The Other Critics

Bauer’s First Review of the New Year Is a Bad One, for Fish Story

Fish Story’s story isn’t one Mr. Bauer cares to experience again, it seems, as he hands out his first negative review of 2011 (and the first review, period), to the tune of one and a half stars. We can start with the design, which he calls “handsome,” but “Over the course of three visits, I never had a table that seemed comfortable.” He likely visited the restaurant the same week he was up in Napa to re-review BarBersQ, which still bears the name of chef Stephen Barber, who moved on to open Fish Story. He calls it “surprising” after Barber’s formerly strong work at the Southern-themed BarBersQ (which Bauer just demoted from three to two stars), how so many dishes at Fish Story were flawed, “some were over-seasoned and doused in too much sauce and others were under- or overcooked.” He says the best dishes are the simplest, like the seafood platter, the cioppino, and the steamed clams with chorizo and pork belly. But he says the kitchen couldn’t even get the shrimp and grits or Eastern-style fried clams right. Also, the service was off, but he sort of liked the desserts. Hopefully this doesn’t serve as a harbinger of a bad year to come; 2010 only saw four 1.5-star reviews, and many more good ones. [Chron]

Bauer’s First Review of the New Year Is a Bad One, for Fish Story