Former New York Times critic Sam Sifton takes a break from his work at the national desk to offer his list of the top ten new restaurants of 2011. He notes that it was "a strong year for smart-casual cooking, the sort of food that takes a lot of work to prepare but is often served by people in untucked shirts and flash sneakers."
Danji, Hunan Kitchen of Grand Sichuan, and the now-shuttered M. Wells all get nods, as well as two white tablecloth restaurants: Ciano and Boulud Sud. Sifton's number one slot goes to The Dutch, which he calls "a restaurant filled with New Yorkers pleased to be New Yorkers, eating in a New York restaurant, in SoHo in 2011." Telegram Sam also gives an honorable mention to Michael White's Ai Fiori.
· Sam Sifton’s Top 10 New Restaurants of 2011 [NYT]
· All Coverage of Sam Sifton [~ENY~]
[Krieger]