Post Critic Steve Cuozzo: 'Gato Is Infuriatingly Excellent'

Post critic Steve Cuozzo was not expecting to like Bobby Flay's Gato, but he's won-over by the celebrity chef's sunny Mediterranean cooking. Early in his review, the critic notes: "I doubted he was this good. Gato is infuriatingly excellent." The tarragon chicken wasn't up to snuff on one of his first visits, but Flay fixed that, and right now the menu is full of winners:

As at celebrated Brooklyn bistros, Gato dishes bear intimate evidence of their time in the kitchen — Berkshire "porterhouse" pork chop sweating an osso buco-like ooze of red wine and tomato, orata skin gleaming with the olive oil saute that turns it so crisp.

Eggs slow-scrambled with creme fraiche, crumbled goat cheese, crackling almonds and chives are a sensuously realized folly. It's a prelude to vegetarian paella, a truly great new dish. An egg is steamed into short-grain Calasparra rice dense with kale, crisp-fried artichoke hearts and crimini and shiitake mushrooms under a sprinkle of Calabrian chili oil.

Cuozzo gives Gato three stars out of four. Earlier this week, Stan Sagner gave Flay's restaurant four stars out of five, so right now, things are looking good for Bolo Bobby. Expect reviews from the rest of the big critics in the coming weeks.
· Mediterranean Restaurant is Bobby Flay's Best [NYP]
· All Coverage of Gato [~ENY~]
[Krieger]

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Gato

324 Lafayette St., New York, NY