The Other Critics

Bauer Returns to Chez Papa Resto, Downgrades It Slightly; Carey Sweet Gets Hot at Sonoma’s Hot Box Grill

Photo: Liz Hafalia/Chron

Michael Bauer returns for a post-chef-shuffle update at Chez Papa Resto on Mint Plaza, following the departure of David Bazirgan (now at Fifth Floor). New chef Steven Rojas has a Michelin star under his belt, which he earned while at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas (Los Angeles County) and Bauer notes that on the new menu, “[the] play between rustic and refined seems to be a theme.” He loves a braised beef cheek dish with beets, and a charred octopus dish with Spanish influences that he calls “one of the best dishes on my two visits.” All told, other dishes lack subtlety or the “soulful” Provencal bent of Bazirgan’s food, so the star rating slips from three stars to two and a half. [Chron]

Carey Sweet meanwhile heads up to Boyes Hot Springs in Sonoma where she hits up tiny new bistro Hot Box Grill. She calls the vibe lively and “community-centric” and she recommends the cassoulet, duck fat fries, and the ricotta gnocchi appetizer. But the short ribs, she says, were bland, and the service a bit overly casual. All told: two stars (just like virtually every other non-Bauer review these days). [Chron]

Bauer Returns to Chez Papa Resto, Downgrades It Slightly; Carey Sweet Gets Hot