Brunibetting: La Fonda del Sol and Txikito

Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews the remake of a 60's classic La Fonda del Sol and Alex Raij's Txikito. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:

La Fonda del Sol
Zero Stars: 10 - 1
One Star: 3-1 ??
Two Stars: 5-1
Three Stars: 25-1
Four Stars: 10,000-1
Txikito
Zero Stars: 7-1
One Star: 2-1 ??
Two Stars: 5-1
Three Stars: 500-1
Four Stars: 20,000-1

Though they both serve Spanish food by name, these two restaurants couldn't be more different. La Fonda del Sol, the remake of Joe Baum's famed 60's haunt, in the MetLife building is a high-end affair with design by Adam Tihany, white table cloths, two separate menus for the bar and formal dining room, and cooking by Sumile's Josh DeChellis. Reviews, so far, have been mixed. Meanwhile the teensy, tiny Txikito is a casual spot that doesn't take resys, has one shifting menu of small (and not so small) dishes, and has almost exclusively received raves from the critics and Tia Pol defectors. So why do we think they'll get the same one star from Boom Boom Bruni?

Josh DeChellis can cook, and we're sure that he has some standout dishes here. If JD is on his best behavior, Bruni will call it a successful revival, an oasis in a bleak Midtown, and he'll give it two. But reports of inconsistency and big flops in both the dining room and the bar (but mostly the bar) are making us lean to the one here.

As for Txikito, it can be both impressive and affordable if you order correctly. If not, it can be expensive and disappointing. It's the kind of solid, neighborhood place that happily has more followers than it probably deserves and would be perfect for a Dining Brief. One. The great fun with a twofer is you can go against the odds twice. Betting windows are open.
· La Fonda del Sol and Txikito [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
?? denotes the Eater bet.