Rouge Tomate Too Bland for Bruni; Cuozzo Welcomes Kefi

Frank Bruni starts a health-conscious new year at Rouge Tomate, but doesn't truly enjoy it. While there are "intricately, gorgeously assembled dishes," "[t]oo much of the food lacks punch. Too much of it simply lacks salt." [NYT]
Related: Inside Rouge Tomate

Steve Cuozzo finds more than just good food at the new Kefi: "Kefi is so right for its time — and it just might serve as a template for those brave enough to open new eateries in post-Madoff Manhattan." [NYP]
Related: A Look at Kefi and Its New Menu

Ryan Sutton is mixed on the John Dory, where there’s “quirky gourmet fare that’s often excellent, but in a laid-back environment that’s occasionally downright annoying.” [Bloomberg]
Related: Inside the John Dory

The Oak Room may be “utterly dated,” but chef Joel Antunes knows what to do with black truffles, writes Alan Richman. [Forked/GQ]

The Upper West Side’s West Branch is “the most solid fit for the neighborhood to open in years,” avers Jay Cheshes. [TONY]

Gael Greene pans the plating at Macao Trading Co., but the food more than makes up for it. [Insatiable Critic]
Related: A First Look at Macao Trading Co., Opening Right This Second

At BarBao, the chef’s familiar classics are disappointing. But Michael "Bao" Huynh succeeds when he “pushes beyond what we tend to think of as Vietnamese cooking,” says Danyelle Freeman. [NYDN]

Café Select has “an unmistakable air of European metropolitanism,” writes Shauna Lyon, and its center-cut strip “rivals any bar steak in the city.” [NYer]
Related: First Look: Café Select

Read more posts by Aileen Gallagher

Filed Under: barbao, cafe select, john dory, kefi, macao trading co., oak room, rouge tomate, the other critics, west branch

Copyright NYMag - NY Mag Grub Street
Contact Us