California Bans Trans Fats; Watch Fat Ladies at Home

Cow verus soy milk, mourning a Starbucks, brunch recommendations, and more, in our daily news roundup.

Posted 07/28/08 in Grub Street : Mediavore

Tags: brunch, cheyenne diner, dim sum, la caravelle, la cote basque, las vegas, mediavore, milk, public, starbucks, staten island, the smith, top chef, trans fats, two fat ladies

Another Triumph for Dovetail; Another Disappointment for Bar Boulud

Citing cleverness, finesse and his own “hugely positive” experiences eating there, Frank Bruni gives Dovetail three stars to go along with Adam Platt’s. [NYT] Related: This Dove Flies Poor Bar Boulud, on the other hand, continues to get pilloried. Randall Lane gives it only three stars (of six), and no doubt it would be a lot worse if not for the world-class charcuterie. [TONY] Related: Daniel Disappoints Restaurant Girl, too, got her licks in on BB, giving it two stars (of four) for Syrah-heavy sauces, unreliable service, and mishandled snails and tartare. This has got to be killing Boulud. [NYDN]

Posted 02/20/08 in Grub Street : The Other Critics

Tags: bar boulud, danyelle freeman, dovetail, frank bruni, gazala halabi, madaleine may, matilda, merkato 55, mike peed, paul adams, peter meehan, randall lane, ryan sutton, steve cuozzo, The Other Critics, the smith

Chicken to the Rescue at Blue Ribbon Sushi; The Smith Hit Hard

The latest Blue Ribbon Sushi gets a whopping two stars from Frank Bruni, despite its titular sushi being not that great. No, it’s the souped-up fried chicken that added a star, making this two weeks in a row that poultry has saved the day. [NYT] Paul Adams hits new East Village comfort-food zone the Smith with one of his rare bad reviews — generally, he finds the food clumsy and gross: “A main course of lamb schnitzel ($17) shows what the kitchen can do at its best: not particularly much.” Ouch! [NYS] Nor was Danyelle Freeman especially enthralled with Brasserie 44, which got one and a half stars out of four. Her recollections of its food seem highly detailed, suggesting that she didn’t leave her notebook behind. [NYDN] Related: So the Critic Left Her (?) Notes. So What?

Posted 01/16/08 in Grub Street : The Other Critics

Tags: belcourt, blue ribbon sushi, brasserie 44, cooper's tavern, danyelle freeman, frank bruni, ilili, julia moskin, mermaid inn, metro marche, moira hodgson, paul adams, peter meehan, randall lane, robert sietsema, ryan sutton, The Other Critics, the smith, toloache

It's Time to Get Excited About the Second Avenue Deli

This week, Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld herald the impending return of the Second Avenue Deli with a peppery interview with owner Jeremy Lebewohl. Expect deep-fried chicken skins at every table, he says. Beats a bread basket. Irving Mill managed to extract a grudging single star out of the Haute Barnyard–phobic Adam Platt, and the Smith, despite a business plan dedicated to filling NYU students with “almost burnt” macaroni and cheese, was able to sway Gael Greene, no sucker for comfort food. Will the new restaurants be so lucky? The Robs introduce us to a high-concept townhouse restaurant, a grass-fed-burger joint, and a progressive Italian spot. And when you get cold from running around outside trying new restaurants, you can sip a nice hot chocolate. The Underground Gourmet found the best cups in the city.

Posted 12/10/07 in Grub Street : In the Magazine

Tags: adam platt, east village, gael greene, haute barnyard, in the magazine, irving mill, openings, the smith