GerryOlds2TheReturnofGerry

I would say maybe we ordered wrong, but when your menu only has four choices, and half of them aren't cutting it (just kind of boring bulgogi and Scoville spicy yet slightly bland squid), I'm not inclined to jump through hoops for a reservation or line up outside hoping to get a walk-in table with a one-hour time limit. The soup and banchan sides are mostly good, with a couple of letdowns (I get that it's a $36 set meal, but why is there mayo-heavy fruit salad?). The Carnitas Ramirez taco I had earlier in the day was far more memorable.

Even though the site has contracted in scope and feels like a shadow of its former self, I really enjoyed this longform piece from a freelancer. https://ny.eater.com/dining-out-in-ny/406875/johnsons-south-bronx-barbecue-what-to-order

Tejal Rao is based in California, I believe (hence the Spago review).

I would say $125 for a four-course meal in that setting, from a big-name visiting chef, is a pretty solid deal. Prices look comparable to Paris (the beef is €48 a la carte).

GC Oyster Bar feels obligatory, but Crave Fishbar also offers a pretty extensive selection (and there are a few locations).

Steven was encouraging us to get the ham and seemed disappointed when we chose the radish omelet instead. We were expecting a soft, folded French omelet but were happily surprised that it was a Spanish-style tortilla. I agree that the jin hua preparation is intriguing. The seasonal fruit the night I went was figs.

Might as well mention that Lei is a great time. Steven the somm is as affable as he is knowledgeable, and Patty Lee's cooking is a lot of fun. The sticky toffee rice pudding with condensed milk ice cream really is a stunner. I'll be thinking about it the way I've been thinking about Bridges' vin jaune gelato for the past year. Both the scallop crudo with lily buds and the celtuce with kombu gelatin, red wine lees vinegar, and crispy shallots are super refreshing. There's also a version of cumin lamb noodles that goes heavy on the dill in the best way. And the Doyers setting is charming, of course.

Priya Krishna called it New York's Most Exciting New Restaurant, but I found it kind of hit-or-miss. The good: snails in tamarind butter (though the snails were tiny); a thick, pounded-out slab of tuna crudo with golden raisin agrodolce; and the desserts (their pastry chef doubles as a server), including a high-walled pavlova filled with concord grape granita and a sticky toffee pudding that wasn't too sweet (though not as good as the one at Lei, which is made with eight-treasure rice pudding). The bad: a $40 stewed pork trotter dish that was all (tasty) gelatinous skin and no meat, and a tiny wedge of chanterelle toast where the mushrooms were drowned out by strong blue cheese. Waited 45 minutes before opening to get a walk-in seat. Probably won't go back unless getting a reservation becomes a little easier.

This just made me miss Box Kite and their crispy lichen sushi.

I haven't been since he moved from Harlem (so, years), but I have a soft spot for Kunihide Nakajima of Nakaji. And people whose opinions I trust have spoken highly of Shion 69 Leonard Street.

I almost always stop into Pizza Suprema when traveling through Penn Station. It's a really solid neighborhood slice in a very high-traffic area. Second L'Industrie but also Mama's Too around the corner. I think both are worth visiting. They're prone to long lines, but apparently, the trick is to order for pickup via the apps to avoid waiting. (Don't quote me on that...I'd look into it first.)

I'd also be remiss not to sing the praises of Gibeau Orange Julep. The hot dog was much better than I remembered. As a New Yorker who loves Gray's and Papaya King, this spot holds a similar place in my heart/stomach.

I didn't have much of a say over where we ate on my last trip, but we did manage to get to Lester's and Snowdon for smoked meat, both great in their own way. One other place I would add is Bar Luz. It's a more casual counterpart to 50 Best-listed Alma next door (think Atla vs. Pujol). Great cocktails and share plates, and no joke, easily some of the best tortillas I've ever tasted anywhere, Mexico City included. If not for drinks, I would 100% go for weekend lunch when they sell tacos in the back alley behind the restaurant.

In my defense, I didn't see the $40 dessert! Definitely don't love that. I wish Sole Di Capri on Church Street was still around.

I only ate at Foul Witch for a pop-up and it was slightly underwhelming. I would go back for the regular menu, but I think Hearth is probably the safer bet in that hood. Cannot say enough good things about King on the border of SoHo, from two River Cafe vets and their co-owner/sommelier (who recently opened a wine bar on Doyers St in Chinatown). Wonderfully reliable despite the menu changing pretty frequently. For Greenwich Village old school red sauce: Gene's on West 11th For red sauce on Arthur Avenue: Tra Di Noi (I used to say Dominick's, but my understanding is it's declined) For homey southern Italian in Morningside Heights: Pisticci

This reminds me of the upcoming Michel Bras dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Base tickets were $400/pp, which honestly didn't seem that crazy all things considered. https://www.exploretock.com/bluehillatstonebarns/experience/565792/chef-michel-bras-at-stone-barns

Feels like hubris on Starr's part, but between the #MeToo backlash and the current cultural climate overall, it may not matter. I was kind of surprised by how Ladner essentially excuses him in the profile.

Lovely little restaurant in northern Westchester on a quiet country road. I can't speak to La Bastide, the Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in the basement (which felt a lot less lively than the upstairs dining room), but Cenadou was great. The menu reads fairly standard bistro, but with some flourishes and attention to detail that feel creative in an unstuffy way and generally pay off. Props too to the pastry team, who aren't phoning it in.

I'm sadder about Mitchell's, but Olmsted is also closing at the end of the month. Never had a bad meal there, and I agree with GS that the sustainability schtick always felt earnest. https://www.grubstreet.com/article/olmsted-closing.html

That opening line is actually pretty fucked up.

I went to Mission Chinese at Cha Kee last summer and enjoyed it well enough. I would bet it's an even better experience since cocktail wiz / Momofuku vet John deBary became GM a few months ago.

But not really... Went to the Foul Witch x Danny Bowien pop-up last Friday and found it kind of hot and cold (but not in a good way like Mirarchi's fire & ice straciatella/nduja dish). Most of the menu was Bowien's (he seemed to be the one running the kitchen for the night), with a few FW dishes thrown in the mix. Best were probably sweetbreads with white pepper and lime, just really nicely balanced, and the fry was light and greaseless. Both large-format entrees were kind of a letdown: an otherwise very tasty dry-aged lamb saddle that was unfortunately mostly fat, and a yellowfin tuna collar that was overpoweringly oily and fishy in a way that needed the accompanying chili and scallion condiments (which were delicious) to make it more palatable. The one straightforward Italian dish we had, a celery salad with anchovies and cave-aged pecorino, was fine. I would maybe be interested in trying more of the regular FW menu, but my table walked away kind of underwhelmed. Has anyone been for the regular menu?

PK stepping down as critic, continuing as a reporter. https://www.instagram.com/p/DKpgvEQPmrm/

Some friends of mine just had an anniversary dinner at Forsythia that they were raving about.

She is beautiful