Randall Lane gives Anthos its first full-out rave, granting the restaurant five of six stars and writing about it in adoring terms. It’s a rare move for Lane, and a good omen for the more powerful critics still to come. [TONY]
At times, Alan Richman likes the food at Morandi a lot, but when it’s late and the place gets busy, he considers it to be a kind of restaurant hell. He won’t be going back after 9 p.m. “any time in my life.” [Bloomberg]
Paul Adams felt much the same about Morandi, calling out its fine fried foods but dissing its heavy pastas, “theme park” atmosphere, and lousy entrées. It’s unanimous: The critics all dislike Morandi. Meanwhile, Keith McNally is crying all the way to the bank. [NYS]
Related: Not So Bene [NYM]
E.U. gets one star from Bruni, who appreciates all they’ve been through and admires chef Akhtar Nawab’s talent, but found the place a little uneven. Given the sympathy they’ve been getting, and fellow Craft alum David Chang’s two stars at Ssäm Bar, E.U. might have hoped for better. [NYT]
Two and a half blocks up the street, though, Meehan finds a hidden Algerian gem in Nomad. We wonder which place will get more business from their respective reviews. [NYT]
Andrea Thompson had to know she was going to be pleased by exquisite, orderly, meticulous Rosanjin, and it shows in her review, which is dutifully admiring. [NYer]
Robert Sietsema writes engagingly of a Jersey City Greek place with the unfortunate name of It’s Greek to Me, but he doesn’t make much of a case for traveling all that way when there are so many similar restaurants in Manhattan, Astoria, and elsewhere in New York. [VV]
