1) Finally, the two-star Thor review we all been waiting for. But in a somewhat shocking twist, Bruni files a two-star review that actually sounds like a two-star review:
[T]he kitchen's selection and cooking of fish and meat were superb, exemplified by an entree of perhaps the freshest-tasting brook trout I've encountered. It came with creamed spinach and caper berries...And many of the desserts, courtesy of Pierre Reboul, the pastry chef, were superb. A pumpkin cheesecake with maple syrup ice cream was like a happy nose dive into the heart of autumn, and a multilayered confection that reinterpreted a Snickers bar did exquisite justice to its muse...The Brun does make some comments about the service that, given Thor's very tender age, might be called out of line. All in all though, consider it a banner day for Thor, especially given Bruni's mood last week. [NYT]
It's...a place redeemed by the simple virtues beneath the hip patina - by wonderful bread with a sesame seed crust, for example, and fantastic Spanish olive oil to dip it in. This is going to be a satisfying place to eat.
D'or Ahn, more on Thor, and quite a bit elsewhere just ahead.
2) Platt is all over Chelsea sleeper pick, D'or Ahn:
D’or Ahn (the name is a blend of owner Lannie Ahn’s name and the French word for gold) turns out to be a subtle, even elegant little restaurant, a place where unlikely sounding combinations produce the most interesting, unlikely results. The narrow room is dark and cloistered, like a private Asian drinking club...dishes are the work of Rachel Yang, a Korean-American (she grew up in South Korea and moved here when she was 15), who not surprisingly is a veteran of such topflight kitchens as Per Se, DB Bistro Moderne, and Alain Ducasse. Her cooking is classical in structure and technique, but informed by all sorts of deft cross-cultural touches.Rachel Yang, folks. Alain Ducasse, Per Se, and DB. In her own kitchen for the first time. Put this one on the to-do list. [NYM]
Elsewhere, Rosen within a half-star of Bruni at Thor; a recent meal at Wallse for the sake of comparison; Sietsema at Mainland India in the West Village; Tables for Two at Uovo; Hodgson at Kitchen and Cocktails; $25 and Under at Curry Row's Chiyono; The Hot Plate on Cookshop.
