Wednesday Food News: Early Edition

This week Bruni two-stars Belgian Resto. Loves the beers, the fries and mussels, and the hint of Asian seasonings in some dishes: "Resto's version of Belgium is neither clichéd nor isolationist," he says. It’s not great for your arteries, either, he points out, but sometimes it's worth the health risk.

In Dining Briefs, Bruni stops by Perilla (the new restaurant opened by Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle). Says "Like a bistro with elegant tailoring, it has a low-key glow rather than a high-wattage sheen." Finds the menu is straightforward and safe, with a bit of creativity around the edges. Nick Fox goes to Retsina Elliniko Estiatorio, tries one of the retsinas (pine-flavored Greek wine), finds it "tart and refreshing." Likes the food, too. And Kim Severson is ambivalent about Brooklyn’s Restaurant Sorrel: the three-course $25 deal is good but the food a bit uneven.

In the NY Sun, Paul Adams visits newly reopened Provence (now owned and operated by Marc Meyer and Vicki Freeman of Cookshop and Five Points). Finds it too crowded and the service uneven (among other things, was given a lipstick-smudged glass). Doesn't much like the food either. "A lot of the dishes have a bit too much room for improvement," he says.

And Alan Richman goes to Landmarc for Bloomberg News. Says, "the restaurant is much loved for many reasons. Few of them make sense." The restaurant just opened a new branch in the Time Warner Center, in the spot originally earmarked for Charlie Trotter. Richman hates most of the food—fries are frozen, bread not fresh, marrow bones tasteless. Eat steak, he says. Also, "think too much and you'll find the place hard to like."