The Other Critics

Looking Back: The Other Critics Digest the Year That Was

• Devra First spotlights her favorite dishes of 2011. Fond memories include soft-shell crabs at 80 Thoreau, Scituate scallops at Bondir, and ICOB’s “buttery, bacony” chowder. [Globe]

• Robert Nadeau pleads with restaurateurs to make a few changes in 2012. His list of resolutions includes not charging for bread and finding new synonyms for “gastropub.” And thicker house-made pasta shapes, too. [Phoenix]

MC Slim JB previews 2012’s most anticipated budget eateries. On the drool-worthy roster: Brian Poe’s Tip Tap Room, Guchi’s Midnight Ramen (from the O Ya team), and Deep Ellum’s Lone Star Taco Bar. [Phoenix]

• Slim also ducks into Jamaica Plain’s Vee Vee, home to a “wee six-seat curved granite bar” and “an intimate dining room with tall walls in tones of pumpkin and black.” Here, says he, “the money goes into a talented kitchen, not a PR firm, and shows up convincingly on the plate.” [Stuff]

• Scott Kearnan has kindly cannibalistic words for Tiffani Faison’s Sweet Cheeks: “Picking a favorite protein from Sweet Cheeks’ selections is like choosing between delicious, delicious children.” Mmmm…babies. [Stuff]

Looking Back: The Other Critics Digest the Year That Was