Wednesday Food News: Early Edition

Bruni goes to Varietal, calls it "an epicurean Advanced Placement exam" and awards the restaurant one star. He says, "Varietal can become so entraced with the unusual ingredients it's deploying, the unconventional ideas it's hatching and the uncommon pose it's striking that it seems not to ponder the off-kilter or underwhelming results." He does love the wine selection, and, when combined with the best dishes, says eating there can be an exciting experience. Just order carefully, and skip dessert.

Eater (scroll down) nails it again this week, predicting one star for Varietal in their BruniBetting.

Also in the Times, Peter Meehan goes to Pacificana in Sunset Park for $25 and Under. The Cantonese restaurant serves the best congee he's ever had, and he loves the dim sum. Dinners there were a bit more uneven, however.

Steve Cuozzo declares Keith McNally's Morandi a dud this week in the Post. McNally "is so off his game with this wobbly Italian trattoria at 211 Waverly Place, you hope he hasn’t lost his touch for good," he says. Cuozzo hates the food, the decor, and the attitude of his waiter.

And in the NY Sun, Paul Adams visits Michael Psilakis’ Kefi for Greek. Loves the small dishes, isn't quite so enthusiastic about the main courses: "Many of the simple main courses have an unmistakeable lack of panache signaling that the chef's attention is elsewhere in his empire... they don’t make up in flavor what they lack in style."