queens ... "Its specialty is the Isaan cuisine of the northeast, the region my Mae's family is from. It's kind of like the 'soul food' of Thailand." ... "catfish labb looked a bit like cat food, but it was even better than the white meat chicken labb -- meaty, earthy and smoky, it was laced with plenty of roasted rice and chili heat, set off by the sharp sugar of sliced red onion. Crispy fish floated in a tom yam soup, its deceptive clarity only revealing the explosive lemongrass flavor on the tongue. The star dish was the last one to come to the table -- whole steamed catfish came liberally topped with a halitosis-insuring salsa of lime juice, raw minced garlic and fiery sliced Thai chilies. The white flesh was so tender that the skeleton released itself easily from the satiny white fillet." ... "Zabb easily gives Sripraphai a run for its money." ... web site, 7218 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights, 718-426-7992 [NYT]

• A Guy in New York says Tony Dragonas "may have the best grilled hamburger in NYC" ... southeast corner of East 62nd Street and Madison Avenue, street vendor ... finalist in the 2005 Vendy Awards ...

• NYC nosh says Big Nick’s Burger Joint & Pizza Joint "is a local landmark for good reason: its burgers." ... burgers were OK ... "the Crabcake Burger from the Specialty Burgers section of the menu [was] better with ketchup than the over-salted ‘lobster sauce’ that came with it, the crabcakes were decent, but not great: the large, flat patties were made up primarily of lump crab meat (which is what we expected) and an awful lot of binder." ... web site, 2175 Broadway, at 77th Street, 212-362-9238 [openlist | Citysearch]

• Big Apple Dining Guide tried Trio ... "The caesar salad ($8) was pretty good. The lettuce was actually the best part. Nice and crispy." ... "The heavily peppered chicken (which was cooked just right) and the salty, flavorful broth and vegetables it sat on was a powerful and tasty combination." ... "onion rings ($5) were downright awful." ... web site, 167 East 33rd Street, 212-685-1001 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch]

• Amateur Gourmet says the food at Lupa "was very good, not extraordinary, just 'hit the spot' good" ... "the balance of ingredients and dressing [on the salad] was perfect" ... web site, 170 Thompson Street, between Houston and Bleecker Streets, 212-982-5089 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni gave 2 stars to Al di La ... "the casunziei, a dish of house-made ravioli ... were impeccably cooked, firm but not hard, pliant but not mushy, with pillowy insides and a rich, vaguely grainy gloss" ... "Over the past year, Al di Là has been preparing a terrific dish of pan-roasted cod, wild striped bass or hake, depending on the night, with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and plenty of butter." ... (previous review: eat drink one woman (TWIR, August 5, 2005)) ... 248 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-636-8888 [openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and has an article on the "stealth charges" at restaurants with the proliferation of "snacks" and "mid-course" dishes ... ... and also visited Colors ... "The restaurant hasn't been up and running long enough - and I didn't amass enough evidence - for a verdict. Just a few days old, the Colors I visited had many kinks to iron out, in the kitchen and in the dining room. Some food arrived colder than it should have been or under- or overcooked. It was sometimes difficult to get our server's attention." ... (previous review: Leslie Casimir (TWIR, January 6, 2006)) ... 417 Lafayette Street, between Astor Place and East 4th Street, 212-777-8443 [MenuPages]

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This Week in NYC Reviews - January 6, 2006

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• WhiteTrashBBQ reports that "A stuck up chef at Buck's Fishing and Camping in Washington DC has threatened Jason at DC Foodies with a law suit for posting pictures of his dinner on his website." ... D.C. Foodies has removed the post in question, which we believe is unfortunate ... a restaurant that doesn't want its food reviewed or photos of its dishes published is a restaurant that doesn't want your business ...

• Leslie Casimir reports on Colors ... a restaurant that 50 workers, "many of whom worked at Windows on the World, now own and operate" ... 417 Lafayette Street, north of East 4th Street, 212-777-8443 (photos from September preview)

• Slice says Tosca Cafe has "long been on the Slice 'places to try' list' ... it has "a coal oven, and that's a big deal. Coal-burners are a sort of holy grail in this town, as some of the best and oldest pizzerias use them to produce amazing pizzas. Such ovens are capable of reaching the insanely hot temperatures needed to make a pie crisp and give it oven spring while still yielding a satisfying chewiness and pliability in the crust." ... web site, 4038 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, 718-239-3300

• Pascale Le Draoulec gives 2 stars to Gradisca ... and liked the "pesto crowning four prosciutto-wrapped bundles of creamy buffalo mozzarella" ... "ravioli filled with buffalo ricotta and fresh herbs and drenched in a butter and sage sauce" ... "tummy-rubbing 'parmigiania' terrine of zucchini, eggs and mozzarella slathered with tomato puree and parmigiano." ... 126 West 13th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-691-4886 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema writes that "A handful of dishes are stunning" at Marrackech ... "while the rest are bland and undistinguished, from a cuisine that must be counted among the world's most exciting. Traditional lamb tajine ($16) is one of the stunners" ... as is "kefta tajine ($11), miniature lamb meatballs in a subtle tomato sauce, made extravagant by a pair of sunny-side-up eggs perched on top." ... 144 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, 718-855-2633

• Joshua Bernstein had breakfast at Down South Cafe ... "The buttery eggs are richer than Bloomberg, while the sausage is cooked to a blackened carrot crunch. A mini-mountain of grits is capped by matching, egg yolk–size pats of butter." ... 349 Lewis Avenue (also Dr. Sandy F Ray Blvd.), between Halsey and Hancock Streets, Brooklyn, 718-574-5889 [Village Voice]

• Veal Cheeks has a humorous post about Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter Two ... for brunch, "We selected Alice's Curious French Toast (oh, what a title that): "French toast bites with apple-cinnamon tea, baked bread pudding style, attacked with fruit coulis, vanilla cream anglais and syrupy sweet stuff." I can not possibly capture the essence of this establishment with more precision than does the title of this dish. This description is from the webpage, the menu claims that it contains "apple-brandy tea," an image that provoked a few moments of wry amusement before I came to wonder about the fruit coulis attacking defenseless French toast. That bites. As served, the dish was a glorious, if discordant, symphony of the candied and the sticky." ... 156 East 64th Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-486-9200 [Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan says that La Conquita has "the best rice and beans in Lower Manhattan. White rice and yellow rice; red beans and black beans: order one color of one and another of the other, opt for the sweet fried plantains and the vinegar onions. All of it will cost only $4. For $2 more you can get meat on top of the rice and beans (nearly two pounds of nourishment for $6)." ... 236 Lafayette Street, between Prince and Spring Streets, 212-226-9835

• Twenty bucks a day thinks Burger Joint "is good, but I’m puzzled as to the cult that worships at its wood-paneled altar. The best thing about it may well have been the speed with which the burgers, fries, and shake were delivered"... web site, 118 West 57th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in the Meridian Hotel lobby, 212-708-7414 [MenuPages | A Hamburger Today | Citysearch] ... Cheburechnaya "is one of the best deals and best meals I’ve yet encountered in my quest" ... "amazing cracker-bread noni toki. It looks like a giant Carr’s cracker in the shape of a dish, approximately the size of a truck hubcap. Paired with a great hummus" ... ordered 4 skewers, "of which the vaunted lamb fat was my favorite. Possessing of an amazing charcoal-lamb flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth consistency" ... 92-09 63rd Drive, Rego Park, Queens, 718-897-9080 [Village Voice] ... and "Mexicali, on Court St. between Atlantic and Pacific, is easily the worst place I’ve eaten in recent memory, and a strong contender for worst ever." ... 137 Court Street, Brooklyn, 718-625-7370

• Mona's Apple was "slightly disappointed by" The Modern ... portions were small, leaving lots of room for dessert: "The beignets were one of the best desserts I have ever had, and one of the more fun to eat too. They were warm doughy pieces... the Ferrari of donuts...and served with maple ice cream, caramel, and citrus mango marmelade." ... we like that, "the Ferrari of donuts" ... at MoMA, web site, 11 West 53rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues, 212-333-1220 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Waiter Rant has help for aspiring oenophiles with "How to order wine without looking like an asshole" ... our favorites: "2. Don’t ask, 'What’s cheap?'” ... "7. If you can’t pronounce the name of the wine, don’t. Just tell me the number." ... "26. Its wine, not the Blood of Christ. Don’t worship it. Enjoy it." ...

• Steve Cuozzo has an interview with "Stephen Starr, the restaurant god of Philadelphia - a good eating town whose culinary scene has yet to catch global fire. Now he's taking on our local establishment with two big, ambitious restaurants in Chelsea Market this winter, Morimoto and Buddakan." ... somehow, Waiter Rant's warning about wine and the Blood of Christ seems appropriate here ...

• Adam Platt published "The Platt 101: New York's best restaurants from first to last." ...
  
  • 5 stars: Le Bernardin and Masa ...
    
  • 4 stars: Per Se, WD-50, Craft, Babbo, Jean Georges, Daniel, Aquavit ...
    
  • 3 stars: Blue Hill, Gotham Bar and Grill, Wallse, Chanterelle, The Modern, Sushi of Gari (East Side), Union Square Cafe, Cafe Boulud, Quest, Balthazar, Esca, Town, Cafe Gray, Picholine, Cru, Oceana, L’Impero, Annisa, Devi, Sushi Yasuda, Veritas, David Burke & Donatella, Tabla and Tabla Bread Bar ...
    
  • 2 stars: Alaine Ducasse at the Essex House, Gramercy Tavern, Asiate, Alto, Casa Mono, Jovia, Fleur De Sel, Nobu, Bouley and Bouley Upstairs, Spice Market, Peter Luger, DB Bistro Moderne, Jewel Bako, Applewood, 'Cesca, Perry Street, Lupa, Hearth, Abboccato, The Spotted Pig, Mas (Farmhouse), 5 Ninth, Jojo, The Four Seasons, Sparks Steak House, Mary's Fish Camp, Pearl Oyster Bar, Bellavitæ, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Pampano, Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro, Brasserie LCB, Thor, Danube, Matsuri, BLT Steak, Bar Americain, Teodora, Fiamme Osteria, Oriental Garden, Payard Patisserie and Bistro, Swifty's, Mermaid Inn, Kittichai, Peasant, Beppe, Blue Ribbon
    
  • 1 star: Tía Pol, Barbuto, Mainland, Taboon, Pure Food and Wine, Onera, Bao 111, Nice Matin, 360, iCi, Prune, August, Al Di Là, Gennaro, The Grocery, 'Inoteca, Landmarc, Franny's, Grand Sichuan Eastern (Second Avenue), Chikalicious, Cafe Sabarsky, Momofuku Noodle Bar
  
  ... also had his "5 Best Italian" ... "5 Best Brooklyn" ... "5 Best Bang for the Buck" ... and "The 2005 Overrated List" ...

• Andrea Strong: "Despite [a] few off dishes, I loved the food, the simple ingredient-driven approach" at Telepan ... "Hen of the Woods mushroom [salad was] complete brilliance." ... but "there is nothing on the menu that compares to the Robiola Tortellini ($16.50). This is a dish that would have resulted from the marriage of an Italian grandmother and a Jewish grandmother" ... web site, 72 West 69th Street, between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, 212-580-4300 [MenuPages | Mouthfuls | Citysearch]

• eater has a nice roundup of food blog favorites ..."The Year In Eater, 2005" ...

• The Bruni Digest also has a year-end wrap up ... "Best of Bruni 2005" ...

• David Rosen was also "Looking Back, New York's 2005 Dining Scene Filled With Delicious Highs, Lows" ...

• Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Centrico ... "At Centrico, you can bet on a meal that will be at least somewhat pleasing." ... "a generous $11 portion of guacamole came in a wood chalice of sorts, with an aureole of multicolored chips. It was near room temperature and vibrantly seasoned with onion, cilantro and lime." ... uh oh: "exploring and adapting Mexican regional dishes for a Manhattan audience." ... personally, we'd prefer that dishes not be adapted for a "Manhattan audience" as our experience has been that Manhattanizing ethnic food makes it less, not more, interesting ... "truly compelling dishes were the exception at Centrico; sufficiently appealing ones were the norm." ... (previous reviews : foodie nyc (TWIR, December 16, 2005), Hal Rubenstein (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... web site, 211 West Broadway, at Franklin Street, 212-431-0700 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]
  ... and "Satisfactory" to Zarela ... "Zarela, in contrast, is a crapshoot." ... "Its kitchen sent out tough shrimp and dry pork. Its servers routinely ignored tables. A man who answered the phone was borderline mean." ... "a paltry $10.25 portion of guacamole ... was dull tasting and suspiciously cold, suggesting it had been languishing in a refrigerator." ... "best of all, there is shredded lamb barbacoa, flavored with chilies, cumin, cloves, allspice berries, onion, oregano and more. The meat was moist and mesmerizing, and along with a few other standout dishes, like chilaquiles, a gooey amalgam of corn tortilla strips, shredded chicken, sour cream and white cheddar, it was proof you can have a wonderful meal at Zarela." ... web site, 953 Second Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets, 212-644-6740 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and reviews Heirloom in Diner's Journal ... "successful dishes [included] lemon pepper fettuccine with arugula, porcini mushrooms and a walnut cream sauce. Another standout: an amalgam of grits, smoked hominy, avocado and queso fresco." ... (previous review : Salli Vates (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) ... web site, 191 Orchard Street, 212-228-9888 [Citysearch]

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Technorati Tags: New York, NYC, Manhattan, restaurants, restaurant reviews, this week in reviews, week in reviews

This Week in NYC Reviews - December 23, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers. This week's TWIR is truncated. The regular format returns January 6, 2006. Merry Christmas!

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• Tabla by Veal Cheeks ... 11 Madison Avenue, at 25th Street, 212-889-0667 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Barbounia by Andrea Strong ... 250 Park Avenue South, at 20th Street, 212-995-0242

• Katz's Deli by Twenty Bucks A Day ... 205 East Houston Street, 212-254-2246 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Super Taste by Twenty Bucks A Day ... 26N Eldridge Street, 212-625-1198 [Village Voice]

• MUG's restaurant Hot List

• The Strip House by VittlesVamp ... 13 East 12th Street, 212-328-0000 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Grand Sichuan hot pot by A Guy In New York ...

• Lenny’s Bagels, 2601 Broadway, and Gourmet Garage Bagels, 2567 Broadway, by Plate of the Day ...

• Kasadela by NYC nosh ... 647 11th Street, close to Avenue C, 212-777-1582 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Locanda Vini & Olii by Eating for Brooklyn ... 129 Gates Avenue, 718-622-9202 [Citysearch]

• Blue Smoke by Vittles Vamp ... 116 East 27th Street, 212-447-7733

• Sripraphai by gothamist ... (previous reviews: A Year In Food (TWIR, December 9, 2005) eat drink one woman (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 6413 39th Avenue, between 64th and 65th Streets, Queens, 718-899-9599 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Spigolo by Nancy Franklin ... (previous review: Frank Bruni (TWIR, August 26, 2005)) ... 1561 Second Avenue, at East 81st Street, 212-744-1100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Philippe by Steve Cuozzo, 33 East 60th Street, and Mr. Chow, 324 East 57th Street [Citysearch] ...

• Barca 18 ... Frank Bruni, The Bruni Digest (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Frank Bruni in early November (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• La Rosita Restaurant by Plate of the Day ... 2809 Broadway, between West 108th and 109th Streets, 212-663-7804 [Citysearch]

• Harchevnya by Irene Sax ... 2568 86th Street, near Bay 41st Street, Brooklyn, 718-714-4525 [Village Voice]

• Restaurant Saul by Pascale Le Draoulec... 140 Smith Street, between Bergen and Dean, Brooklyn, 718-935-9844 [Citysearch]

____________________________________

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This Week in NYC Reviews - December 16, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• NYC Nosh reports that Gennaro "has become our standby restaurant" ... "Part of the appeal is the antipasto platter, which is a muscly affair that serves at least two people– three or four if you’re each ordering main dishes." ... "another of Gennaro’s charms is its specials– they make it hard to resist ordering more food than you could possibly eat." ... "the special appetizer of sardines stuffed with golden raisins, rosemary, bread crumbs, and Italian parsley ... have become the stuff of legend." ... 665 Amsterdam Avenue, between 92nd and 93rd Streets, 212-665-5348 [MenuPages | menupix | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld write that Bar Carrera "considers itself a bar first, but you shouldn’t. That would discredit the food, which, despite being limited to a long list of small plates (each priced at a very reasonable $3.50 per), and despite the absence of a real kitchen (everything is prepped behind the bar by a remarkably proficient, acrobatic, and mild-mannered cook-busperson-dishwasher), happens to be almost uniformly delicious." ... web site, 175 Second Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets, 212-375-1555 [Citysearch] ... and list 3 places where you can get "a traditional Italian-American supper" ... Anthony’s: try the "Sunday sauce with meatballs, braciole, and pork spareribs over rigatoni" ... 426A Seventh Avenue, near 14th Street, Brooklyn, 718-369-8315 [Citysearch] ... Ama: Sunday sauce is "served with cavatelli-like caputini" ... web site, 48 MacDougal Street, near West Houston Street, 212-358-1707 [NYT | Citysearch] ... Nonna: "a heaping helping of rigatoni with Sunday sauce" ... web site, 520 Columbus Avenue, at 85th Street, 212-579-3194 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan says the Elvis empanada at Empanada Mama is "a deep-fried belly bomb made with peanut butter and mashed banana that is troublingly tasty for something that is such an obvious threat to one's physical well-being."... "the arepa stuffed with tender shredded chicken ... is one of the best things the restaurant serves." ... (previous reviews : Plate Of The Day (TWIR, October 7, 2005)) ... 763 Ninth Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Streets, 212-698-9008 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• foodie nyc reviews four places ... Centrico: "Queso fundido with poblano was very good. ... A phenomenal braised short rib dish in an ancho chile broth." ... (previous reviews :Hal Rubenstein (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... web site, 211 West Broadway, at Franklin Street, 212-431-0700 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... D'or Ahn: "What a great little space. ... ribeye main course was phenom, with a mung bean/oxtail cake that I found inspiring for my own experimentation in the kitchen. An excellent braised pork belly dish with a risotto made of millet." ... (previous reviews : Andrea Strong (TWIR, December 9, 2005), Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Adam Platt (TWIR, November 4, 2005), Moira Hodgson (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Chowhound | Citysearch] ... 'Cesca: "One of the best bars for eating a meal in my opinion... remarkably consistent. Love the meatballs in brodo" ... web site, 164 West 75th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, 212-787-6300 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... 5 Ninth: "a bit inconsistent, but overall pretty good. The sturgeon dish we had one night was phenomenal, then fishy the next." ... web site, 5 Ninth Avenue, at West 12th Street, 212-929-9460 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Onera ... and says it is unlike "any Greek restaurant I’ve been to anywhere" ... "Eating the light, crisp fried calamari inspired dreams of idling under an umbrella on a Mediterranean beach." ... web site, 222 West 79th Street, between Amsterdam and Broadway, 212-873-0200 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Joshua Bernstein: Fontana’s is "a tri-level bar that unfolds like origami" ... "cattycorner from the life-sustaining Dumpling House—purveyors of five crisp pork dumplings for a buck" ... 105 Eldridge Street, between Broome and Grand Streets, 212-334-6740 [Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema: Hadramout has "a halal menu featuring roasts of lamb and chicken served with rice or pitas. Pick the pitas" ... "meal begins with a pungent bouillon laced with curry powder, floating tidbits of celery, cilantro, and carrot. It's so good, a friend wondered out loud one evening if she could take a quart home" ... and "the roast lamb leg alone, served on a bed of perfumed rice with little heaps of curried vegetables, would be enough to bring anyone back." ... 172(d) Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-852-3577

• Steve Cuozzo has suggestions for places to eat - and avoid - duirng the next 2 weeks ...

• Gael Greene liked the "Wonderful fire-roasted sardines, tasting of mustard oil with tangy Granny Smith–fennel salad" at Barbounia ... but the rib eye and lamb chops "seem expensive to me" ... 250 Park Avenue South, at East 20th Street, 212-995-0242 [NYT | Citysearch]

• Adam Platt writes that at Jovia "the very pricey items ($38 for the lobster, or a perfectly good though unadorned piece of strip steak) tended to be the least remarkable, while difficult dishes like squab and venison were very good." ... "Among the seafood items, the favorites were the grilled halibut garnished with a nice pesto of herbs and lime, and the uncommonly tender Chatham cod, set over a creamy mix of spinach, faintly smoky clams, and toasted pumpkin seeds." ... (previous reviews : Frank Bruni (TWIR, December 9, 2005), Forbes (TWIR, December 2, 2005), Moira Hodgson (TWIR, November 25, 2005), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• David Rosen writes that Fatty Crab "showcases a gentrified version of Malaysian street food." ... "Salad is the most successful category. Sweet, cold, pickled watermelon is counterpointed by warm, savory and crispy pork cubes. A charred squid salad is tender and expertly assembled." ... (previous review : Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 643 Hudson Street, 212-352-3590 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni gave 2 stars to Keens Steakhouse ... "Keens expertly dry-ages its beef, which it serves in an array of cuts, all of them memorable and almost all of them mammoth: sirloin, filet mignon, prime rib, porterhouse for two, porterhouse for three." ... "On my visits the restaurant put a nice char on any and every cut that was supposed to have it, and it cooked everything to its requested temperature. It proved itself to be not only one of the city's most charming and diverting theaters for testosterone cuisine but also one of its most reliable." ... web site, 72 West 36th Street, 212- 947-3636 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... also went to Earl Monroe's Restaurant ... has "a sensational view. The long northern wall of the restaurant is floor-to-ceiling glass facing the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge" ... the "fillet of striped bass encrusted with corn meal and okra ... made for a very fine dish." ... "The dishes I tried were a mix of very appealing (those croquettes), overcooked (that chicken) and unremarkable (a grilled skirt steak)." ... web site, 750 West 145th Street, in Riverbank State Park, off Riverside Drive, Hamilton Heights, 212-491-1500 [Citysearch]

• The Bruni Digest: "This week, we are taking a class trip to Colonial Restaurantburg, and Frank is going to be our informative yet distractingly-attired docent." ... "Keens Steakhouse: Dead Presidents and Burlap Britches" ... "Keens turns out to be a little like TGI Friday’s, stuffed to the gills with “flare” that is somewhat more significant than your average anonymous sports pennant or fake antique doll" ... "Two stars, what many people call Frank's default, is no paltry rating." ...

• Plate of the Day had brunch at Picnic Market & Cafe ... the "French Toast is so good alone that it really doesn’t need any syrup at all." ... "The Spinach Frittata is also a great choice for brunch - a great blend of potatoes, eggs and spinach. Not too dry and cooked just right." ... 2665 Broadway, between 101st and 102nd Streets, 212-222-8222 [MenuPages | yelp]

• WhiteTrashBBQ: Daisy May’s BBQ "is easily the best barbecue in the city." ... "The 'Sticky Ribs' were easily the best ribs I've ever had from Daisy May's; sweet, a little spicy and smokier than in past orders. If Adam had served me these ribs in a [Kansas City Barbeque Society] contest, he would have easily walked away with first place. I’ve never said that about 'restaurant barbeque' before." ... web site, 623 11th Avenue, at West 46th Street, 212-977-1500 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Andrea Thompson reports that Cookshop has "terrific food" ... "the entrées are enormous—nearly the size of two main courses at other restaurants" ... "but the tables are tightly crammed together—pity the fleet of servers, who must negotiate not only tables, elbows, and bags but also each other." ... (previous reviews : Frank Bruni (TWIR, December 2, 2005), Hal Rubenstein (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Andrea Strong (TWIR, November 11, 2005), NYC Nosh (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong has a roundup of restaurants open Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year's Eve ... or you could just head to Chinatown ...

• salli vates enjoyed the new vegetarian restaurant, Heirloom ... liked the "'tempura sushi.' Gossamer slices of persimmon, artichoke and chayote were colorful stand-ins for sushi fish, and tempura haricot verts provided some crunch in the maki." ... and the "'seafood trio" ... assortment of trumpet royale and bluefoot mushrooms was disguised as seared scallops, fried calamari and grilled fluke, which were served on a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach. The scallops in particular were eerily authentic." ... web site, 191 Orchard Street, 212-228-9888 [Citysearch]

• Lisa Amand has quick reviews of 10 restaurants and cafes along Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn ...

• Slashfood urges you to try the David Burke slider at Burke Bar Cafe (and also at Burke in the Box) at Bloomingdales ... "The David Burke slider is the happiest innovation to hit the hamburger in years." ... 1000 Third Avenue, 59th Street entrance, between Lexington and Third Avenues, 212-705-3800 [NY | The Strong Buzz | Daily News]

• A Hamburger Today describes in detail how the cheeseburkers at Burke in the Box at Bloomingdales are made ... "This slider is almost magical, packing all the taste, juice, and punch of a burger four times its size into a fun, tiny, two- or three-bite package" ... with pics ...

• Twenty bucks a day likes the rice pudding at Rice to Riches ... "the rice pudding at RTR is extremely good. Expanding on the staple dessert of many ethnic restaurants, the oval-obsessed parlor offers 20 or so intensely flavor-infused puddings that, while not the most effervescent variety you’ll ever have (read: gloppy and heavy), at least rate well against the average ice cream parlor in terms of my enjoyment level." ... "My personal favorite is the mascarpone with cherries, which is just this side of too sweet." ... web site, 37 Spring Street, between Mott and Mulberry Streets, 212-274-0008 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• One Hot Stove recommends Chinese Mirch for "Indo-chinese fusion cuisine" ... (previous review : Mark Ellwood (TWIR, November 11, 2005)) ... web site, 120 Lexington Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets, 212-532-3663 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Veal Cheeks had lunch at Cafe Gray ... "dominated by its display kitchen - oddly situated in that the doings of the cooks block what is otherwise a stunning view of Columbus Circle." ... had the "Roast Col Vert Duckling with a Star Anise-Honey Glaze ... Perfect" ... "Baked Alaska [was] a subtle symphony of the flavors of this most traditional of desserts with the addition of sage and mandarin" ... (previous review : Amateur Gourmet (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) ... web site, 10 Columbus Circle, 212-823-6338 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Twenty bucks a day says the food at Polska "was excellent, and much cheaper than the higher-profile restaurants around the corner on Manhattan Ave." ... "The undisputed heavyweight champion of the meal was the order of two filled crepes known as blintzes ($4). Fresh-cooked upon ordering, and taking a few minutes longer to arrive at our table than the rest of the meal, one blintz was filled with sweet, curdy cheese, and the other with fresh strawberries." ... 136 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-389-8368 [NYT | Gayot]
  

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This Week in NYC Reviews - December 9, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in NYC Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

Also see our roundup of Michelin 1, 2 and 3 star restaurants with links to reviews ...

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in DC Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• Snack can't review Barça 18 (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... the "niggling voice of ethics will not be quieted until I say I have no idea if it’s a good value for the money because I never saw a menu and I never paid." ... but "when asked, I have no problem recommending* restaurants." ... the asterisk: "I direct your attention to the email me link up there on the right" ...

• Irene Sax writes that at DuMont Burger, "burgers are the stars of their new publike space" ... but her "favorite sandwich in this temple of red meat was the fried fish, a crunchy filet of skate on a roll slathered with tartar sauce" ... 314 Bedford Avenue, at South First Street, Brooklyn, 718-384-6127 [Citysearch]

• A Hamburger Today asks why Joe's Best Burger "was able to hide away quietly in The Bronx and didn't blow up like it did until it opened a Flushing location?" ... "The burgers here are, unsurprisingly, fast-food style, with thin patties à la McDonald's. Unlike McDonald's, however, these burgers actually kick ass." ... 39-11 Main Street, corner of Roosevelt Avenue, Queens ... and also likes the "pub-style burger" at DuMont Burger, "a spin-off of the well-regarded DuMont on Union Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg" ... "the regular burger is thick, too thick for my taste, especially with toppings added—I don't have a snake's hinged jaw. But it was good—plenty juicy with just the right hint of char from the grill." ... "the onion rings (always a bonus in my book when a burger joint offers them) were absolutely perfect" ... both Irene Sax and AHT found their burgers at DuMont just a bit undercooked ...

• Josh Ozersky is writing a "new, as yet-unnamed book project, a history of the hamburger being written for Yale University Press." ... "I do love the hamburger. The overlap of meat-appreciation and cultural history is the very heart of my comfort zone, a sweet spot right in my wheelhouse. My soul may have shriveled, and my capacity to exceed shrunk to the size of a dime, but within those limits, I feel like a giant!" ...

• Pascale Le Draoulec gave 0 stars to Bobby Van's Steakhouse ... "Dining in the inner sanctum of a genuine bank vault at the newest Bobby Van's Steakhouse, you might imagine yourself a thief in a heist movie. Only you're the one being robbed." ... "clay-colored crab cakes were void of both flavor and muscle tone." ... "Forty-three dollars for two bulky, bland lamb chops served with a side of mint gelée with all the flair of a green Jell-O shot? Moribund mashed potatoes will set you back an additional $10" ... "the meat itself had more cholesterol than charisma. It looked like meat. Smelled like meat. Cut like meat. But it never delivered that primal satisfaction you want from red meat." ... 25 Broad Street, at Exchange Place, 212-344-8463 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• A Year In Food has "yet to have a bad experience at" Sripraphai ... "the fried watercress salad, one of my desert island picks. Every time, it astounds me with its abundance of textures and flavors" ... "The winner of the night though may have been the fried fish, which all of us kept helplessly returning to. The fish itself was fresh and succulent, soft inside and crispy outside, and the sauce served as an addictively interesting complement." ... (previous review: eat drink one woman (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) 6413 39th Avenue, between 64th and 65th Streets, Queens, 718-899-9599 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• NYC Nosh had a "very solid meal. All the more impressive that three of us ate manifestly fresh food for about $18 a person, including beer, tax, and tip" at Mandoo Bar ... "mandoo are filled dumplings about the size of a ping pong ball– they’re similar to big wontons with a slightly more doughy skin. Several of the restaurants in Koreatown make their own mandoo, but only one, Mandoo Bar, lets you watch the entire process from dough rolling to filling." ... the seafood mandoos "contained at least one shrimp, and several also offered up nuggets of cooked squid– there was no skimping on the seafood here. Even without any sauce, these seafood mandoo tasted rich, fresh, and complex." ... 2 West 32nd Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-279-3075 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot]

• Gael Greene liked the "luscious smoked prawns" and "lively salad of squid grilled whole with melon and prosciutto, and first-rate venison with tangy red cabbage" at Pair of 8's ... (previous review: Pascale Le Draoulec (TWIR, December 2, 2005)) ... 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [Citysearch]

• WhiteTrashBBQ doesn't understand all the hohah about Dinosaur Bar-B-Que ... "Last time I reviewed Dinosaur I wasn't impressed at all. Well, it hasn't changed." ... the chicken wings "weren't spicy, they weren't smoked, they weren't worth my time" ... a main course of "ham was served on a bed of some of the best grits I've ever tasted. But the ham itself was lack luster and flavorless." ... (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR, December 2, 2005), gothamist (TWIR, November 11, 2005)) ... 646 West 131st Street, 212-694-1777 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and ate at KC's BBQ and Grill and "can't say that I was glad I did" ... "KC's is NOT a barbecue restaurant. It's a fast food place that uses barbeque sauce on boiled meat that is grilled for appearance sake only." ... 31-22 Farrington Street, Flushing ...

• Beth Butts and Chris Steighner recommend 3 of the tapas at Bolo ... "most delectable was the pork, potato, and goat cheese skewer, which was more like a stacked napoleon with slices of each" ... salted cod fritter and "piquillo pepper stuffed with raw tuna salad" ... 23 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South, 212-228-2200 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Going Out Gurus: "Anyone who brings an unwrapped child's toy or game can enjoy Richard's famous desserts along with coffee, tea and eggnog." ... Michel Richard Citronelle on Saturday, December 10, 2005, from 1 to 3 pm ... 3000 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-625-2150

• A.R. Brook Lynn: "until 8 p.m., sushi is two-for-one, as are large bottles of hot sake ($15)" at Yummy Sushi Village ... "Yummy has created some creative maki fusion. My pick is the Mexican roll ($8), with a spicy-tuna-roll base topped by avocado, jalapeños and a zippy red-and-green tobiko garnish." ... "Sushi pizza is good. I mean, really good." ... 95 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and West 3rd Streets, 212-673-8811 [MenuPages | sushi NYC | Citysearch]

• Leo Carey reviews A.O.C. Bedford ... "rich pumpkin soup contains thick strands of sautéed onion, and the outstanding gnocchi come in a sauce of Cabrales cheese, browned on top. A signature dish is suckling pig, a loin with succulent, crispy skin." ... 14 Bedford Street, between Downing and Houston Streets, 212-414-4764 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Veal Cheeks, who is rapidly becoming one of our favorite NYC restaurant reviewers, "will eagerly return to" The Tasting Room ... "not quite a tapas bar, but emphasizes small dishes" ... "best of our starters was Effingham Washington Oysters: hyper-fresh bivalves with a touch of winesap apples and its juice with Grenada Seasoning Peppers" ... (I love that "hyper-fresh bivalves") ... "The finest continuation course was surely Line Caught Haddock with Red Pepper, Almonds, and Leeks. This creation far outshone any cooked fish at Le Bernardin, and demonstrated the value of the close attention of an artisan." ... 72 East 1st Street, at First Avenue just north of Houston Street, 212-358-7831 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and likes the Bánh Mi at Ba Xuyen ... 4222 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-633-6601 [Village Voice | NY Daily News] ... when visiting Washington, DC, get good Bánh Mi and bubble drinks at Song Que ... and liked the appetizers "Duck Noodle with Dark Soup, a hefty, spicy duck noodle soup with a deep rich flavor, and a One-Bite Salad (I believe it was named Miang Cone) with roasted coconut, peanuts, ginger, lime, red onion, chili, dried shrimp in a lettuce leaf with a dab of syrup" at Pam Real Thai Food ... "best entree was Pla Chili Sauce Khun Pam's [Chef Pam's] Style: a crispy whitefish topped with a hot - and rich - chili sauce. This was a main course worthy of a banquet." ... 404 West 49th Street ,at 9th Avenue, 212-333-7500 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan hates "yawn-inducing preordained menus like the one at 24 Prince" ... "But wait" ... he liked the meatloaf in puff pastry, which was "something much closer to saucisson en croûte: a diminutive individual portion of meatloaf simply but decisively spiced, wrapped in puff pastry, sliced and artfully splayed on a white plate, and flanked by mashed potatoes and greens." ..."comfort food in a comfortable setting with just a touch of downtown swagger that, despite yourself, brings you back for more." ... (previous review: gothamist (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 24 Prince Street, between Mott and Elizabeth Streets, 212-226-8624 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Jovia ... "None of a half-dozen pasta, risotto and gnocchi dishes to which it devotes the middle section of its dinner menu was an unqualified success during my visits, and several of them were qualified failures." ... "The menu read better than it ate. The dishes looked better than they tasted." ... (previous reviews: Forbes (TWIR, December 2, 2005), Moira Hodgson (TWIR, November 25, 2005), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... so an NYT 1 star equals a Forbes RED STOP ... he also looks at the coming of Del Posto: "EXPECT $240 rack of veal, $220 shoulder of pork and a $200 whole king salmon for four to eight people, to be carved within view of the table, in a flourish of high ceremony from the Old World." ... sounds like an expensive BUCA, except they better be playing Beniamino Gigli at those prices ... and reports that Bistro du Vent "has been pointed in a culinary direction so different from its original one that it's arguably a new restaurant" ... "prices are still reasonable, at least in the context of Manhattan. The portions have shrunk slightly. The heartiness has given way to meticulous flavor combinations and compositions. The sensibility has become more refined." ... 411 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, 212-239-3060 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• eat drink one woman has lunch regularly at RIB and asks, "Why do people accept and encourage mediocrity when quality and superior atmosphere can be found just two blocks west?" ... is "crazy about the 12 hour brisket sandwich, a good three inch pile of the most buttery cross-grain slices of beef, with caramelized onions and a smidge of horseradish mayo on a lightly toasted brioche-like bun" ... "You'll be fighting with your tablemates over the most genius item on the menu -- an enormous bowl of super-crisp, hot barbecue fries, tossed in that salty-sweet brown seasoning that usually coats BarBQ flavored chips, served with a little cup of garlicky buttermilk dressing" ... 357 West Street, between Clarkson and Leroy Streets, 212-336-9330 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• mona's apple says she "bit into a forkful [of Wild Mushroom Napoleon] and my mushroom heart was whole again" at Kitchen 22 ... the "Margarita Salmon Gravlax ... was like a chilled salmon sorbet" ... the roasted chicken "was one of the best chicken dishes I have ever eaten in a restaurant." ... 36 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue, 212-228-4399 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and was not impressed by Les Halles Brasserie ... "But the atmosphere is wheeling and dealing to overcompensate for the lack of taste/care put into the food." ... 411 Park Ave South, between 28th and 29th Streets, 212-679-4111 [MenuPages | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• lenndevours has a tip to avoid ruined bottles of wine ...

• Amateur Gourmet had "5 Dumplings for $1 at Fried Dumpling" ... 99 Allen Street, between Delancey and Broome Streets, 212-941-9975 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... likes the club sandwich at The Grey Dog's Coffee ... 33 Carmine Street, between Bedford and Bleecker Streets, 212-462-0041 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong: D'or Ahn "is a little gem." ... liked these appetizers: veal feet, bibimbob, Kimchi pizza ... "Main courses were just smashing—gorgeous to look at and immensely satisfying to devour." ... the black cod "is fabulous—and it gives the sweetness of the cod the right balance of spice and heat. But the Rib Eye took the food-gasm for the evening." ... (previous reviews: Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Adam Platt (TWIR, November 4, 2005), Moira Hodgson (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Chowhound | Citysearch]

• NYC Nosh reviews a private dinner club, 4 Course Vegan ... "First, you’ll need to contact the chef by e-mail or telephone and reserve as many spaces as you need. A critical mass of at least ten diners (not all from your party, of course) is necessary for a dinner to go ahead, so be forewarned that a meal might be cancelled if not enough other people make bookings. But with recent interest in supper clubs, I’d worry more about finding an opening. The charge is $40 per person, cash only, with no corkage fee if you bring your own wine (which you should)." ... web site, 718-599-5913

• Twenty bucks a day: "the onions were delicious, the meat was decent" at RUB - Righteous Urban BBQ ... 208 West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 212-524-4300 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and the "chicken leg sided with rice and queso-dusted beans" in pipian sauce was excellent ... and "tamales oaxaqueños ... [was] among the best versions of these snacks I’d ever tasted." ... at San Francisco De Asis ... 1779 Lexington Avenue, between 110th and 11th Streets, 212-427-4440 [Village Voice] ... and likes the burgers at McHales ... "burger is CD-sized and an inch thick, and, unlike most bar burger places, McHale’s overcooks the burger a grade or less"... "It’s a fantastic and delicious hunk of ground beef, falling somewhere in between the melt-in-your-mouth Corner Bistro burger and the more charred Shake Shack burger." ... 750 Eighth Avenue, at 46th Street, 212-997-8885 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
  

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Did we miss your favorite review?

Link to TWIR

This Week in Reviews - December 2, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• Ever wonder "Why do most cooked, exotic meats taste like cooked Gallus gallus, the domestic chicken?" Joe Staton concludes "that cooked flavor is a result more of ancestral inheritance than of convergent evolution. Many animals taste similar because they evolved from a common ancestor that tasted that way. The meat of our argument is that 'chicken-like' flavor is ancestral (that is, plesiomorphic) for birds and many other vertebrates, as well. Indeed, the emphasis on chicken in the statement "tastes like chicken" is misleading. The common ancestor of most tetrapods would have tasted similarly, if we had only been there to cook and eat it." via Slashfood...

• Waiter Rant describes how he will seduce you into ordering dessert ... no seduction needed if there's anything chocolate ...

• Culinary Historians of New York is sponsoring "Dining With The Gods: A Lecture, Viewing and Tasting of the Culinary Culture of Ancient Greece," by Andrew Dalby ... December 5, 2005, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Sotheby's Institute of Art, 1334 York Avenue, between 71st and 72nd Streets ...

• eat drink one woman won't be going back to DoSirak ... "impotent, pandering Korean food in desperate need of some culinary Viagra." ... 30 East 13th Street, between Fifth Avenue and University Place, 212-366-9299 [MenuPages | openlist | Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan: Waterfront International Enterprises "is one of the more intriguing Chinese restaurants in the city. It's not a place to savor the simple pleasures of roast pork buns; it's a place to revel in the breadth and ingenuity of the Chinese repertory." ... "dried tofu with fresh hot peppers ... was profound in its simplicity, like pasta with butter and Parmesan, and just as hard to stop eating." ... "Other dishes we were unanimously bowled over by included crispy lamb with chili pepper ... crispy fried pork in orange sauce ... and country-style green bean sheet jelly" ... 40-09 Prince Street, at Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-321-1363

• Forbes gives green GOs to August: "difficult to choose the best among the monkfish, the pork belly and the beef." ... 359 Bleecker Street, between West 10th and Charles Streets, 212-929-4774 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]... and Ben and Jack's Steakhouse: "some of the most delicious steaks and seafood in town." ... (previous review: Marian Burros (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 219 East 44th Street, 212-682-5678 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... and a red STOP to Jovia: "food is uniformly bad, haphazardly served and tepid more often than not." ... (previous reviews: Moira Hodgson (TWIR, November 25, 2005), Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Pascale Le Draoulec gave 1 and a half stars to Pair of 8's ... "Despite its charming Old World bar, the stodgy Cafe des Artistes has become the dining equivalent of a doily. Is it any wonder that some of the staff decided to branch out and open their own place?" ... but like many new places is having some hiccups as it gets up and running ... "The gooey chocolate bread pudding with its side pour of peanut butter sauce is almost good enough to make you forget these inconsistencies." ... 568 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Streets, 212-874-2742 [Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni likes The Harrison ... "Slices of duck breast were plenty flavorful"... "biscuits and gravy. That name was at once apt and misleading. The gravy on the scallion biscuits was made with clams [and] chorizo" ... 355 Greenwich Street, at Harrison Street, 212-274-9310 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Veal Cheeks says Le Bernardin does "not to meet its own standards often enough." ... "barely cooked scallop in a tomato, garlic and clam foam was Neptune's gift" ... "It is my sad duty to report that Le Bernardin's bread should be given a decent burial at sea." ... "the quartet of raw fluke salads were a dream." ... "Poached Lobster in a Lemon Miso Broth, Shiso and Hon Shimemi Mushrooms ... Wow. I cannot decide at this late hour whether the broth was rapture or whether it was the lobster." ... "Lovely dishes are to be had at Le Bernardin, but the inconsistency, particularly on the "lightly cooked" list suggest that the kitchen may be distracted." ... 155 West 51st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-554-1515 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... but "the meal surpassed my expectations" at The River Cafe ... the "Millbrook Venison Loin ... was a tribute to November, perhaps the most autumnal dish of any I have had in Gotham" ... 1 Water Street, below the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, 718-522-5200 [NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Irene Sax: Blossom serves "food that is 'Organic-Dairy Free-Vegan-Vegetarian' and 'First and Foremost Animal Caring.'" ... liked "spicy vegetarian chili made with black beans, corn and vegetables" ... "if you're a vegetarian - or even better, a vegan - one meal at Blossom will make you want to eat there every night." ... 187 Ninth Avenue, at 21st Street, 212-627-1144 [Blog Chelsea | NYMetro]

• A Year In Food celebrated returning to NYC by eating at DiFaras ... "the squares, like all the pizza at DiFara, taste infinitely better when they're steaming hot. That wasn't a problem as, right away, we tore into the delicious dishes. The pizza was still as quintessential New York as we had built it up, the square still as complex and simple as the best out there." ... (previous reviews: Clareified (TWIR, August 26, 2005)) ... 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, 718-258-1367 [slice]

• Peter Gianotti: Blackstone Steakhouse is a "new restaurant [that] immediately dominates upscale eating-and-drinking adventures along Route 110, for decades Long Island's Death Valley of dining out" ... "really gets going with wood-roasted lamb, shredded and paired with soy-shot oyster mushrooms, set on a sweet corn polenta cake. The "firecracker" crab cake also excels" ... 10 Pinelawn Road, Melville, NY, 631-271-7780

• Joshua Bernstein writes that "two-dollar beer mugs hang on" at the Driftwood Inn ... "beer's sold at 1979 prices: $1.50 for a frosty Coors mug." ... "an archetypal old-man hangout: a well-polished bar longer than a giraffe's neck, with stools for 15 and a mirror to watch yourself drink." ... 114 Nassau Avenue ... not a place to go for the food ...

• WhiteTrashBBQ doesn't like the food at Brother Jimmy's BBQ ... "It's been over a year since my last visit so I thought I'd give it another try. Boy was that a mistake." ... "These were some of the worst BBQ ribs I've ever had in NYC. All were overcooked. All were dried out. None were spicy. Don't waste your time with these. The fries were good, but the baked beans sucked." ... 428 Amsterdam Avenue, between 80th and 81st Streets,212-501-7515
  [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Hal Rubenstein: "Every single one of Lo Scalco’s pastas is superb, some of the finest you can find in New York." ... "the desserts [are] nearly as delectable as the pastas" ... Lo Scalco ... 313 Church Street, between Canal and Walker Streets, 212-343-2900 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Citysearch]

• Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to HQ ... where the "food is up-to-the-minute—without being over-the-top. It’s sophisticated, but as accessible as bistro cooking should be." ... "Nantucket Bay scallops ceviche ... quite delicious." ... "organic Irish salmon ... was perfectly cooked" ... the "hangar steak ... is so good that Simone de Beauvoir might even have been tempted to remove her Gauloise while she ate it." ... 90 Thompson, between Prince and Spring Streets, 212-966-2755 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Nick Paumgarten: the entrées at Melbas are "built for comfort and not for speed. As for the chicken and waffles, the highlight, besides the mere act of asking for them, is peeling off the fried batter with your fingers and sopping it in syrup. The only drawback is that this can’t be done at five in the morning: the kitchen at Melba’s closes around eleven." ... (previous review: Gael Greene (TWIR November 4, 2005) ... 300 West 114th Street, at Frederick Douglass Boulevard, 212-864-7777 [Citysearch]

• Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld report that there's a new category on menus: "snacks" ...

• Gael Greene: "If you hunger for constancy and dignity, it’s time for" Café Boulud ... "roasted duck breast—meaty as steak, sliced in luscious rare chunks, on a bed of bitter greens" ... 20 East 76th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues, 212-772-2600 [NYT | MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• David Rosen likes the chicken and sides at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que ... "the best meat sampled is an apple-brined half chicken perfectly smoked from skin to bone." ... "Homemade side dishes are universally good ... Definitely opt for the signature Syracuse-style salt potatoes." (previous reviews: gothamist (TWIR, November 11, 2005)) ... 646 West 131st Street, 212-694-1777 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Big Apple Dining Guide had breakfast at Friend of a Farmer ... "Southwestern Omelette which was a crispy tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cheese. I also ordered a side of bacon. The tortilla clearly took a quick bath in a fryer; the eggs were cooked appropriately long, allowing it to hold up against the naturally watery salsa, sour cream and guacamole, but the bacon, though salty and crispy, was also clearly deep fried, giving it an oily texture and taste. Bummer." ... 77 Irving Place, 212-477-2188 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni: "The food is amply portioned, fairly priced and completely sophisticated but not remotely fussy." at Cookshop ... (previous reviews: Hal Rubenstein (TWIR, November 18, 2005), Andrea Strong (TWIR, November 11, 2005), NYC Nosh (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• The Bruni Digest has penned an ode to Frank Bruni's review of Cookshop ... here's a taste: "I used to have John Paul and Berlusconi, Not to mention Dubs and all his crew, On my Buddy List under the title 'Homies', And now I spend my time with saumon cru." ...

• NYC Nosh "didn’t achieve a critical mass of high-quality dishes at our dinner" at Frank ... "My arucola and parmesan salad was grittier than a corn mill and was impossible to eat because of it." ... "There is much better mid-priced Italian in the city, and for the cost of a subway ride to the Upper West Side, you could travel from Frank to Gennaro or Celeste and witness Italian bistro cooking at the top of its game." ... ouch! ... 88 Second Avenue, 212-420-0202 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Slashfood has sinned by eating the cheesecake at Carnegie Deli, which "is truly New York style." ... 854 Seventh Avenue, at 55th Street, 212-757-2245 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong writes that the Salsiccia sausages at Beppe "caused sighs of joy" ... but the Tuscan Fries "are not to be believed. How have I lived all these years without them?" ... 45 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue, 212-982-8422 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Twenty bucks a day asks, "is the sandwich the perfect food?" ... yes, at Eisenberg’s ... "The grill also makes a pretty damn good version of a tuna melt ($5.75) possible, but the real star there is the tuna salad itself. I’m not sure anyone in my family ever made tuna salad this good" ... "the sandwiches are dynamite, and highly recommended." ... 174 5th Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets, 212-675-5096 [MenuPages | NYT | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] ... says the pizza at Little Toninos "is probably the best I’ve ever had" ... 424 Greenwood Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-438-7088 [Citysearch] ... and likes Spicy & Tasty: "the shredded pork ... is, without question, the most heavily spiced dish I’ve ever eaten, as well as the most flavorful." ... 39-07 Prince Street, Queens, between 39th and Roosevelt Avenues, 718-359-1601 [NYT | openlist | Village Voice]
  

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This Week in Reviews - November 25, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

For a roundup of DC restaurant reviews from DC food bloggers and media, see This Week in Reviews at Hobnob Blog ...

• Frank Bruni was not impressed at The Chemist Club Grill ... including: "pork shank was excessively fatty and oddly gluey. The rib-eye had an unsavory aftertaste." ... 52 East 41st Street, between Park and Madison Avenues, 212-297-9177 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Joan Reminick went to Asian Moon ... "Americans who want to sample a smattering of Thai, Malaysian, Japanese and Indonesian fare can enjoy the vibrant (if sometimes suburbanized) interpretations of chef Brian Zheng, who does some of his best work with the fare of his native China." ... 825 Franklin Avenue, Garden City, 516-248-6161

• snack has good advice when cooking for Thanksgiving ...

• Plate of the Day likes the fried chicken at New Caporal Fried Chicken ... "one of the best pieces of fried chicken I’ve had in NY." ... 3772 Broadway, between 156th and 157th Streets, 212-862-8986 (Robert Sietsema says "people drive miles to get" the fried chicken) ...

• Moira Hodgson gave 2 stars to Jovia ... "The grilled octopus is superb" ... "loved the veal ravioli, made with meat from the shank, served in a tomato ragu and topped with cow’s milk ricotta." ... the quail and duck is a "marvelous dish" ... (previous reviews: Steve Cuozzo (TWIR, November 18, 2005)) ... 135 East 62nd Street, at Lexington Avenue, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Owen Phillips likes the slices at Vinny Vincenz's Pizzamobile ... "It might be the high turnover, or Lynch’s touch and timing—he says he knows by smell when the pie is done—but it’s among the best in midtown" ... West 40th Street at Broadway (restaurant at 231 1st Avenue, between 13th and 14th Streets, 212-674-0707)

• Robert Sietsema reviews cookbooks ... "Santa's Top 10 Cookbooks: Recipe Collections That Don't Suck—And a Few That Do" ...

• Frank Bruni visited two Upper East Side restaurants ... Compass (2 stars) ... where he liked the "crispy skate appetizer," and the "lobster, poached in olive oil before being pampered with butter and clementine juice, made a dreamy case for never treating lobster any other way" ... 208 West 70th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and West End Avenue, 212-875-8600 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and Cafe Luxembourg (1 star) ... where the skate was "somewhat gummy. It typified too much of the restaurant's food, at once serviceable and disappointing. And yet Cafe Luxembourg, unlike Compass, was characteristically packed." ... 200 West 70th Street, 212-873-7411 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• The Bruni Digest titles her review "Compass and Cafe Luxembourg: Revenge of the Loser" ... "The two bachelors we’re deciding between, Café Luxembourg and Compass, are archetypal, really— Willoughby versus the Colonel, Zach versus Screech— it’s the flashy, popular dude versus the meritorious dork. In many ways, it is the ultimate scenario of high school injustice" ...

• Adam Platt gives a mixed review to Barça 18 ... "The tapas are not as various or refined as anything you’d find in a serious New York tapas parlor, but I had no problem with the smoothly crunchy cod fritters (with a saffron aïoli dipping sauce), the white anchovies marinated in white wine, or even the charcuterie platter set with ribbons of Serrano ham, chorizo, and wedges of oily toast. The crispy calamari are fine also, as was a bowl of fresh mussels set in a tasty sherry broth." ... (previous reviews: David Rosen (TWIR November 18, 2005), Frank Bruni (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• eater says "the duck confit strudel is delish" at The Place on West 10th ... 142 West 10th Street, between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place, 212-462-2880

• A Guy In New York likes the Peking Duck and the crispy pan-fried whole flounder at Nice Restaurant ...

• Twenty Bucks A Day says El Sombrero is a "good place to meet friends for an undiscerning meal of Mexi-sludge and margaritas (carryout available – shh!), and it would seem that LES diners agree – the dining room gets packed on weekend evenings. I’m not exactly eager to go back" ... reminds us of a place in Alexandria, VA (Taqueria Poblano, which serves "authentic Mexican cuisine" and you know that can't be true as soon as they say it) that many people rave about but we find mediocre at best ... 108 Stanton Street, at Ludlow Street, 212-254-4188 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... the pizza from Slice is "far from perfect" ... maybe because it "claims to concentrate on the organic and restricted-diet-enabling side of the ingredient spectrum – the cheeses available, for example, start out at a relatively straightforward organic mozzarella, but move along to the lactose-intolerant-friendly goat cheese, soy mozzarella, and rice mozzarella." ... 1413 2nd Avenue, between 73rd and 74th Streets, 212-249-4353 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... "The freshly baked pita bread is a revelation" at Bedouin Tent ... also liked the "merguez (spicy lamb sausage) sandwich ... Chicken Ouzi [which was] unbelievably delicious and easily enough to feed two" ... 405 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-852-5555 [Citysearch]

• Big Apple Dining Guide had the "Wild Bill Cody from their 'Big Plates' menu. This was pappardelle with chocolate-wild boar sauce/ragu. And it was excellent." at Maremma ... (previous reviews: Mark Ellwood (TWIR, November 11, 2005), Adam Platt and Owen Phillips (TWIR, October 7, 2005), Robert Sietsema (TWIR, September 2, 2005)) ... 278 West 10th Street, at Bleecker Street, 212-645-0200 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan writes that Northeast Kingdom is "so far east on the L line that not even the most duplicitous real estate agent could sell it as East Williamsburg, is another one, a small place with a short menu of homey cooking in a one-story building surrounded by blocks of factories and warehouses." ... "Menu staples include a hearty, simple dish of lamb stewed in red wine ($12), a homey chicken potpie ($12) and a B.L.T. dressed up with balsamic-spiked mayonnaise ($9 with a side salad). All are worthy." ... 18 Wyckoff Avenue, at Troutman Street, Brooklyn, 718-386-3864 [Citysearch]

• Mona's Apple gave 2 apples to Trattoria dell' Arte ... suggests you "stick with the pizza and pasta dishes" ... 900 7th Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets, 212-245-9800 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• eat drink one woman had lunch with slice at No. 28 Carmine ... "Nice crisp-to-chew ratio, charred bottoms, perhaps a hair thicker than I prefer, but not in an unpleasant way." ... 28 Carmine Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-463-9653 [MenuPages | slice | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong wrote that "Overall, despite the few glitches on the menu, I liked the food" at Barça 18 ... "loved the crispy calamari" and "the Bacalao Coca—a salt cod pizza with Manchego and grilled peppers, red onions, and olives" ... (David Rosen reviewed last week (TWIR, November 18, 2005) and Frank Bruni reviewed in early November (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni is ambivalent about Aquaterra ... "During my recent lunch there, what I liked best were the restaurant's bruschette, about a dozen kinds of which are available, for $3 a piece." ... 209 East 56th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, 212-644-4447 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

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This Week in Reviews - November 18, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

• Forbes gave Green GOs to ... Restaurant 343: "Favorites: the gazpacho and the roasted lemon-and-lime-infused chicken." ... 343 East 85th Street, 212-717-6200 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Sushi Ann: "Noteworthy: salmon caviar over grated Japanese radish." ... 38 East 51st Street, 212-755-1780 [MenuPages | Gayot] ... Caviar and Banana: "Particularly good are the various churrasco skewers and the tapas" ... 12 East 22nd Street, 212-353-0500 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema declares that "Pho Grand is quite simply the best Vietnamese restaurant in town, its only competition being a couple of Bensonhurst joints." ... 277C Grand Street, 212-965-5366 [MenuPages | NYT]

• eat drink one woman declares "the finger foods they were passing around were pretty damned delish. Crisp, wonton skinned samosas with spicy chicken filling; plump shrimp peeking out from between two crunchy coconut batter discs; dainty index finger sized shiitake spring rolls; and coconut milk-marinated satay skewers." ... Spice Market ... 403 West 13th Street, 212-675-2322 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Hal Rubenstein writes that at Cookshop "I’ve never had brisket like this. Not that I don’t love Mom’s, but she doesn’t smoke hers for 24 hours after packing it in a sugar, cumin, and paprika rub, or serve it with a luscious broth of onions, honey, and beer."... (Andrea Strong reviewed last week (TWIR, November 11, 2005) and NYC Nosh reviewed in October (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• WhatISee has pics of Cookshop ... "The entrees weren't quite as good as the appetizers." ...

• Steve Cuozzo reports that at Jovia during the "next few weeks at lunch, 'everyone's a critic,' as a form given to each customer proclaims. In what might be a first, every diner is asked for comments and numerical ratings in 11 categories, from 'first impressions' to 'coffee/tea.' Write in your 'honest comments,' and Jovia spots you a $20 gift certificate good on your next lunch." ... WhatISee has pics ... 135 East 62nd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues, 212-752-6000 [MenuPages |Citysearch]

• Eating for Brooklyn believes that Maggie Brown, "replete with velvet Victorian wallpaper and retro chandeliers, is designed to make you feel like you're at your grandmother's old house." ... except for the sand in the swiss chard ... 455 Myrtle Avenue, at Washington Avenue, 718-643-7001 [NYT | Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan writes that Luz is "a neighborhood place through and through" ... "cobble together a meal from appetizers and ceviches, the best of which is coco tuna ($13), raw tuna tossed with coconut milk enlivened with lemongrass, ginger and jalapeño. Pinchos de res ($11), grilled cubes of tenderloin served with a mojo and a chimichurri, is good eating as well (though the beef seemed too flavorful to be tenderloin). The vatapa, a coconut-milk-based stew loaded with shellfish and vegetables, is as good an $11 seafood soup as one could hope for." ... 177 Vanderbilt Avenue, between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues, Brooklyn, 718-246-4000 [NY | Citysearch]

• Moira Hodgson gives 2 stars to Piano Due despite "a small plate of fried zucchini was delivered to the table. It was soggy, limp and cold" and "a vapid seafood salad" ... "The pastas are wonderful" and she liked the veal chop and the desserts ... (Gael Greene reviewed in October (TWIR, October 14, 2005) and David Rosen in September (TWIR, September 9, 2005)) ... 151 West 51st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-399-9400 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• David Rosen did not like Barça 18 ... "Remarkably, the restaurant is constantly packed with a fashionable crowd. This is certainly a testament to the interest that its owners are able to generate on the coattails of their famous names. Imagine how much more popular the restaurant would be if they had named [it] after a baseball team." ... (Frank Bruni reviewed in early November (TWIR, November 4, 2005)) ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• NYC Nosh liked Amy Ruth’s ... the "order of Councilman Bill Perkins ($13.95)– Southern fried chicken dipped in honey from Amy Ruth’s own bees ... was one of the most successful fried chickens I have tasted." ... 113 West 116th Street, between Lenox and Seventh Avenues, 212-280-8779 [NYT | Citysearch] ... and also likes Soba Koh ... "the agedashi tofu special, was among the very best I have ever eaten" ... (Salli Vates reviewed last summer (TWIR, August 19, 2005)) ... 309 East 5th Street, 212-254-2244

• gothamist says 24 Prince is inconsistent ... good: "pigs-in-a-blanket in a honey mustard sauce," "a very satisfying downtown chopped salad," ... not-so-good: "flatbread grilled chicken pizza, which was drowned in barbecue sauce, tough to chew, and seemed to be prepared in a microwave." and "fish and chips, which was not very appetizing and was mostly left for the busboy." ... 24 Prince Street, between Mott and Elizabeth Streets, 212-226-8624 [Citysearch] ... eater has pics ...

• Twenty Bucks A Day likes the chicken avocado toast at PressToast ... 112 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and West 3rd Streets, 212-253-6705 [MenuPages] ... and the Irish breakfast at Ceol ... 191 Smith Street, between Warren and Baltic Streets, Brooklyn, 347-643-9911 [Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Aburiya Kinnosuke ... "Cold, circular wedges of Japanese sticky yam, with the taste and texture of a slick potato, had been pickled and seasoned with wasabi. They were slimy on the outside, softer within, and had a fiery finish on the tongue. I couldn't stop eating them" ... 213 East 45th Street, 212-867-5454 [New York | Salli Vates | Marie Mutsuki Mockett]

• The Bruni Digest: "After days on the open sea, Frank moored his enormous galleon on East 45th street, dropped the sails, collapsed his telescope, and leaped off the poopdeck to bravely explore Japanese spot Aburiya Kinnosuke." ...

• Big Apple Dining Guide says at La Petite Auberge the "lamb chops were excellent...cooked perfectly medium rare. This was very, very good." ... "This local spot serves adequate, country french bistro cuisine that has the occasional big hit and the slightly more common, misses." ... 116 Lexington Avenue, between 27th and 28th Streets, 212-689-5003 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong says the Gotham Bar & Grill "lacked chemistry"... " the food, still strongly American with global touches, was fine, but it lacked heart." ... 12 East 12th Street, between 5th Avenue and University Place, 212-620-4020 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Gotham Gal ate at Little Giant ... "The meal was one of the best meals I have had out in a very long time. Everything was delicious. Everything." ... 85 Orchard Street, at Broome Street, 212-226-5047 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
  

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This Week in Reviews - November 11, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

• Cassandra Uretz and Leo Standora report that Hallo Berlin "won the Vendy Award for the top street-vendor food in New York." ... "Accepting a foot-high silver loving cup was chef-owner Rolf Babiel, who has been delighting customers with his food at Fifth Ave. and 54th St. for 25 years." ... Tony Dragones was a runner up ... but Tony and his brother John are winners with us ...

• The Food Section has a pork-packed roundup ... perfect for DC ...

• Moira Hodgson gave Blue Hill 3 stars ... and reports that it has "a sophisticated modern cuisine that’s on a par with some of the city’s best restaurants." ... "a plate of exquisite tiny fall vegetables ... permeated with the aroma of purple basil and was unbelievably good" ... "The crabmeat salad, with mint and cilantro, micro greens, green-tomato marmalade and diced apple was pure heaven." ... 75 Washington Place, between 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street, 212-539-1776 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Irene Sax says that "Brie on a crusty baguette. That's what you should eat at" Zucco: Le French Diner ... "In this tiny, candlelit room, the kitchen takes up so much of the floor space that there's room for only 18 seats, most of them at the counter. It's owned and run by Zucco himself, a bearded and jeans-clad type with a French accent and a warm welcome who does everything in the place." ... 188 Orchard Street, between Houston and Stanton Streets, 212-677-5200 [Chowhound]

• Peter Meehan says Goodburger is OK ... "Goodburger's burgers fell somewhere between the ones at Shake Shack and the ones at the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien, the two places that Nick Tsoulos, Goodburger's driving force, cited as New York spots he likes."... but it "does have the best chocolate shake ($4.75) of the current bunch" ... (Twenty Bucks a Day reviewed in October (TWIR, October 7, 2005)) ... 800 Second Avenue, at 43rd Street, 212-922-1700 [A Hamburger Today | Citysearch]

• A Guy In New York has added links to a few more reactions this week to the Michelin New York 2006 ... and recommends the Soulaki and delicious charcoal grilled hamburgers from Tony Dragones at 62nd Street and Madison Avenue ... and his brother John Dragones at 64th and Madison ... pics and maps here ...

• gothamist's favorite at Dinosaur Bar-B-Q is "the 'Swag Sampler Plate' which allows you to try spicy shrimp, deviled eggs, fried green tomatoes, and chicken wings. The chicken wings are quite exceptional" ... 646 West 131st Street, 212-694-1777 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• David Rosen visited Land Thai Kitchen ... "Appetizers are universally good" ... "a crispy red snapper cooked with cherry tomatoes and a well-seared duck breast with sweet potatoes and a zesty lime-leaf demi-glace steal the show." ... "Prices are low for food of this caliber." ... (Mona's Apple reviewed in October (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 450 Amsterdam Avenue, between 81st and 82nd Streets, 212-501-8121 [MenuPages | NYT]

• Robert Sietsema writes that the "omnibus vegetarian platter–highly recommended–called Nepali dal-bhat" at Himalayan Yak is "a perfect introduction to Nepalese cuisine" ... "definitely worth ordering, is sadeko gundruk" ... ... (Twenty Bucks a Day reviewed in October (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 72-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-779-1119 [NYT | The Taste Land | A Year In Food]

• Andrea Thompson says the "the monstrous Mo Burger, a thick, juicy meat patty, topped by a fried egg and fried onions and sandwiched by two generous smears of chicken liver and a bulky, soft bun [is] too overblown to really enjoy." at Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction ... (Andrea Strong reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005) and Peter Meehan reviewed in September (TWIR, September 30, 2005))... 34 Avenue A, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages]

• Amateur Gourmet says the "Famous Dancing Shrimp with spicy pineapple & orange coconut dipping sauces" at Redeye Grill "tasted good." ... the "miso salmon on wasabi mashed potatoes with bok choy ... wasn't bad, but it didn't justify the $26 price" ... "When mom and dad asked us later how it was, I said it was awful and [brother] Michael said: 'Oh he's just mad because he ordered something stupid.'" ... 890 7th Avenue, at 56th Street, 212-541-9000 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Mona's Apple had a so-so breakfast at Petite Abeille ... "for a good-tasting experience (beyond its good taste in decor) there are better options in the city" ... multiple locations, [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni says that D'or Ahn "isn't a great restaurant, and on its clumsier nights it isn't even a very good one. But it's a terrific example of why anyone who loves eating out has to love New York, a welcome reminder of the optimism and the deep well of ideas that drive the city's dining scene." ... "inconsistent" seems the best description ... (Adam Platt reviewed last week (TWIR, November 4, 2005), Paul Adams and Moira Hodgson reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Chowhound | Citysearch] ... he also reviewed Bann ... "an offshoot of Woo Lae Oak in SoHo" (Yi Wah, Chug's son/Peter's nephew, is helping open the bar at the new Woo Lae Oak in Tyson's Corner, in between his gig at Citronelle) ... had "a terrific dish of rabbit that had been braised in sake, molded into thumb-shaped clumps and rolled in bacon." ... "At least as much of the food we tried was ordinary or disappointing." ... "The prudent strategy at Bann may be to order conservatively, to stick to those grills." ... 350 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, 212-582-4446 [Citysearch]

• NYC nosh reports that Hell’s Kitchen "advertises its culinary approach as modern ‘Mexican Fusion,’ and the décor reflects this" ... the lobster fritters and butternut squash soup were disappointments ... "main courses were a little better, especially Nosher’s ancho-crusted tuna" ... "the service was a little terse and snappy" ... 679 Ninth Avenue, between 46th and 47th Streets, 212-977-1588 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Andrea Strong says "Cookshop is Five Points with a more ambitious agenda." ... "The menu at Cookshop changes daily, according to farmers’ supply, though several items are usually available. Among the stationary menu items is the pizza." ... "the wood-roasted troutlings ($6) were the surprise hit of the evening." ... (NYC Nosh reviewed in October (TWIR, October 14, 2005)) ... 156 10th Avenue, at 20th Street, 212-924-4440 [Citysearch]

• Pascale Le Draoulec gave 2 stars to Cookshop ... the clam chowder "ranks among the best I've had" ... "In addition to the glorious beet salad, a mesmerizing mizuna salad graced with Crispin apple matchsticks, spiced pecans and blue cheese had the bright, crisp crunch of a fallen fall leaf." ... the cod and rotisserie rabbit were cases of "the bland leading the bland." ... the grilled rib eye and "wood-oven roasted white halibut" were also winners ... last month, the hot plate said, "while the PR buzz will surely keep the seats packed for the next few months, you're better off waiting until the crowds cool off, and the kitchen heats up."

• gothamist likes Leela Lounge ... had "a fig chutney that was so tasty we wouldn't let the waitress remove our plate until we were able to wipe it clean with a piece of warm naan." ... 1 West 3rd Street, between Broadway and Mercer, 212-529-2059

• Mark Ellwood has a fusion roundup ... "Fusion without confusion: 8 eclectic spots where the blending of cuisines proves delicious" ... Sushi Samba & Sugracane (45% Japanese, 55% Brazilian) ... "The trademark sashimi ceviches, whether lobster ($16) or yellowtail ($11), are briefly marinated in citrus so that they don't 'cook' for as long as traditional ceviche and retain an Asian freshness." ... 245 Park Avenue South, between 19th and 20th Streets, 212- 475-9377, or 87 Seventh Avenue South, at Bleecker Street, 212-691-7885 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... La Caridad 78 (90% Chinese, 10% Cuban) ... "rock-bottom prices (you'll struggle to spend more than $10) and superb food more than make up for any lack of ambience. ... best to stick with those Latino staples" ... 2199 Broadway, at 78th Street, 212-874-2780 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ... Maremma (80% Italian, 20% Southwestern) ... "unusual but delicious ... try a Sloppy Giuseppe ($11), chunks of oxtail on grits, or a hearty portion of wild boar papardelle ($17), here known as Wild Bill Cody." ... 278 West 10th Street, at Bleecker Street, 212-645-0200 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction (50% Jewish, 50% Latino) ... "a stunning ropa vieja-like slab of brisket" ... (Andrea Strong reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 34 Avenue A, at 2nd Street, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ... Aki (70% Japanese, 30% Caribbean) ... "alongside standard sushi ($19 for one person), you can nibble tangy jerk chicken rolls ($18 for three different rolls) or tuna tartare with fruit chutney" ... 181 West 4th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-989-5440 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Hip Hop Chow (60% comfort food, 40% Chinese) ... "the place to go if you've always wanted a portion of jasmine rice with your buttermilk-fried chicken" ... 129 2nd Avenue, between St. Marks Place and 7th Street, 212-674-2469 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Chinese Mirch (75% Chinese, 25% Indian) ... "fill up on delicious mains including chili paneer ($9.99) - much like Indian cottage cheese - or scorching Szechuan prawns" ... 120 Lexington Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets, 212-532-3663 [NYT | Citysearch] ... Chennai Garden (90% Indian, 10% Kosher) ... "a standout, since it's not only animal-friendly but also kosher-certified ... $6 lunchtime buffet may be frantic, but it's a delicious, inexpensive way to sample the cuisine here" ... 129 East 27th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues, 212-689-1999 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• eater says "The Michelin-starred Jewel Bako's evolution from delightful to debacle is chronicled in one single thread, spanning the better part of four years." ... "Jewel Debako" ... 101 2nd Avenue, at 6th Street, 212-253-7848 [NYT | MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Kris Ensminger has a list of 6 places to eat in Harlem ... "Harlem: The A Train's Dining Car," November 6, 2005 ...

• Steve Cuozzo "dropped by Etats-Unis, surprise recipient of a coveted Michelin star. How, I wondered, could a place so good just a few blocks from my Upper East Side home have escaped my notice for so long?" ... "Except for terrific meatloaf, most of Etats-Unis' dishes, like weird "lobster lasagna," were the sort of overreaching duds you find in second-class food towns like Miami. This is Michelin's idea of a star-worthy restaurant, but not The Four Seasons or L'Impero?" ... 242 East 81st Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, 212-517-8826 [NYT | MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Isabel Forgang has a list of 5 places that serve ... sandwiches ... $7 to $19.95! ... where are the Bahn Mi places? Ai yi yi yi yi ... see comments under "The URL of Sandwich" at kottke for many more suggestions ...

• Thanks to Slashfood for pointing us to Brunch.org ... which "documents and quantifies the ongoing search for the best of the best" Eggs Benedict from restaurants across the country, including New York City ...

• Twenty Bucks a Day sounds like our kind of guy: looking for excellent food and good value ... he ate lunch every day at Ray’s Super Deli last week ... "roasted pork shoulder (pernil) was tender and delicious" ... Cuban sandwich ... "stew chicken, or pollo guisado...this chicken was fall-off-the bone tender, infused with the stew’s spices and color" ... "codfish salad (ensalada de bacalao)... it might become my new Friday favorite meal" ... (also listed as Ramon’s Super Deli), 452 Hudson Street, between Morton and Barrow Streets, 212-242-7912 [Citysearch] ... and was "absolutely impressed" and gives a thumbs up to Spicy Mina ... first visit: "the palak paneer ... [and] chicken dopaiza ... were excellent bordering on amazing." ... second visit: "I'm now of two minds on the Mina experience ... I thought the portions were a little small and the prices [$80 for 4 people] a little big." ... (also see eater "Inside Chowhound's Cult of Mina," October 19, 2005") ... 64-23 Broadway, Queens, 718-205-2340 [Chowhound: "the best Indian restaurant in New York."]

• Plate of the Day likes the fries and burgers at Prime Burger ... "The fries are deep fried to a thick crunchy golden crust and are crunchy delicious. The burgers are amazing." ... 5 East 51st Street, 212-759-4729 [MenuPages | NYT | Gayot | Citysearch] ... and also went to Krik Krak (and ignored Anthony Bourdain’s (Kitchen Confidential) advice: "absolutely do not order fish on a Monday") ... "an entree’ of Poisson creole - deep friend red snapper ... turned out to be not an extremely fresh fish and maybe even previously deep fried and just heated and served" ... (David Rosen reviewed Krik Krak in October (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) ... 844 Amsterdam Avenue, between 101st and 102nd Streets, 212-222-3100 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• Slashfood likes the pastries at Le Pain Quotidien ... "the croissants at Le Pain are heavenly, and their display case also houses some wondrous hazelnut raisin flute breads." ... multiple locations [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

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This Week in Reviews - November 4, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

• A Guy In New York has the list of Michelin New York 1, 2, and 3 star restaurants ... each with a link to MenuPages, Citysearch, Gayot, or New York Times' reviews ... and reactions ...

• WhiteTrashBBQ says that the jalapeno and Cajun flavored peanuts from the Texoma Peanut Inn "are easiest the best I've ever eaten." ...

• Salli Vates recommends Cube 63 ... "Are you one of those people who, after ordering the sushi combination, invariably sighs, "Where's the good stuff?" You are always bemoaning the lack of eel and the scarcity of yellowtail. Here's a solution for you: the Cube 63 special. At just $20, it contains only salmon, yellowtail, eel and tuna." ... 234 Court Street, Brooklyn, 718-243-2208 [MenuPages | sushiNYC | Citysearch]

• Twenty Bucks a Day went to a few places this week ... Siam Garden ... "Bangkok chicken ($11), which I’m ready to anoint the king of all sweet and sour chickens the world over." ... 172 Court Street, Brooklyn, 718-596-3300 [MenuPages] ... New Green Bo ... "a great disappointment" ... $20 a Day definitely does not have a Chinese palate: we believe the pork and crab soup dumplings and scallion pancakes are excellent here ... 66 Bayard Street, between Mott and Elizabeth Streets, 212-625-2359 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ...

• Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld report that new chef at Sweetwater, Paul Williams, is "making a distinctive culinary statement with a big, brawny, butter-crazed style informed in part by his Big Easy gigs at Bayona and Lilette, and in part by his Brooklyn childhood." ... serving "sumptuous, full-flavored food" ... 105 North Sixth Street, near Berry Street, Brooklyn, 718-963-0608 [NYT | Citysearch]

• Cynthia Kilian writes about Al Yeganeh's (the "Soup Nazi) new chain, Original SoupMan ... "Cracking the Soup Case" ... now open at 501 Fifth Avenue, at 42nd Street, 212-599-5900 (near Bryant Park) ... eater covered this in September ... also see NewYorkology and Jonathan Lemire ...

• Irene Sax also went to Original SoupMan ... "On opening day, I tried five of 10 [soups] that change daily and ate them in Bryant Park because there were no seats in the store. The best was the Manhattan clam chowder, a thin, lively tomato broth dense with potatoes, garlic and more chewy clams than you'd ever get at the shore." ... also liked the chicken Mulligatawny, lobster bisque ... "With your soup you get a Delicious or Granny Smith Apple, a chunk of bread and what looks like butter but turns out to be a foil-wrapped square of dark chocolate." ...

• Gael Greene liked "the mini-burgers and that fried calamari with chipotle mayo" at Melbas ... 300 West 114th Street, at Frederick Douglass Boulevard, 212-864-7777 [Citysearch]

• Jose Martinez has a good summary of the 4 finalists for this year's Vendy Awards ... "The Vendy Awards, created by the Urban Justice Center to honor the best of the nearly 10,000 street food vendors in New York, will recognize the stars of sidewalk cuisine next week." ... full post with links here ...

• eater likes Nha Trang ... "Nothing on the menu disappoints (by our measure, the pork chops and soft shell crabs are particularly terrific" ... 87 Baxter Street, between White and Walker Streets (just below Canal), 212-233-5948 [MenuPages | Gayot | NYT | Citysearch]

• Adam Platt says D’or Ahn is "a subtle, even elegant little restaurant, a place where unlikely sounding combinations produce the most interesting, unlikely results." ... his favorite entree was "the pork belly, which is braised to a kind of fatty tenderness in sweet bean paste and served over a risotto made, ingeniously, with millet." ... (Paul Adams and Moira Hodgson reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005)) ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Citysearch] ... and wasn't impressed with Cercle Rouge ... "Aside from the excellent Buffalo wings (the blue-cheese sauce is whipped with crème fraîche), the best things at Cercle Rouge seem to be beef-related." ... (Andrea Strong also liked the chicken wings (TWIR, October 14, 2005), but an eater reader was "underwhelmed" (TWIR, September 23, 2005)) ... 241 West Broadway, 212-226-6252 [MenuPages]

• Pascale Le Draoulec writes that "modern cuisine blending French technique with Korean ingredients, a meal at D'Or Ahn is a warm and uniquely personal experience." ... "Yang is the first chef to introduce me to the pleasures of toro prosciutto: salt-cured tuna served up Italian style in pearlescent slices of pale pink." ... also liked the short ribs, braised pork belly, black cod, and the "buttery pear upside-down cake paired with the chili ice cream" ...

• Big Apple Dining Guide can't understand why Fleur de Sel is a 1 star restaurant but "I fail to see how Eleven Madison Park didn't get a 1 star if this place did." ... 5 East 20th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-460-9100 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ... Eleven Madison Park, 11 Madison Avenue, at 24th Street, 212-889-0905 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch] ... and liked Wallse' ... "We sat between an older Austrian couple (to my right) and a younger couple in their 30s (to my left) and were able to hear every word of their conversations as the night went on, which to me is too close for comfort. The bench seat that Danna sat on was covered with comfortable moleskin-like fabric which satisfied her seating needs. My chair, a flimsy, lightweight and semi-comfortable piece of furniture was discouraging." ... sounds like a Michelin 1 star to us ... but the "slow cooked lobster with spätzle, corn and concord grape sauce ... made the whole night worthwhile" ... and agrees "with Amanda Hesser's review that this is a 2 star restaurant." ... 344 West 11th Street, 212-352-2300 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• Moira Hodgson gave 1 (reluctant?) star to Kitchens and Cocktails ... "grilled salmon, served on a bed of fresh corn with basil and cherry tomatoes, was excellent." ... (Mona's Apple reviewed last month (TWIR, October 7, 2005)) ... 199 Orchard Street, between Houston and Stanton Streets, 212-420-1112 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema says that "For the Indian-food aficionado, the menu is a wonderland." at Mainland India ... 296 Bleecker Street, 212-989-1367 [Citysearch | Gayot]

• NYC Nosh loved the food and the service at WD-50 ... "Only very rarely does a restaurant emerge like Athena from Zeus’s head, fully-realized and deserving of a Michelin star (or two or three). Much more often, it takes time for an establishment to mature and develop its own culinary identity. Sometimes all the elements never quite come together in the perfect storm necessary, but once in a while, they do. This is precisely what has happened with Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50 over the past three years." ... (Forbes gave WD-50 a green GO in September (TWIR, September 9, 2005),and Elissa Myers reviewed in August ((TWIR, August 26)) ... 50 Clinton Street, between Stanton and Rivington Streets, 212-477-2900 [MenuPages | Gayot | NYT | Citysearch] ... and had some great food during a business trip to São Paulo, Brazil ... "The Other Brooklin" ...

• Joshua Bernstein believes "style trumps practicality and value, and the super-hideaway vibe feels more than a little ostentatious" ... at Back Room ... next to Tides ... eater covered Back Room this week and last month ... and Melena Ryzik says "It is perfect for dates. On a rainy Wednesday night couples took up every seat. Weekends have more swing, but the atmosphere is still stylish and grown-up." ... 102 Norfolk Street, between Rivington and Delancey Street, 212-228-5098

• Frank Bruni gave 2 stars to Thor ... "Unceremonious and occasionally irreverent service accompanies serious, earnest food." ... "the kitchen's selection and cooking of fish and meat were superb, exemplified by an entree of perhaps the freshest-tasting brook trout I've encountered. It came with creamed spinach and caper berries." ... (Adam Platt reviewed in October (TWIR, October 21, 2005), as did Moira Hodgson (TWIR, October 12, 2005), and Andrea Strong in September (TWIR, September 30, 2005)) ... 107 Rivington Street, between Essex and Ludlow Streets, 212-475-2600 or 646-253-6700 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• David Rosen gave 2.5 stars to Thor ... "Three pristine Kumamoto oysters on the half shell, filled with fatty, diced, raw tuna and delicate caviar, are stunningly presented on a large ring mold. Silky foie-gras terrine is married to a sweet roasted peach cut into the same half-moon shape as the goose liver." ... " feathery gnocchi with peas and mushrooms, and moist salmon-and-tomato lasagna make one forget this isn't a five-star Italian restaurant." ...

• The Bruni Digest reviews Frank Bruni's review of Thor ... "Thor: Literally Run by Arnold Shwarzenegger" ...

• Frank Bruni also visited Barça 18 ... "an attempt to combine the electricity of a big-box restaurant like Vento, one of Mr. Hanson's signature successes, with some of the artistry of Le Bernardin, Mr. Ripert's throne." ... had "rubbery, fishy octopus with a sweet pepper confit" ... but liked the lobster paella ... 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, 212-533-2500 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

• Mona's Apple had lunch at Piccolo ... "filet of sole sautéed with white wine, lemon and capers.... I’ve had sole before but never this good." ... 226 3rd Avenue, between 19th and 20th Streets, 212-420-0600 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Peter Meehan recommends the fried chicken and broiled salmon head at Chiyono ... "The best entrees are broiled or fried. Like flawless fried chicken" ... "half a salmon's head, broiled, and, in its simplicity, one of the best things we had on any visit to Chiyono" ... 328 East 6th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, 212-673-3984

• Slashfood reviews the hash browns eaten at Waffle House during a "torrid three-day affair" ... "Last Tango in Tullahoma" ... likes them extra greasy ... the Waffle House closest to NYC is 85 miles west at 1783 Airport Road, Allentown, PA, 610-266-6300 [ePinions | Citysearch - Lancaster, PA location]

• this is here because it's about Malaysian food ... Rosemary Black has recipes from Heng Ngo for Malaysian Chicken Curry and Nasi Lemak ... "His curry carries over: Malaysian chicken & rice dishes hail from homeland" ... if you want to try good Malaysian food, go to Sanur ...

• Matt Lee and Ted Lee report that the rising cost of fuel hasn't effected the price of food ... yet ... "With prices at the grocery store and in restaurants holding steady, producers and middlemen have been forced to absorb the increase." ... "The Industry: Gastronomics," The New York Times, October 30, 2005

Bonus: "The Secret Life of a Restaurant Critic: Sure, it's a fun job. But when an owner threatens to get a gun because of my review, that's not so fun," by Alison Arnett, The Boston Globe Magazine, October 9, 2005 (via Kottke)

____________________________________

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This Week in Reviews - October 28, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

• eat drink one woman says "being critical of Sripraphai is no longer an option for me. When I eat there, not only do I get to eat delicious, authentic Thai dishes that I can't get anywhere else in town, but I also get to feel like a part of the New York Thai community." ... Sripraphai, 64-13 39th Avenue, between 64th and 65th Streets, Queens, 718-899-9599 [Citysearch]

• Twenty Bucks a Day says Rai Rai Ken is "significantly more homey and homely than most of the other NYC noodleries that I’ve been to recently" ... liked the Miso ramen with its "tender pulled-off-the-bone chicken" ... 214 East 10th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, 212-477-7030 [MenuPages | IgoUgo] ... and did not like Isle ... "I’m here to tell you that I was wrong about Isle being possibly good. It isn’t. I’ve had more personable Thai food at Kai Kai, the excremental steam table chain, and at least that was cheaper." ... 282 Bleecker Street, at 7th Avenue South, 212-929-5699 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... did like Himalayan Yak ... Samayabajee is "An excellent way to try several different Nepali appetizers" ... "My strategy for this restaurant will next time be thus: get a couple of the individual dishes from the Samayabajee platter, get the paytsel, and, if I’m dining with more than one other person, try some kind of dinner entrée from the Nepali menu. If there’s a sauce to be sopped, I’ll get a tingmo or two. I think you could keep the check near $10 a person this way, and at that price point, Himalayan Yak would be a delicious deal." ... 72-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 718-779-1119 [NYT | The Taste Land | A Year In Food]

• NYC Nosh ate at the new location of Vynl ... the butternut squash soup sounds fantastic: "the reason why I order this almost every time I come to Vynl ... is the very subtle spice, the heat that cuts through the sweetness of the squash, and the perfect saltiness of the broth." ... but it's still working through some post-move kinks ... 754 9th Avenue, at 51st Street, 212-956-9277 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Salli Vates had "Breakfast Envy at Thomas Beisl" ... Thomas Beisl, 25 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-222-5800 [NYT | Citysearch]

• Rachel Wharton has a list of the top 10 Bronx restaurants in "Best bites in the Bronx: A food lover's guide to the borough's top restaurants" ...

• MUG says Jefferson Grill is too salty ... "We're no saltphobes, but almost every single dish here skews salty. The "too many ingredients stir-fried prawns," as the menu has it, is the worst offender: a salt lick with a seaside tang." ... 121 West 10th Street, at 6th Avenue, 212-255-3333 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• a friend of A Guy In New York had good things to say about .. Mishima ... Noodle Town´s steamed flounder was out of this world ... and I simply loved the Dan Dan Mien of Grand Szechuan ...

• Rob Patronite "asked several big-time chefs and restaurateurs to weigh in on the imminent arrival of" Michelin New York City ... coming next week ...

• Mona's Apple likes Land Thai Kitchen ... "the chicken curry puff ... was like firecrackers in my mouth, the flavors were bouncing around and I had never tasted something this yummy in my life." ... also good: massaman curry with lamb, wok basil with beef ... 450 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 81st and 82nd Streets, 212-501-8121 [MenuPages | NYT]

• The Food Section has a review published in The Washington Post of several food books ...

• eater likes Balthazar ... "The raw bar and bistro staples are first-rate; ditto for brunch offerings like eggs benedict and chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson's crepe du jour." ... 80 Spring Street, 212-965-1785 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• CITYRAG has "East Village and Lower East Side delivery tips - if you're looking for some good food delivery in the Lower East Side or East Village, here are a couple of our favorites!" ...

• Nancy Franklin writes that "almost everything on the menu sounds like a welcome surprise, and yet, upon arrival, disappoints" at Chubo ... 6 Clinton Street, 212-674-6300 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld went to Fatty Crab ... and liked almost everything ... but we'll pass and eat good Malaysian food for less than one-half the price at Nyonya and Sanur ... 543 Hudson Street, 212-352-3590 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Forbes gives green GOs to ... Mr. K's ... "traditional Chinese fare at its best, served in the most refined and pampering manner" ... 570 Lexington Avenue, at 51st Street, 212-583-1668 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Ono ... "tuna tartare, crab salad with soba noodles, crispy shrimp crackers, skewers of Kobe beef or chicken breast, tuna with peppers, sushi or rib-eye steak--all of which are delicious" ... in the Hotel Gansevoort, 18 Ninth Avenue, at 13th Street, 212-660-6766 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... La Mangeoire ... "old-fashioned French bistro serving delectable Provençal classics" ... 1008 Second Avenue, at 53rd Street, 212-759-7086 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• eating for brooklyn says the burgers at Soda Bar are great and "is the perfect place for the day after a bender or perhaps for one as well" ... 629 Vanderbilt Avenue, 718-230-8393 [Citysearch]

• gothamist picked out some highlights from TONY's Essential New York ...

• David Rosen liked the "perfectly cooked whole red snapper slowly steamed in a tomato sauce enriched by fresh herbs" at Krik Krak ... and said the appetizers are "all fried, all greaseless, all delicious" ... 844 Amsterdam Avenue, between 101st and 102nd Streets, 212-222-3100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Frank Bruni rates Ninja "Poor" ... "Ninja acts like a Disney ride - Space Mountain under a hailstorm of run-of-the-mill or unappealing sushi - but charges like Le Bernardin." ... and it goes downhill from there ... you've been warned ... 25 Hudson Street, at Duane, 212-274-8500 [MenuPages]
  ... but liked the chicken at Cafe at Country ... "had crackling skin and wonderful meat" ... but the grilled lamb was "slightly overcooked and tough" ... 90 Madison Avenue, at 29th Street, 212-889-7100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• The Bruni Digest notes that Frank Bruni is back from vacation (see above) ... and she promised "a 1996 Glamourshot of Yours Truly Insane, looking like a Brighton Beach madame who fell face down in a hot-pink blush quarry." ... we want pics! ... she also looked at Frank Bruni's review of Ninja, in "Ninja: Crouching Failure, Hidden Assholes" ...

• Andrea Strong also ate at Café at Country and is now in love with breakfast ... "the reason I am in love with breakfast is the Café at Country" ...

• OK, this review is not of a NYC location .. but it is a chain that has a location in Westbury, which is close enough ... and being a chain the food is probably consistent from location to location, so ... James Lileks went to The Cheesecake Factory ... "Sweet smoking Judas" ... "We sat. Menus were handed out; they had advertisements. Tells you all you need to know. My meal was awful - bread whose crust resembled a PVC pipe, chicken cooked by pressing it under a red-hot cement block for half an hour, some sort of BBQ sauce made of sugar and hubris, and 23,192 french fries. I looked around and saw dozens of tables, all filled, everyone bent before ENORMOUS platters of crap." ...

• Big Apple Dining Guide ordered in from Bamiyan ... "Barg - tender pieces of filet mignon, marinated with saffron with white basmati rice ... was quite good" ... "Overall, I loved this place and look forward to staying there to eat. I like to pick up my food instead of relying on delivery. It makes me feel like I get it home quicker, I cut out a middle man thereby getting it to the table warmer than by delivery guy and it also allows me to get inside the restaurant to see what the 'terroir' of the food might be." ... 358 Third Avenue, at 26th Street, 212-481-3232 [MenuPages | Citysearch] .. and also went to Babbo ... "is just like the prep school kid of a conservative family that grows his hair long and starts smoking pot and listening to 60s psychelic rock and the Beatles but proudly adheres to Emily Post's guide on etiquette at the dining table during his trips back home to visit the family." ... 110 Waverly Place, 212-777-0303 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• we missed this last week: words to eat by says Kitchen 22 is the "Best Bargain in Town" ... "Three courses for $25, people!" ... "Kitchen 22’s menu changes frequently—each night there are five appetizers and five entrees to choose from, with a featured dessert." ... "these people know how to roast a chicken. It was so good, in fact, that I even ate some of the dark meat, and I don’t like dark meat." ... 36 East 22nd Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South, 212-228-4399 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
  

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This Week in Reviews - October 21, 2005

Each Friday, A Guy In New York publishes "This Week in Reviews (TWIR)," with quick links to New York City restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

• Zagat 2006 is out ... and MUG is not impressed ... "it contains its usual passel of formulaic assessments, dubious assertions, and basic inaccuracies. Having sat down and read it cover to cover, what's surprising is how out of touch and irrelevant it all seems." ... we haven't used Zagat for many years ... Michelin NYC is out next month (and Steve Cuozzo is "rooting for it to kick Zagat's burgundy-covered butt." (TWIR, October 14, 2005) and as he noted last month (TWIR, September 30, 2005), "Restaurant reviews are over. History. Outta here. It's time to report on restaurants in a new and better way, and this is why: More than ever before, reviews have a shorter shelf life than unpasteurized milk") ...

• Twenty Bucks A Day liked the "Alomatic Beef with Wild Pepper" at Original Guilin Noodle ... " a fantastic stir fry of beef, cauliflower, at least two kinds of fresh peppers (one was red and green, not sure if that was the primary source of spice – it looked like there were some smaller, spicier ones), something that seemed almost like a cucumber but was crunchier, tiny onions, mushrooms that looked like they were out of a cartoon, and a black bean sauce." ... 118 Madison Street, south of East Broadway and east of Catherine Street, 212-608-8008

• A Guy In New York likes the "delicious whole fish" at J.M. Family Noodle Restaurant ... "the delicate flounder is so tender that one can eat the crispy dorsal fins and fish tail!!!" ... 19 Henry Street, between Catherine and Market Streets, 212-571-2440 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• eating for brooklyn ate at Nosh ... "the latkes with sour cream and apple sauce ... were too thin and overcooked, making them crunchy and almost burnt. The grilled footlong hotdog is a far cry from the regular boiled hotdog which I was served originally by mistake leading me to believe the kitchen staff is still catching on. The sauerkraut has a nice tang and reminds me of the kind you get at ballparks, an intentional effect I imagine." ... 214 Atlantic Avenue, at Court Street, 718-596 2328 [Citysearch]

• David Rosen gives 1.5 stars out of 4 to Uva ... "The dishes listed on the menu are prepared with first-rate ingredients and care." ... he recommends two types of focaccia: "stuffed with robiola cheese and black truffle" and "porcini mushrooms and montasio cheese" ... 1486 Second Avenue, between 77th and 78th Streets, 212-472-4552 [Citysearch]

• slice reports that on November 10 ... "Lombardi's To Offer 5-Cent Pies" ... "the country's first official pizzeria" ... 32 Spring Street, between Mott and Mulberry Streets, 212-941-7994 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Forbes gives 3 Green GOs (RR) to ... Dévi ... "the kararee bhindi is extraordinary" ... 8 East 18th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, 212-691-1300 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Gobo ... "some of the most creative and delicious nonmeat fare around." ... 1426 Third Avenue, at East 81st Street, 212-288-5099 [MenuPages | Citysearch] ... Rocking Horse Cafe ... "some of the most delicious and authentic south-of-the-border specialties in town" ... 182 Eighth Avenue, between 19th and 20th Streets, 212-463-9511 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Plate Of The Day says "The bowls of noodles here are a little more pricey than the Hong Kong station or Excellent Pork Chop House, but you pay for the fresh ingredients and it’s well worth it." at Foo Shing Hand Fresh Noodle Soup Shop ... "there’s a guy in the back of the shop that makes the noodles by hand. You can’t get any fresher than this." ... 2 East Broadway, 212-925-5425

• eater reports that The Spotted Pig will "open for business this weekend." ... 314 West 11th Street, at Greenwich Street, 212-620-0393 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Eric Asimov writes that Il Buco "has put much effort, if not more, into creating a Mediterranean menu as beguiling as the antiques-strewn dining room." ... "The chef, Ed Winn, has an easy way of creating combinations that taste as good as they sound, especially in his short list of main courses, which change daily." ... 47 Bond Street, between Lafayette Street and Bowery, 212-533-1932 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Amateur Gourmet says the sushi at Koi "was top notch--definitely as good as Tomoe, and more variety." ... 175 2nd Avenue, at 11th Street, 212-777-5266 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Nick Paumgarten is not impressed with the food at Bruno Jamais ... "The Dover sole (a rather wan slab) and the short ribs (a sweet heap) were passable, but not at forty-two and twenty-eight dollars a pop. That their accompanying sides don’t always arrive might be a good thing. There’s a gloopy little dish of flavorless gnocchi, some limp green beans: fit for a four-year-old, perhaps" ... 24 East 81st Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues, 212-396-3444 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Adam Platt went to Thor ... "the dishes at Thor tend to be reasonably priced, and there are an awful lot of them. The somewhat bewildering menu is divided into multiple sections, with names like “cold plates to start” and “warm plates in the middle,” plus two entrée subsections, one for meat and one for fish" ... "white-tomato mousse with a thin tuile at its bottom, which seems to dissolve like meringue on the tip of your tongue." ... "My duck breast, rolled in thin leaves of Savoy cabbage, was as tender and soft as fine Japanese tuna." ... "Best of all, though, is the monkfish, which Gutenbrunner wraps in big Christo-like strips of crunchy golden potato and plates on a bed of sautéed zucchini, tomatoes, and a hint of thyme." ... (Moira Hodgson reviewed last week (TWIR, October 12, 2005) and Andrea Strong last month (TWIR, September 30, 2005)) ... 107 Rivington Street, between Essex and Ludlow Streets, 212-475-2600 or 646-253-6700 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Robert Sietsema compares jerk chicken from Danny Express, 771 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-940-9717 and Peppa's Jerk Chicken, 738 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, 646-644-0961 ... "The 10 guests, including myself, preferred Peppa's by a margin of 7-3."

• Andrea Strong describes Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction as "an absolutely fabulous trip of a Judeo-Latino brasserie" ... the "Mo’s Pickins" appetizer is "awesome" ... "The potato latkes ($8, with sour cream and homemade apple sauce) were honestly the best I have had." ... "we could not get enough of The Mo Burger" ... (Peter Meehan reviewed last month (TWIR, September 30, 2005))... 34 Avenue A, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, 212-777-5660 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Gael Greene likes the "luscious chicken-curry salad plate" at the Garden Court Café at the Asia Society ... and "can’t get enough of the spicy Thai dip served with fabulous pastry crisps" ... 725 Park Avenue, at East 70th Street, 212-570-5202

• Marian Burros gives 2 stars to Abboccato ... "a bit of a jumble, but often a pleasing one, like the heavenly buffalo milk ricotta soup with tomatoes, corn and crisp pancetta. I could eat it every week. Or the perfectly roasted black bass that is served with seared escarole stuffed with a zesty caponata" ... "There is not always a steady hand at the stove. On each visit some dishes tasted as if the chef had stock in a sea salt company." ... 136 West 55th Street, in the Blakely Hotel, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-265-4000 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• NYC Nosh likes the no-corkage policy at Tartine ... and the Salad Basquaise ... favorite dish was "the Pissaladiere ($10.25), a Provencal tomato tart that bears no small resemblance to a pizza" ... "The bill was small in comparison to what we would have spent at many other French restaurants in the city" ... 253 West 11th Street, at West 4th Street, 212-229-2611 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Twenty bucks a day was going to eat at Cong Ly ... but ended up at Broomedoggs ... had the currywurst, "a specialty of the fast food trucks almost everywhere in German-speaking Europe" ... "it was tasty, if not quite what the German in me was expecting. The German sausage is infused with its curry flavor, and this one was basically a knockwurst tossed with curry sauce." ... 250 Broome Street, between Ludlow and Orchard Streets, 917-453-6013 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• Moira Hodgson writes that D’Or Ahn "uses French techniques with traditional ingredients, reinventing Korean cuisine in playful and intriguing ways." ... 207 10th Avenue, at West 22nd Street, 212-627-7777 [Citysearch]

• Kara Newman reports on the kosher game ... like venison, quail, bison ribs ... at Levana ... "Game is best served rare, and although all kosher meat is drained of blood, the juices of rare meat can appear 'bloody,' an off-putting sight for observant Jews who are prohibited from consuming blood and have become conditioned to prefer meat cooked medium or well-done. However, for game meats like bison and venison, which are lower in fat than beef, too much cooking time equals tough, leathery meat." ... 141 West 69th Street, between Broadway and Columbus, 212-877-8457 [MenuPages | Citysearch]

• WhiteTrashBBQ says "it looks like New York is finally getting some respect in the world of barbeque. Adam Perry Lang of Daisy May's BBQ took 1st place in the Invitational Pork category and Rob Richter of Big Island BBQ took 1st place in the Open Chicken category of the American Royal - the world series of BBQ!" ...

• Peter Meehan says that Waverly at IFC Center "is nearly always empty, although it's hard to know why." ... "offers an appealing solution to the time-tested combination of dinner and a movie." ... 327 Avenue of the Americas, at West 3rd Street, 212-924-8866 [gothamist]