1) It was the review that ate the city: Bruni dousing Ninja with the scarlet Poor rating. Let a thousand meta-commentaries bloom: Gawker ("We suppose this means that Frank Bruni would rather be caught sporting his ruby red slippers than subjected to another trip back?"), Gothamist ("So bad that we may need to go?"), and The Cod ("I think it would be worth considering if possibly Ninja is an elaborate joke, developed expressly to see what it would take to secure the lowest rating from Bruni.")
2) Tables For Two drops by Chubo, arguably Clinton Street's most underrated restaurant. Nancy Franklin disagrees: "You leave feeling full but deflated, and possibly a little tense from worrying about knocking things over; the tables are small and made more so by the large wine and water glasses. Sharing requires you to snake your fork over to your partner’s plate with the care of a bomb defuser." (Lots of good lines this week. Eater hat tips.)
Elsewhere, $25 and Under gobbles the Malaysian goodness of Fatty Crab, as do Patronite and Raisfeld (going meta on the menu: "These braised, stewy meats outshine the sous vide chicken, which, despite its sweet soy and ginger condiments, seems slightly out of place (as does the phrase sous vide)." Sietsy, meantime, returns from the outer boroughs to Hell's Kitchen newcomer Roberto, which he finds a mixed bag.
