The Other Critics

Kramer Finds Perfection at Doughnut Vault; iNG Doesn’t Measure Up for Ruby

Photo: courtesy of Doughnut Vault

• Has a doughnut shop ever received a perfect rating from a publication before? Julia Kramer gives the Doughnut Vault five out five stars, declaring that this is the “doughnut we’ve been waiting for.” They have an “airy perfection,” and “there is no question” that they are the best “being made in Chicago.” [TOC]

• Jeff Ruby thinks that many dishes at iNG are “beyond clever,” but unfortunately “clever doesn’t make it taste good.” While he wanted the restaurant to “bring science-based cooking to the masses,” he admits that chef Homaro Cantu “dreams so big that the reality rarely measures up.” Still, the experience can be “fascinating…even when the food is not.” [Chicago Mag]

• Calling the Custom House Tavern one of the “city’s best-kept secrets,” David Tamarkin gives the restaurant three stars out of five stars. Though he points out that “few people know exactly what Custom House is anymore,” he believes that “things have settled down, and the focus has shifted from chef drama back to the food.” Best of all is the “perfect risotto,” with “sweet morsels of roasted carrots.” [TOC]

Kramer Finds Perfection at Doughnut Vault; iNG Doesn’t Measure Up for Ruby