Savory New York One Sheet: April 18th - April 24th
This week on Savory New York wine writer Elliot Ryan shares his thoughts on why the infrequently seen Viognier makes a great alternative Spring beverage choice.
- Benoit - Alain Ducasse follows up Adour with a more easygoing French bistro in the old Le Cote Basque space in Midtown.
- Wildwood BBQ - B.R. Guest (Dos Caminos, Blue Water Grill) teamed up with Big Lou Elrose, the former pitmaster at Hill Country, to open us this Gramercy contender.
- Savorona - Gordon Ramsay-influenced Turkish cuisine is now available in Midtown East.
- Elizabeth - A makeover of Nolita's Rialto featuring small plates created by consulting chefs Doug Psaltis and John Iconomou, formerly of Country.
This Week's Restaurant Reviews
- NY Times: Frank Bruni reviews Merkato 55 and gives it 1 of 4 stars. "The menu mingles inspiration with too many hedges: the tuna tartar that astonishingly exists in every cuisine’s canon, at least once that canon has been translated for modern-day New York; a lobster salad with ambiguous sub- or supra-Saharan bearings; a thinly veiled steak frites; a rack of lamb — supposedly graced with an Ethiopian berbere spice mixture, including garlic, red pepper, cardamom and fenugreek — that could be any restaurant’s rack of lamb."
- New York Magazine: Adam Platt is back this week with two reviews: Persephone (2 of 5 stars) and Elettaria (1 of 5 stars). On Persephone, "The grilled dishes are also uniformly excellent, particularly the bone-in veal chop over a mound of pleasingly oily crushed potatoes, the earthy, crunchy-skinned rack of lamb, and the quail, which is set over a tangle of sautéed escarole and dandelion greens and scattered with crumblings of fresh feta." About Elettaria, Platt says, "The name makes Elettaria sound like a restaurant of the most ambitious, high-minded kind. But the small, truncated menu makes it feel more like a high-minded bar, albeit one serving studied interpretations of expertly pan-roasted sweetbreads (scattered with pink peppercorns), deep-fried quail (sprinkled with pomegranate seeds in a light beer batter), and tasty crépinettes of pig’s trotter prepared in the classic French style."
- The New York Sun: Paul Adams also visits Elettaria, "Despite its carefully constructed look, the restaurant is anything but high-concept; its fixed menu seems to consist of whatever Mr. Nawab decided he would like to cook" and Adams thinks that Nawab does a good job. Aside from lackluster desserts, Adams cites a notable cocktail menu and a bartender with serious skills.
- The New York Daily News: RG completes the trifecta of critics dining at Elettaria this week, giving the restaurant 3 of 5 stars (which in the old 4 star system might have been 2.5 out of 4?). "There are inventive riffs on traditional Indian dishes. Instead of a kebab, lamb takes the shape of a cumin-spiced sausage on a stick. It's partnered with an addictive raita made with mint and shredded cucumber." More on the changes to the RG star system here.
- The Village Voice: Robert Sietsema strolls Flushing's Golden Shopping Mall.
What Our Users Are Saying
Jessica A. on Merkato 55:
In Other News
We're sad to share that Peter Meehan is leaving The New York Times. His $25 and Under column is a Savory favorite and we're going to miss it. The news was first brought to our attention by Grub Street but Eater snagged an "exit interview" with Meehan shortly after.
The Little Owl is now serving lunch (via Grub Street).
Ramps, aparagus and other Spring treats are now available at the Greenmarket, but you'll want to get there early to make sure you get your hands on some.
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