Bruni officially banned from Bette; Platt not sure what to make of the purslane at Craftbar; and CuozDog finds Mainland just his cup of tea.
The Week in Reviews, for the week ending Wednesday, August 17, 2005:
1) What happens when Brunski goes to Bette and doesn't see any celebrities? One Star is what happens. Our man bitches, "Depending on your mood or perspective, the cooking at Bette is either refreshingly straightforward or stunningly unimaginative." Yikes. In a way, the same can be said about his review. The unanswered question is, If Robert Downey Jr. had just come over to say hello, would it have bought Sacco at least the Bruni Two Star Special? [Times]
2) If you been scanning the next column of late you've noticed that Craftbar has, by Colicchio standards, been taking a real beating. Adam Platt delivers the most recent blow with his NY Mag review:
[T]he restaurant?s intimacy is gone, and with it that certain quality of specialness. The clean simplicity of the old menu is gone, too, replaced by a kind of baroque Greenmarket showiness. I suppose the excellent pigeon-and-quail terrine (all the terrines are excellent) benefited from a few sprigs of purslane (a healthful, smooth-leaf weed, much prized in gastronomic circles) and slices of pickled litchi, though I?m not entirely sure.His verdict that bigger does not even mean as good has been the boilerplate elsewhere as well. [NYM]
3) The Cuoz, finally having moved on from the GQ drama heads over to Mainland and likes what he sees. Loves the aps (pot stickers, Shaeo Leung pork dumplings); loves the entrees a bit less. His sendoff: "Mainland will never be accused of inciting a culinary revolution. But on an Upper East Side ruled by ghastly takeout joints, it's serving my cup of Chinese tea." Cup of Chinese tea. Hee. Because there's always tea at...It's his cup of...Right, you get it. [NYP]
Elsewhere, middling buzz for BLT Prime; more middling buzz for BLT Prime; Sietsy likes Marinella on Carmine; Hodg goes to Plate NYC and finds it " eccentric, chic and eminently likable"; and the Amateur Gourmet's mom takes him to Chanterelle where they weren't in love.
