1) Three reviews on Nobu 57 this week, including a Three Star special from Frank Bruni of BruniCurve™ fame. Says the man who got himself hammered at Pegu Club last week,
Nobu is to Matsuri and Koi as McDonald's is to Wendy's: a tutor and template…What mattered was that black cod. I'm almost convinced that Mr. Matsuhisa maintains a secret tank in which the fish toss back Jacques Torres chocolates and watch "Finding Nemo" while they fatten.Given the three stars, we’re going to assume all of this means he liked it. Meanwhile, Platt is less taken with the place:
The food at Nobu 57 is what you’d expect it to be, although Matsuhisa’s ingenious flavor combinations (creamy spicy sauce with tempura, miso with cod, jalapeño with yellowtail) are so ubiquitous now that they’ve invariably lost a little of their magic. This restaurant is also larger and more hectic that its counterpart downtown, so opportunities for corner-cutting and slapdash service abound.Rosen at the Resident is somewhat more on the fence, filing a Two and One-Half Star review. [NYT, NYM, Resident]
2) As if to validate Cuozzo’s claim that restaurant reviews are headed in the wrong direction (more on his breakdown shortly), Hodgson somehow decides it's reasonable to file a report on the three week old Cercle Rouge:
Le Cercle Rouge is off to a lively, colorful start. Visiting on another evening, I spied the couple at the next table drinking Dom Perignon. The man handed his date the cork and she slipped it into her handbag. “I’ll pay you to live with me,” he said, naming an exorbitant monthly sum. “And even if you decide to leave, I’ll still take care of your mother.” [Observer]
Elsewhere, Strong at Thor (Bruni review expected in the next two weeks); $25 and Under at Mo Pitkin's; Tables for Two at Convivium Osteria; Blowdryer at Trattoria Dopo Teatro; a Nosh at Studio Coffee; and the most comprehensive look at Ninja yet.
