The Other Critics

Blue Inc. Is ‘Experimental"; Sweet Cheeks Will Offer ‘Whimsical’ Nutter Butters

• Devra First calls Jason Santos’s Blue Inc. “high-pitched and hyper.” The food “has its moments,” but for a menu this small, the kitchen should nail each dish. First says it doesn’t: Lobster and truffle soup tastes like “confusion with sugar on top,” and salmon is “dull,” accompanied by “big, starchy, and flavorless” peas. The dining room is “unbearably loud,” while cocktails are “experimental and often terrible.” In short: Santos should “step back a bit from the attitude and the smoke and gimmicks.” [Globe]

• Lanna Thai, improbably housed in a Woburn dining car, earns praise from the Globe for its “terrific” food. Lanna Thai string beans come with an “addictive” chili sauce; mango sticky rice is “sweet, silky” and “delightful.” [Globe]

• Cambridge’s Field Pub is a “neighborhood joint with a little character,” perfect for crisp fall evenings. The chef doesn’t much care about “groundbreaking statements,” but the menu has a “rebellious twinge” nonetheless. Enjoy bangers and mash, potato skins, and sandwiches, all for under $10. [Phoenix]

• The Improper previews Tiffani Faison’s Sweet Cheeks, which opens mid-October; expect “soulful classics,” like black-eyed peas and okra, plus a “whimsical” spin on Nutter Butters. [Improper]

• MC Slim JB’s Blue Inc. review reads more favorably than the Globe’s write-up; he calls Jason Santos’s experimental cuisine “inventive, delicious food in a package that feels giddy, happy, and slightly unhinged.” One standout is his signature calamari spaghetti, sauced with “deep, subtly smoky” Bolognese. [Stuff]

Blue Inc. Is ‘Experimental"; Sweet Cheeks Will Offer ‘Whimsical’ Nutter Butters