Frank Bruni bestowed three stars on Fiamma. I ate there shortly after Fabio Trabocchi took over, and though I agree with Bruni that it isn't all that Italian, once you get past that unexpected hurdle, it is clear that Trabocchi is a very good cook. A little cerebral for my taste, but you should go and see for yourself. The pasta with sardines, bread crumbs, and pine nuts was my favorite dish and one of the only rustic dishes on the menu (at least when I was there a couple of months ago). Bruni and I (to a lesser extent) liked the restaurant more than New York Magazine's Adam Platt.
Moira Hodgson had mixed things to say about Irving Mill in the New York Observer. Her first meal there was terrific, but subsequent meals were hit and miss. One featured a dessert that tasted like hair oil. Ouch. Another food editor friend had a dreadful experience there, but I do want to check it out myself. Any ELEers eaten there yet?
Randall Lane in Time Out New York cleverly reviews Market Table, in the old (albeit second) Shopsin's space, and the new Shopsin's in the Essex Street Market. He likes them both quite a bit, and more importantly, he "gets" both restaurants. ELEers know that I like Market Table quite a lot. I took the Serious Eaters down to Shopsin's for a holiday repast, and we had a typically wonderful if a bit bizarre dining experience. I will elaborate this week.
Advertisement will not be printed.