The Other Critics

Sifton Appreciates Manzo’s ‘Macher Flare’; the Hurricane Club Is ‘a Natural Disaster’

Manzo possesses Babbo’s “macher flare” and an “exceptional” wine list, says Sam Sifton, but the restaurant’s location in the middle of Eataly is “a feng shui nightmare.” Within the store itself, “Eataly’s pizzas are not yet worth the time spent.” [NYT]
Related: Platt Finds Hits and Misses at Eataly; Wine on Tap Flows Freely

Jay Cheshes agrees that Eataly’s pizza “isn’t always worth the hour-long waits,” ranging from “a pretty ho-hum Margherita to a much more exciting cheeseless pie with sautéed shrimp, mussels, squid and clams.” However, Manzo’s “high-caliber carnivore cooking is worth every penny.” [TONY]

The Hurricane Club “is a natural disaster,” says Steve Cuozzo. He complains of “sugary salads and dishes slathered in unfathomable sauces,” while “skillfully put together” dishes are “so goofily conceived that it should not have been put together at all.” [NYP]
Related: First Look at the Hurricane Club, Now Serving Pu Pu Platters and Scorpion Bowls

At Bill’s Bar and Burger, there are some hits — “the beer-battered onion rings are stellar, not at all greasy, firmly attached to the batter,” says Gael Greene — and some misses, like the tomato-pizza soup served in a hollowed-out sourdough loaf: “Alas, it’s one of those inspired ideas that don’t work — with a sludge of cheese like a bath mat and bread too tough to break off.” Next, Greene mingles with the “eclectic congregation” at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s new location. “As soon as my arteries settle down, I’ll be plotting to return,” she promises. [Insatiable Critic]
Related: First Look at Bill’s Bar and Burger Rockefeller Center

Fatty ‘Cue lives up to the hype, according to Amelia Hester, who calls the food “nearly irresistible.” She writes, “If varieties [of meats] are at times indistinguishable from one another, that is only a testament to the simple deliciousness of it all.” [NYer]
Related: See Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Fatty ’Cue Work Their Magic

Sifton Appreciates Manzo’s ‘Macher Flare’; the Hurricane Club