The Other Critics

Gottino and Terroir Win One for the Wine Bars; Scarpetta Doused With Approval

In giving both Gottino and Terroir single-star reviews, Frank Bruni probably just set the fuse to a gourmet-wine-bar explosion — which, based on this review, is a good thing indeed. We only wish it had occurred to us to call Paul Grieco “evangelistic” in his wine madness. [NYT]

Danyelle Freeman finds it hard to believe that Scarpetta used to be the Village Idiot, and also difficult to express how much she loved the food there. A whopping four-star review for Scarpetta. [NYDN]

And how about this? Robert Sietsema, who joys in decrying the failings of trendy restaurants, writes an unabashed love letter to Scarpetta as well, without ever even mentioning the spaghetti with tomato sauce, the place’s crowning achievement. [VV]

Julia Moskin bestows a major endorsement on a small Thai place in the Village called Rhong-Tiam, calling it out for its outsize flavors, hand-ground curries, and general awesomeness. [NYT]

It’s another bad review for Bar Milano, this time from Paul Adams, who finds the food salty, under- or over-done, and just generally bad. Then there is the noise issue, which every critic has commented on as well. His prescription seems to be to get in, eat the tripe, and get out. [NYS]

Jay Cheshes takes his turn laying into Ago, which he nails as a kind of “uptown California Carmine’s.” He really gets a lot of mileage out of comparing the way Robert De Niro’s film career parallels the actor’s culinary one: Godfather II is to Analyze This as Tribeca Grill is to Ago. [TONY]

Ligaya Mishan’s review of Bar Q also recapitulates earlier observations: A few things are touched by Anita Lo’s special genius, but others are just mediocre or worse. Like most critics, she comes out feeling that the best items make the trip worthwhile. [NYer]

Gottino and Terroir Win One for the Wine Bars; Scarpetta Doused With Approval