Week In Reviews: Best Bites

A Voce Columbus under Missy Robbins "is bright and airy, loud when crowded, pretty after a fashion, [and] perfectly good," though some plates are far better: "Ravioli stuffed with taleggio, with chanterelles and brown butter, is close to magic." [Sifton; NYT]
SD26 "trips over gimmicks," though Odette Fada's cooking is superb—"Panzanella...is transformed into a kind of savory pastry, made with a round of finely mashed bread soaked in the juice of fresh tomatoes, with strips of silvery anchovies on top." [Platt; NYM]
Abe and Arthur's "is another overlarge, overstyled establishment with a highly qualified chef in the kitchen," whose better dishes include a "smooth, professionally made chicken-liver terrine." [Platt; NYM]
Aureole "is a major quality-of-life improvement" to those in Times Square, though Charlie Palmer's "food has a sugared, edgeless aspect that is maybe a little too lulling." [Collins; New Yorker]
The best dish at the "resolutely Greek" Ovelia Psistaria in Astoria may be the galeos, or sand sharks: "The shark flesh is dense, oily, and off-white, and the piquant potato dip skordalia accompanies the thick slices. The combination is beyond brilliant." [Sietsema; VV]
Abe and Arthur's reminds Cheshes that "no one eats dinner in clubland"; the best bet is the "tender and flavorful" $88 steak. [Cheshes; TONY]

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