1) Leading things off today is Frank Bruni and his two-star review of Spicy & Tasty:
Spicy & Tasty is more than comfortable enough to let you appreciate without distraction some of the most distinctive Sichuan cooking in any of the five boroughs. While it doesn’t bother with desserts or have much in the way of alcohol, its pleasure-per-dollar ratio — just try to spend more than $40 a person — compensates for that. And like the Thai standout Sripraphai in Woodside, Queens, it deserves citywide attention from food lovers whose primary interest isn’t simply a modestly priced meal off the beaten path, but a hugely enjoyable, eye-opening experience.So the two star bet wins this week, as does Spicy & Tasty. [NYT]
2) Though very rarely in the spotlight, Le Veau d'Or gets its due this week in the form of a quasi-review by Robert Simonson at the Sun:
At the bar, a strongly built old man with an imposing bald head and firm jaw was perched on a stool. He wore a dark suit, French-cuff shirt, a tie, and a gray waistcoat festooned with many buttons. This was Robert Tréboux, since 1985 the proprietor of Le Veau d'Or. The set of his mouth was grim, but he was not dissatisfied with the pace of trade. A few seatings a night is fine with him....[NY Sun]Le Veau d'Or was in its heyday the haunt of Orson Welles, Truman Capote, and Bobby Short. Princess Grace met Oleg Cassini there, and food critic Craig Claiborne called it the one restaurant he couldn't live without.
Ahead, Platt at Picholine and, buckle up, the Elsewhere.
3) Finally, over to Mr. Platt, who four-stars (out of five) Brennan's Picholine this week.
Brennan...has a knack for taking the most dated, even elderly, preparations and making them new. If you want a helping of the great Alsatian specialty choucroute garnie, you’ll find that your cabbage and pork belly arrive at the table smothered not with sausages but bundled (with a refined mustard and beurre rouge sauce) in a perfectly cooked piece of skate. Chicken Kiev is on the menu, too, but it’s updated and refined by Brennan in a most ingenious way. Instead of butter, the heirloom chicken is filled with liquefied foie gras laced with truffles, which is released over a bed of mushrooms when the waiter pricks the dish with a tiny silver sword.And thus, the Picholine renovation is complete and Baum's final invoice is in the mail. [NYM]
Elsewhere, Reichl on Ramsay, Peter Meehan pleased with Lucali, Randall Lane four-stars (out of six) Goblin Market, Paul Adams mixed on Core 191, Strong says Porchetta is 'great', Sietsetma at Schnitzl Haus, Tables at Papatzul, and Eat at Ivo & Lulu.
