Wednesday Food News: Early Edition

This week Bruni one-stars Bar Stuzzichini. Says that overall the restaurant is “an honorable effort worthy of note. Its dishes include more successes than failures.” However, service is flawed, lighting unflattering and the space itself “evocative of…a Midtown mess hall.”

In Dining Briefs, Marian Burros likes Accademia di Vino, calls the pizza “crackling crusted gems.” Bruni goes to Borough Food & Drink, which he says “gets points for cleverness, humility and a fundamental earnestness that make its sloppy execution all the harder to digest.”

Ryan Sutton visits Todd English’s Bonfire Steakhouse at JFK (Delta, Terminal 2). As the restaurant doesn’t exist in Manhattan, it could become a destination, Sutton posits. Will it? His answer is no. Says it’s “less a steakhouse, more a T.G.I. Friday’s,” and “definitely airport grub.” He does like the Balducci’s in the terminal, though.

Moira Hodgson goes to Centro Vinoteca for the NY Observer, says that—in addition to the scene—“you will also find some very good food.” She doesn’t like the atmosphere at all, though—finds the restaurant packed with groups of women and also comparable to a T.G.I. Friday’s.

In the NY Sun, Paul Adams goes to new EV ramen joint Setagaya, finds the shio broth “mild but complex” and the tsuke-men broth “vigorous, salty.” As for non-noodle options, he loves the oyako-don (rice, minced chicken, egg yolk). He also visits Oriental Spoon, tucked away in a back room at Setagaya, which serves both Malaysian tapas and sushi. Loves the beef rendang. Overall, says “Each restaurant is satisfying in its own way, although each is limited in scope.”

And in the Daily News, Restaurant Girl goes to Wakiya, awards the restaurant one star. Dishes are “well-groomed” and she loves the Shanghai soup dumplings and the cocktail menu. Other than that, not much. Says “the kitchen struggles to evoke flavor from innately dynamic ingredients.” And it’s very pricey.