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 Restaurant inspection results online

• Waiter Rant has some good observations and some good advice for young men …
• The Impetuous Epicure had a “really creamy (ie:Rich and fat-full) and delicious” quiche at Patisserie Claude … but the croissants, oh, the croissants … “what a first bite it was! The crisp skin gave way to a multi-layered heaven. I could have teared up and broke down into joyful tears.” … “Monsieur Claude! You must be trying to take over the world with these croissants! But for these, the world is worth it!” … 187 West 4th Street, 212-255-5911 [food-plan | NY Mag | Citysearch]
• slice has a nice overview of pizza in NYC … “classic Neapolitan-American pies, made in coal-fired brick ovens with fresh mozzarella. New York has Lombardi’s ” … “Then there’s the New York City whole-pie culture that utilizes gas ovens. Estimable pies come our of the ovens of Denino’s in Staten Island, Mario’s in the Bronx, and Nick’s Pizza in Forest Hills, Queens, and the Upper East Side of Manhattan.” … “Interested in individually sized, Neapolitan-inspired pies that come out of a wood-buming oven? New York has those, too, starting with La Pizza Fresca in the Flatiron district, Celeste on the Upper West Side, Naples 45 in Grand Central for commuters in need of a good pizza fix, and Caserta Vecchia and Franny’s in Brooklyn” … read the whole thing …
• Augieland says his first wine dinner at Tribeca Grill “was great. It was well organized, going as far as presenting each wine with an identifying label on the glass’s base. The food was all good, the highlights being the passed appetizers during the cocktail hour.” … web site, 375 Greenwich Street, corner of Franklin Street, 212-941-3900 [NYT | NY Mag | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … gave 882 liveatjrllian stars to Buddakan New York … “The food is interesting, if not daring. These are the well-heeled versions of flavors you know, more Asian-themed or inspired than Asian.” … “was most pleased with the dish that had a direct correlation in the more familiar versions of Chinese restaurants, the Crab Fried Rice. The rice was soft, the eggs were fluffy, the crab was real and sweet, each thing showed its own flavor and the whole tied together harmoniously. The Shaken Chili Beef Tartare was fantastic” … “I found the Lobster Dumplings hard to handle and thought the Black Beans Lobster was a little dull, but the people next to me chose the lobster as their favorite dish” … 75 9th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets, 212-989-6699 [Citysearch] … gave Jack Bistro 280 notyettjillian stars … the “Moules with fennel cream sauce in the appetizer size [was] not quite cooked to our preferences so we sent them back for a couple more minutes in the pan. On there second coming they were nice.” … “It is too close to my house, too early to judge, and pretty cheap by neighborhood standards, so I may go back again for a second look, but I won’t do it enthusiastically.” … 80 University Place, at 11th Street … and gave 433 homonymillian stars to Gilt … “Someone has decided to wedge one of the most modern chefs in NY into one of the most traditional and staid rooms in town.” … had the chef’s tasting menu: “the food is both creative and exact. There was great technique and very sound method. Great balance and subtlety was omnipresent while dishes benefited from new methods like the process to powder a chorizo. Somehow, I was let down though.” … “The truth is the food is fantastic, and I will go back soon to see it without the weight of expectation. I wanted Dali, I got Van Gogh. In general, I probably much prefer Van Gogh, unless I thought I was going to a Dali show.” … “At this point I am sure of two things: Paul Liebrandt is a great chef, and $25 is RIDICUOUS money for a cocktail.” … (previous reviews: Adam Platt (TWIR, February 17, 2006), Frank Bruni (TWIR, February 10, 2006), Steve Cuozzo, David Rosen, Gael Greene (TWIR, January 20, 2006)) … web site, 455 Madison Avenue, at 50th Street, 212-891-8100 [NYT | Citysearch]
• Peter Meehan says Little Dishes “is the sort of restaurant any neighborhood would be happy to call its own.” … “a massive, meaty lamb shank [was] braised to unctuous tenderness and a burnished glow, scattered with rosemary and served over pan-fried spaetzle studded through with black olives.” … 434 Seventh Avenue (15th Street), Park Slope, Brooklyn, 718-369-3144
• A Hamburger Today had a playful week …two perfect foods combined: “Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburgers” … yuck (too furry): “Cat Burger” … “Body by Burgers” … no burgers on Friday for us, it’s Lent …
• Paul Lukas writes about the “Dames of Beef” … “a dozen rather fabulous women [who dress] in 1940’s and 50’s dresses, vintage hats, jeweled brooches, Art Deco earrings, black-seamed stockings and lots of bright red lipstick” … “12 retro-minded women who get together every few months to patronize the city’s vanishing old-school restaurants” … sounds like fun …
• Twenty bucks a day says the dosas from Pongal are “a bit soggy when delivered, their spicing is impeccable.” … web site, 1154 1st Avenue, 212-355-4600 [Citysearch]
• The Girl Who Ate Everything finally got to Katz’s Delicatessen and had a corned beef sandwich … “I’ve never seen a sandwich like this in real life before. Thick slices of tender meat that practically fell apart just from my wide eyed gaze” … “Although I though that the corned beef was great, the pastrami beat it down with a gigantic ‘haha, I’m tastier than you’ mallet; yeah, it was better. With mayo, it was even better than better” … web site, 205 East Houston Street, 212-254-2246 [MenuPages | NYT | NY Mag | Village Voice | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch] … and would much rather have the hot chocolate at Jacques Torres … but went to Joe, “the art of coffee” instead … and had the spicy “European drinking chocolate” … “had a great tatse [but it] isn’t something you can comfortably drink. It’s not quite pudding and it’s not quite a liquid you can sip from a cup.” … looks like sin in a cup to us … web site, 9 East 13th Street, 212-924-7400 [NY Mag | openlist | Citysearch] … Jacques Torres: web site, 350 Hudson Street at King Street, 1 block South of Houston, 212-414-2462 … also at 66 Water Street, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, Brooklyn, 718-875-9772 [NYT | NY Mag | Village Voice | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• New York Magazine posted its Best of NY Food: 2006 …
• cityrag writes that “If you’re looking for a yummy multi-course meal with paired wines, but don’t want to break the bank, check out L’Ecole at The French Culinary Institute.” … “The food is very good, not exceptional, but very tasty, a little inventive, and fresh.” … web site, 462 Broadway, 212-219-3300 [NYT | NY Mag | openlist | Citysearch]
• Peter Gianotti visits a classic, L’Endroit … “And everyone seems content. The mild onion soup laced with Calvados might have something to do with it. Likewise, the penne in a hearty veal ragu. Or the neatly manicured asparagus au gratin.” … “Calf’s liver, sauteed with shallots, herbs and white wine, is textbook correct, and recommended. The steak au poivre, in a lush Cognac-black peppercorn sauce, extols tradition with flair, plus two spears of carefully trimmed asparagus. Filet mignon, treated similarly to the liver, is equally fine.” … web site, 290 Glen Cove Road, East Hills, NY, 516-621-6630 [NYT | openlist]
• pushcart NYC says the wraps at From Atlantis With Love are “a savory melange, a robust torpedo wrapped in a tortilla and two layers of tinfoil, enough food for a meal now and a snack later. Enough to launch a story of its own.” … East 2nd Street at the Bowery [Village Voice] … and the cart on the NW corner of Forsyth Street and Division is “Heaven ‘on the Stick‘” … “It’s just this — the fresh flavor of the meat, the perfect juice inside and the sweet fats brought to the surface by the intense heat of the coals. Simple. Simple and perfect.” …
• NYC nosh is glad the menu changed at Marseille … “foie gras with grilled toast batons was smokey and very smooth, tasting rich without being too fatty on the palate [and the] hangar stake was also a real treat, served with very crispy, thinly-sliced shallots” … web site, 630 9th Avenue, at 44th Street, 212-333-2323 [NYT | NY Mag | Village Voice | openlist | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Lauren Collins went to Hong Kong Station … “Since the dishes are mix-and-match, like a liquid salad bar, there are many choices to be made, and, since the ordering is done cafeteria-style, they have to be made quickly so as not to antagonize those waiting in the (often long) line.” … “pig’s feet, served on the bone, are a spicy treat, although they might be even better if you could eat them blindfolded. Most beloved is the ‘faux fin soup,’ made with filaments of pork and mushroom instead of shark fin.” … (previous reviews: NYC nosh (TWIR, February 3, 2006), Plate of the Day) … 128 Hester Street, east of Bowery, 212-966-9382 [NY Metro]
• Adam Platt looked at 5 instant dinners … and concluded that 2 were Tasty: FreshDirect Fresh Dining Smart and Simple Massaman Chicken Curry and South Beach Diet Cashew Chicken … 2 were Edible: Smart Ones Grilled Chicken and Healthy Choice Grilled Turkey Breast … and 1 was Bad: Lean Cuisine Salmon With Basil …
• Joshua Bernstein reviews Pho Grand, using way too many unappetizing words, which makes us wonder where his editor was … “options number more than a dozen, running from flank steak to omosa (tripe) to chewy tendon. I favor the duo of fingernail-thin slices of eye of round and brisket. The round is served rare, still cooking in the just-below-boiling broth, while sloppy brisket chunks are fatty and flavorful.” … 277C Grand Street, between Forsyth and Eldridge Streets, 212-965-5366 [NYT | Village Voice | openlist | Citysearch]
• Robert Sietsema reports that the entrees at Cookshop range “from mediocre to pretty damn good” … “Pretty damn good describes an entrée of Vermont suckling pig, on a menu that subscribes to the modern mania for identifying raw materials by source—as if you cared that the asparagus, say, came from the Marquis de Sade Organic Farms in Piscataway, New Jersey.” … “Aside from making too much of beans and, in an Atkinsy way too common today, substituting root vegetables where potatoes or noodles should be, the menu chugs along in a predictable fashion through a far-flung terrain of soups and salads and steaks and chicken and fish.” … “But here is what I love about Cookshop. At the top of a menu is a category called Snacks. Priced around $5, these small savory dishes are not only delicious, but solve many dining dilemmas.” … (previous reviews: Forbes (TWIR, February 10, 2006), Veal Cheeks (TWIR, February 3, 2006), Andrea Thompson (TWIR, December 16, 2005), 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]
• Joan Reminick says “all the Italian words [are] spelled correctly” on the menu at Pronto … “the food is imbued with the kind of honest rusticity that might lead one to (wrongly in this case) suspect a caring nonna in the kitchen.” … was “impressed with gamberi prosciutto, marinated shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and baked to salty succulence.” … “Our friendly waiter suggested ordering chicken scarpariello, which wasn’t on the menu. What came was a classic saute of chicken and sausage, herbal and garlicky, given an unusual twist by the addition of crisp fried zucchini on top.” … 111 Deer Park Avenue, Babylon, NY, 631-422-7955
• Frank Bruni gave 1 star to Blaue Gans … “For a satisfying entree, a whole brook trout is sautéed, festooned with capers, fringed with carrots and bathed in creamed kohlrabi, a turniplike root vegetable.” … “Of the restaurant’s many presentations of sausage, two were especially good. A pale pork and veal sausage, served with sweet mustard and a soft, salty pretzel, had the lightness of mousse. A mash of blood sausage and fingerling potatoes was molded into a circle and placed on a roomy bed of sauerkraut.” … (previous reviews: Maria Hodgson (TWIR, February 17, 2006), Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld (TWIR, January 20, 2006)) … 139 Duane Street, between West Broadway and Church Street, 212-571-8880 [MenuPages | NYT | Citysearch]
• The Bruni Digest opines that Frank Bruni “seems to have stumbled upon a pleasant if uninspiring sibling of Kurt Gutenbrunner’s more celebrated culinary endeavors, not so much a delightfully nostalgic re-run of a fresh new formula as a rough distillation of themes and ingredients that have already regaled dining audiences in more sophisticated forms. Let’s call Blaue Gans ‘The Nanny’ to Thor’s ‘Who’s the Boss?’” …
• Andrea Strong says El Bocadito is “tiny but it’s got a big heart (and great food).” … “the horacha–a wide long rectangular tortilla sheet that was topped with tender shredded steak, a creamy white hot sauce and then smothered with a beautiful bubbly mess of melted cheese” was excellent … 79 Orchard Street, between Broome and Grand, 212-343-3331 [NYT | Gayot | Citysearch]
• Steve Cuozzo reports that Peacock Alley “launched with much hoopla after a $5.5 million redesign last fall, pulled in its feathers [because] Not enough people wanted to eat Tovar’s $30 entrees in a prefab-looking lobby restaurant amidst noisy Texans and piles of luggage.” … “Yet, while Peacock Alley has all the buzz of a half-empty tour bus, Country is so swamped with demand for tables it’s had to limit the number of bookings [and] There’s excitement – not pandemonium – in the air, and it compounded the pleasure I took in Zakarian’s $85, four-course, prix-fixe menu.” … Peacock Alley: ( previous review: Owen Phillips (TWIR, March 3, 2006)) … web site, 301 Park Avenue, 212-872-7335 [NYT | openlist | Citysearch] … (see how Peacock Alley got its name) … Country: (previous reviews: Pascale Le Draoulec (TWIR, January 20, 2006), Frank Bruni (TWIR, October 28, 2005)) … 90 Madison Avenue, at 29th Street (in the Carlton Hotel), 212-889-7100 [MenuPages | Gayot | Citysearch]

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