Week in Reviews: L'Artusi Gets a One

Frank the Matador reviews Joe Campanale and Gabe Thompson's follow up to Dell'Anmia, West 10th Street's L'Artusi, and gives it a gentle one star. The space is fine, the staff, friendly, the wine list, excellent. But the mixed results from a kitchen are a "lesson in overextention":

"If they turned a more skeptical eye to some of Mr. Thompson’s inventions, edited the menu to about two-thirds its current length and focused harder on the execution of what remained, they’d have an excellent restaurant. As it is, they have a fitfully enjoyable one...

"...the restaurant has a charm — a buoyancy, really — that frequently papers over the food’s shortcomings...You can feel how much the players want you to have a good time."

Jay Cheshes joins the John Dory fan club, giving it five of six stars: "At her new venue, the John Dory, the expat Brit takes the high-low mash-up into more ambitious territory, offering some of the freshest seafood in town—assertively flavored and impeccably sourced—in a setting that’s nearly as casual as her New York debut." [TONY]

The Cuozz checks in to make sure Corton is still has good as it was last fall. It is: "Liebrandt always draws a crowd at first. And critics' pets too often flame out early...my recent visits were among the most enjoyable dining experiences I've had in a year." [NYP]

Ryan Sutton realizes that you get what you pay for at the cheap Kefi and pricey Anthos: "It’s like coach class vs. business. Kefi might be cheap, but in truth, Anthos is the better value. And the airline metaphor is appropriate because Kefi is as customer-friendly as steerage." [Bloomberg]
The RG heads to La Fonda Del Sol this week, giving Josh DeChellis' newest effort a whopping four stars: "La Fonda del Sol is an odd oasis in a midtown desert. People love it for what is: a convenient stop on your way to the train or a great escape after work. For me, it was a great place to rediscover a talented chef." [NYDN]

THE ELSEWHERE: Sietsema approves of the Gothamite-Mexican fare at Williamsburg's La Superior, Yvette Ferreol inspects the bar food at the Modern's Bar Room, Gramercy Tavern, Bar Masa, Picholine, and The London Bar for Bloomberg, Tables for Two consumes a pound of delicious butter at L'Artusi, Alan Richman enjoys the pizza at Batali and Bastianich's suburban experiment Tarry Lodge, Betsy Andrew does a $25 and Under/roundup on breakfast spots in Midtown, Sarah DiGregorio checks out Mumbai Express and New Kerala Kitchen in Floral Park, and Gourmet finds some disappointments and some delights and La Fonda del Sol.

THE BLOGS: NYC Food Guy loves the unique guac and perfect churros at Mercadita Cantina, Writing with my Mouth Full isn't wowed by Irving Mill, Ed Levine equates Starbucks' new breakfast sandwiches to airline food, gives them a business-coach class rating, and The Girl who ate Everything suggests Roebling Tea Room and Market Table for out of town parents.