Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews Landmarc at the Time Warner Center. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 2-1 ??As little as one star for Landmarc TWC, Marc Murphy's sterilized, maxed-out sequel to Landmarc (in Tribeca) would be a huge coup for the restaurateur. His original restaurant owns one star from Amanda Hesser, and to call TWC equal to its older sister is patently absurd. The reasons to star the downtown location -- ambiance, attention to detail, wine list, grilled meats -- are all muted uptown, where the entire operation absolutely reeks of Murphy's desire to churn out huge profits. Those tiny desserts aren't sized according to what Murphy thinks of as an ideal dessert. They're designed to squeeze an extra $15 out of you while you pay the bill. This one is simple, and none of the other critics in the land have filed anything to the contrary, so let's get on with it: Big-box restaurant serving mostly serviceable, intermittently inspired food in a mall: goose egg.
One Star: 4-1
Two Stars: 8-1
Three Stars: 50-1
Four Stars: 25,000-1
· Landmarc TWC [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
?? denotes the Eater bet.