Wednesday Food News: Early Edition

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Grayz, gives the restaurant one star. He says of the restaurant that refuses to call itself a restaurant (it’s a ‘cocktail lounge that serves small dishes’): “These dishes demand fuller attention than the setting allows, and the prices—$39 for the short ribs—only make total sense if eating is the point of a visit.”

In Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Belcourt, which he says is much better than Chef Matthew Hamilton’s previous effort, Uovo. You find “the predictable made surprising; comfort with a wink,” he says. Peter Meehan goes to Graffiti, where he doesn’t like the space and though there are some good dishes, “the flops flop hard.” And Marion Burros visits Lucy of Gramercy for Puerto Rican fushion and finds it very uneven.

Paul Adams is at Graffiti for the NY Sun, where pastry chef Jehangir Mehta (formerly of Jean-Georges and Aix) is serving both sweet and savory in a space Adams calls “one of the smallest I’ve ever been inside.” He doesn’t love the desserts, but says “the cooking at Graffiti is both clever and neatly executed, impressively so considering the toy-sized kitchen.”

Steve Cuozzo goes to Ilili, does not like his experiences at the Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant. Says “Like many new eateries desperate to get cash rolling in after blowing megabucks on construction, Ilili opened last month before it was ready for actual paying customers.” The real body blow: “Can intermittently excellent specimens of a proud cuisine that’s poorly represented in New York survive waiters who think an overcooked, whole rouget with the head attached is a ‘filet’?” It's an outrage!

Restaurant Girl two stars Shorty’s.32 in the Daily News. Calls it “a straightforward restaurant with tremendously pleasing New American fare.” Loves the roast chicken but advises against the desserts.

In other reviews, Adam Platt is at Primehouse; Tables for Two reviews Kyo Ya; Ryan Sutton goes to Ilili and Devi; and Sietsama is at Market Table. In the blogs, NYC Nosh visits Hometown Buffet; Andrea Strong adores Dell’Anima; Gael Greene has more restaurants for seduction-specifically, Jean-Georges at lunch-also goes to Devin Tavern and Dessert Studio; and Slice is at Isabella’s Oven.

Photo via Graffiti's website.