Frank Bruni withholds all stars from Secession: "It's the menu of the unfocused, distracted mind." [NYT]

Steve Cuozzo and Cindy Adams eat at the Oak Room, and while the bill is ridiculous, the space and the food are serious. [NYP]

Jay Cheshes hits the Oak Room this week too, and says restaurateur Joey Allhas "has struck just the right balance between reverential throwback and new power canteen." [TONY]

Susur Lee's food at Shang "is unique, unlike anything I have tasted here, often thrilling, endlessly inventive, whimsical and traditional in the same dish, daring and delicious," writes Gael Greene. [Insatiable Critic]
Related: A Closer Look at Shang

Except for a few dishes, Alan Richman "grew weary of food that was simplistic, rustic, and expensive" at Txikito. [Forked/GQ]
Related: Behind the Menu at Txikito [NYM]

"What you're left with after a meal at Vesta is a series of vivid impressions," Danyelle Freeman approvingly writes of the Astoria restaurant. [NYDN]

Andrea Thompson is concerned about JoeDoe's proximity and similarities to Prune, but says "the biggest thing about the place is its flavors." [NYer]

Robert Sietsema finds the city's best Vietnamese food up on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. [VV]