Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews Cafe Boulud, Daniel Boulud's somewhat casual Upper East Side eatery. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 8-1The Boulud empire has been on the decline of late, but Bruni loves this restaurant—at least he did in December 2004, when he practically confirmed its three star review in a Diner's Journal column on the restaurant. The reason to re-review the restaurant now is not to downgrade, we're guessing, but to report that Boulud's Carmellini replacement, chef de cuisine Bertrand Chemel, is up to the task of protecting the restaurant's good name. Of course, a downgrade is possible, too. But if that's where the Bruni is going, he should have just gotten Mr. Boulud on the horn and told him to fire the chef, which is the very thing that's going to occur if this restaurant gets fewer than three stars. Anyway, Eater is banking on three stars this week, but bettors who enjoy seeing a bloodbath shouldn't hesitate to throw down on a deuce. It's been a while since this restaurant has gotten a critical look and anything is possible.
One Star: 7-1
Two Stars: 4-1
Three Stars: 3-1 ??
Four Stars: 5,000-1
· Cafe Boulud [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
?? denotes the Eater bet.