Welcome back to The Bib, food52 and Eater's first ever restaurant competition, where notable New Yorkers whittle down a list of New York's best new restaurants. Every day during the Bib, one of 15 chosen judges will explain why one restaurant, narrowed down from a giant list of '09 and '10 openings by our Bib Panel, defeated the other in a comparative tasting.
So far, The Awl's Choire Sicha advanced M. Wells, musician Brian Chase advanced Maialino, writer Regina Schrambling compared meals from Ma Peche and Minetta Tavern, actress Zoe Kazan moved Marea forward, and College Humor co-founder Ricky Van Veen favored Kin Shop over Takashi. Today, WSJ Magazine Editor-in-Chief Deborah Needleman weighs in on Locanda Verde and ABC Kitchen.
She writes of Locanda, "Often, the dishes that stay with me longest are simple and almost obvious, except that I never would have thought of them. The food here—and the recipes in chef/owner Andrew Carmellini’s cookbook Urban Italian—is honest with delightful, clear, game-changing flavors." And of ABC, "I step off my high horse for a moment, as the menu is filled with so many enticing things that I am happy I’ve brought along the husband, a friend and a couple of children to increase our ordering power."
Click through for the rest and to find out who wins this round.>>