Even though he’s a fan of the “enormous, fantastic” meatloaf sandwich at Rye, Frank Bruni encounters frustration there: “I still couldn’t decide whether this restaurant was positioned to be, and best approached as, a drinkers’ refuge with ambitious food or a proper restaurant with a particular vanity about its cocktails.” [NYT]
Related: A First Look Inside Williamsburg’s Rye
Danyelle Freeman’s take on George Mendes’s new restaurant, Aldea, is positive and to the point: “It’s a formal-looking, but plain restaurant, with informal prices and mostly great food.” [NYDN]
Related: Aldea’s Menu, Illustrated
Ryan Sutton files a rave on Aldea, likening it in some ways to Corton. “This is cerebral, complex (but not complicated) fare with layered flavors,” he writes. [Bloomberg]
The menu at Bar Artisanal “keeps every diner in mind,” writes Jay Cheshes. “Despite the Francophone packaging, the menu — which has wide global reach — seems to be a collection of the chef’s favorite things.” [TONY]
Steve Cuozzo surveys the dining options available near the High Line, pointing out “splendid seafood” at the John Dory and that Craftsteak has what “might be the tenderest grass-fed steak in town.” [NYP]
Gael Greene calls DBGB’s menu “a sophisticated melding of Lyonnais and American comfort food,” but she finds the burgers and sausages to be a bit puny. [Insatiable Critic]
Related: A Closer Look at DBGB
Nick Paumgarten writes that Josh DeChellis “seems to have found his muse” at La Fonda del Sol. Meanwhile, his Spanish dining companion rates the place “an eight out of ten.” [NYer]
Robert Sietsema marvels at the balance of flavors at Flushing’s Hunan House, which “may be the first authentic Hunan restaurant in town.” [VV]
