In yet another installment of the disappointing, post-Bruni
Dining Out, Sam Sifton reviews Marea, a fancy pants Italian seafood restaurant on Central Park South, and predictably, has trouble hiding the banana in his pocket. Granted, this restaurant seems really,
really cool. Upscale fish?
That's what I'm talking about! I've been waiting for someone to throw down the gauntlet to Mario Batali's Esca.
But reading "Sam" "Sifton" reviews is like watching American Idol early in the season; obviously
he thinks he is the next Kelly Clarkson, but you cringe the whole way through. I mean, he describes a sea urchin appetizer as "It tastes like a first kiss." Need I say more? (I am not even providing a link to the review because I really dont think its worth your time. Besides, who among us is really going to blow that much money for fish eggs on toast?)
And to top it all off, he gives Marea
three stars! What publication does he think he is working for? US Weekly?! If God made Bruni a creme brulee and personally served it on a cloud, he would give it one and a half stars...
maybe. But not before noting that heaven doesn't take reservations.
Anyway, enough about Not-Bruni. I was very happy to see a
profile of one of my favorite New York chefs in
Dining Out this week-- Michael Bao Huynh. Hunynh is behind the spattering of small, fun Vietnamese sandwich shops and restaurants in New York, including Bao 111, Bao Noodles, and winner of best restaurant name of the year, Pho Sure. I have a feeling this guy is either a) on speed, or b) actually 10 people, because every time you turn around in Manhattan, there is a new Bao joint. Apparently he has plans for 10 more restaurants to open this year. Ok, so a lot of these places close after a year or two, but they are a culinary cash crop, so to speak: immediately gratifying, yummy, and probably unsustainable. I keep asking myself, why is this guy not on TV? I dont know about his quickfire skills, but on Iron Chef, he would be selling Bahn Mi to the audience while Batali got all red-faced from rolling out pasta. That's my kind of guy.
And the best part about this week's
DO: A recipe from Huynh for
Bo Luc Lac, or "Shaking Beef". I wonder if this will be as exciting as the "Quivering Chicken" I had for dinner last night?
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