The Other Critics

Spice Market Disappoints Bruni; Mystery Meat at Montenapo

Five years after his first visit, Frank Bruni has fallen out of love with Spice Market and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who is “equal parts proud artist and profit-hungry entrepreneur.” [NYT]

The cut was unidentified, but Ryan Sutton’s “beef cube” at Montenapo cost $39, one of “many oddities” there. [Bloomberg]

Over at “Graydon Carter’s uptown dinner party,” also known as Monkey Bar, things aren’t going so well. Says Danyelle Freeman, “Considering Carter’s reputation and [Larry] Forgione’s pedigree, the food should be a lot better. The lobster Newburg tasted like the crustaceans died years ago.” [NYDN]
Related: Monkey Bar Menu, Revealed!

Rick Laakkonen is the new chef at Delmonico’s, but Jay Cheshes can’t find the chef’s heart in the kitchen: “Taking into consideration the venue — a relic just below Wall Street — and the clumsy food, the position doesn’t seem to be about much more than a paycheck.” [TONY]

Gael Greene revisits Marea to find that the notoriously small but delicious pasta dishes have increased in size, along with the prices. But with service problems, “it feels at times like Marea is overwhelmed by the tides.” [Insatiable Critic]

At Armani/Ristorante, Lauren Collins finds little to love at a restaurant that “didn’t seem very Armani.” “The food has an appealing discretion,” she writes, “but it can border on sterile.” [NYer]
Related: A Closer Look at Armani/Ristorante’s Design/Food

“The best sandwich at An Choi, though, isn’t the regulation bánh mì, but actually an invented variation called ‘banh mi thit heo quay’ ($8), featuring roasted pork belly that alternates layers of garnet meat and crisp fat, ” writes Robert Sietsema. [VV]

Spice Market Disappoints Bruni; Mystery Meat at Montenapo