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This Week in Reviews – September 9, 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.
This week’s TWIR is shorter than usual due to fall soccer getting underway …

Joan Reminick pigged out at the East Buffet … “East, which is under different ownership than the Flushing restaurant of the same name, includes some Italian, American, Korean, Thai and Japanese dishes, such as sushi and sashimi. And, of course, there’s a wealth of Chinese selections, many of them hard to come by elsewhere.” … “Referred to in the 2005 Zagat Survey as ‘the mother of all buffets,’ East’s assortment is dizzying.” … 179 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station, 631-385-0800 … [mixed reviews on AOL cityguide | but not on Citysearch]
David Rosen wrote about Piano Due: “Although the food will not win praise for its originality, it will certainly win acclaim for its impeccable execution.” … 151 West 51st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-399-9400 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
Steve Cuozzo declares that CITÉ “is as reliable as an over-the-counter headache cure.” … suggests you stick with the beef and avoid the seafood … 120 West 51st Street, 212-956-7100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
Pascale Le Draoulec says that even though Fleur de Sel has been around 5 years … it still “serves elegant modern French fare in an atmosphere that couldn’t be more caring or unpretentious” … he enjoyed a “stunner of a lobster salad … [that] was so subtle and delicate, one wondered if this lobster had been fed rose petals on the sly.” … and there’s more … 5 East 20th Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, 212-460-9100 [MenuPages | Citysearch]
New York had lots-o-stuff in its Fall Preview … Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld will be trying American Masala, Fatty Crab, Frankies 17 Clinton Street Spuntino, and Anthony’s … opening this fall: Del Posto … Telepan … Orto … and Intelligencer asks: “Does New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni have something against Italian food?” …
SliceNY has posts on … a pizza vending machine … “we at Slice are guardedly skeptical. The best pies are made with fresh ingredients and a great measure of human pride. This machine contains neither. At this point, we see it as a novelty and will try it simply to witness the ingenuity of our Italian amici in action.” … with a link to a video of the machine in action … and Katrina aid …
Forbes says GO to WD-50: a “jewel on the Lower East Side has a creative menu that just gets better and better.” … Elissa Myers also liked it (TWIR, August 26) … 50 Clinton Street, between Stanton and Rivington Streets, 212-477-2900 [MenuPages | Citysearch] and GO to Sipan: “charming spot serving spectacularly good Peruvian cuisine.” … 702 Amsterdam Avenue, at 94th Street, 212-665-9929 … [MenuPages | Citysearch]
The Amateur Gourmet liked the duck salad at Wondee Siam II … “Knowledge is Power: Dinners at Wondee Siam II and Osteria del Sole” … Cynthia Kilian also liked the restaurant … (there is also a Wondee Siam “I”, without the “I”, called Wondee Siam) … 813 9th Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, 917-286-1726 or 917-286-1727
Frank Bruni gave 3 stars to Perry Street … in “Showmanship Yields to Elegance” … “And while it is undeniably flawed and surprisingly inconsistent, it’s cause for celebration” … Steve Cuozzo said last week that it was “merely very good” (TWIR, September 2) … and Gael Greene and Andrea Strong reviewed Perry Street last month (TWIR, August 19) … 176 Perry Street just off West Side Hwy, 212-352-1900 … [Citysearch]
Moria Hodgson also went to Perry Street … “Globe-Trotting Chef’s Detour Not Too Far Off the Fast Lane” … which she describes as “spare and graceful” … “Some of the dishes are flawless” … but the crispy rabbit “I didn’t like it at all.” … and “Maine lobster wasn’t much better.” … “However, two other dishes were great. Slow-roasted chicken … [and a] filet of Arctic char….” concluding “I wish that the quality of the food here were more consistent, but those dishes that work are more than just good—they’re truly great.”
Jules at The Bruni Digest interprets Frank Bruni’s Perry Street review in “Perry Street: With Arms Wide Open” …
Adam Platt, like David Rosen (TWIR, August 26) and Gael Greene (TWIR, August 12), likes the Peking duck at Mainland … “The duck is presented without any fusion frills, with steamed pancakes from a bamboo warmer, shaved scallions, and plum sauce. It looks like the real thing, and it mostly tastes that way” … he suggests you avoid the “excessive fusion items on the menu” … and “Focus instead on Young’s more subtle creations.” … such as … the spring rolls … dumplings … “If you order one beef dish at Mainland, make it the short ribs” … “The best seafood dishes by far are the Dungeness crabs … and the lobster.” … “Chinese Modernization: At Mainland, traditional Chinese cooking gets some contemporary New York touches” … 1081 Third Ave. between East 63rd and 64th, 212-888-6333 [MenuPages | Citysearch] … he also liked the crispy spring chicken and fish dishes at Liberty View … 21 South End Avenue, west of the West Side Highway and north of 3rd Street, 212-786-1888 [MenuPages | Citysearch]