TOP TOQUES AND SOLID CONTENDERS

Brand names you can count on.

Julian Alonzo
Brasserie 8 and 1⁄2
He opened with élan, wowing the critics; now he's torn between cooking to his inner tune and pleasing the less-savvy crowds.

Floyd Cardoz
Tabla
Of course it's not Indian food, I assure indignant pals from India. But it's Indian enough for Manhattan, and brilliant.

Andrew DiCataldo
Patria
It took time to find his own more refined, nearly consistent Latino beat after stepping into Doug Rodriguez's oversize clogs.

Bobby Flay
Mesa Grill, Bolo
His southwestern fantasy became ours, inspiring a zillion riffs on the quesadilla. He's in the kitchen more than you'd guess, pitching big (if a bit too sweet) flavor.

Kurt Gutenbrunner
Wallse, Cafe Sabarsky
He champions Viennese classics with authority, giving fans a rush, but for some, this Gemütlichkeit is a bit confining.

Gabriel Kreuther
Atelier
Inspired by seven years with Jean-Georges, he fills a very beige Ritz-Carlton dining room with color and buzz.

Rick Laakkonen
Ilo
A sublime tidal pool of sea critters and fine old-style duck inspire superlatives for this River Café ex, but the kitchen too often drifts.

Alex Lee
Daniel
His peers know he's there -- Daniel Boulud's alter ego and possible chosen son -- but to the world, it looks, feels, and tastes very Daniel.

Rick Moonen
Restaurant RM
At 47 and a family man, he got an offer he couldn't refuse. So he left Oceana to be a partner here, promising not to Xerox his Oceana signature dishes.

Cyril Renaud
Fleur de Sel
His meticulous French classics light up a modest space.

Doug Rodriguez
Chicama, Pipa
He's a force of nature, a legend for igniting the Latino blaze. But with his mushrooming moguldom, Pipa has lost its luster.

Michael Romano
Union Square Cafe
He's steady and reliable, the people's choice. His food may not bring a critic to her knees, but it usually satisfies.

Marcus Samuelsson
Aquavit
Swedish cookery is limited, after all. While some go gaga over his forays into fusion, lobster roll with frozen ginger ale leaves me cold.

Bill Telepan
JUdson Grill
We love his market-driven cooking when it is simplest and wish he wouldn't try so hard to be modish.

Alex Urena
Marseille
The Villagey feel of Blue Hill was a better setting for Urena's adventurous and careful cooking than this hard-edged spot -- but he's still impressive.

John Villa
Pico
The boy chef at JUdson earns grown-up credentials with his elegant translation of Portuguese cooking.

David Waltuck
Chanterelle
A new generation basks in the scent of luxury here, though the seafood sausage and pork with prunes that amazed us twenty years ago seem ho-hum now.