Kissing References in Sam Sifton's Reviews: a Retrospective

NYT critic Sam Sifton must be a pretty good kisser — his reviews are full of references to smooching, or observations of people doing the tongue-tango at restaurants. Here’s a look back:

Like a Kiss
· On the appetizers at Madangsui: "There are cold boiled bean sprouts fragrant with sesame oil, and salty tangles of wakame dressed with sweet vinegar, soft on the tongue, a kiss in a rock club, right after the show."
· On the Baja salad at Peels: "It was like a kiss that ends in a playful bite."
· On the urchin roe toast at Marea: "It offers exactly the sensation as kissing an extremely attractive person for the first time — a bolt of surprise and pleasure combined."

A Kissing Vibe
· On the vibe at Marc Forgione: "A couple sits at the corner table under mirrors, eating crisp chicken in a gleaming black pan, the meat sitting on top of golden potatoes draped with verdant broccoli rabe. In real life, they kiss."

· On the vibe at Nello: "There are air kisses and the tinkle of tennis bracelets against wine glasses."
· On the vibe at Mia Donna: "Ms. Arpaia floats from table to table as if to make up for all of it, cheek-kissing people or holding someone’s baby, cooing into the night."
· On the vibe at Kenmare: "The incessant rumbling of the nearby Lexington Avenue subway vibrates up into a table-hoppy, air-kissing, haven’t-seen-you-since-Quogue bubble of nighttime excitement."

A Final Kiss-Off
The headline of his Aureole review: "A Kiss to the United States of Burgers, Fries and Sugar" (to be fair, a copywriter probably wrote this)

· All Previous Editions of Overthinking Sam Sifton [~ENY~]