Wednesday Food News: Early Edition

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Irving Mill (pictured). Says, “It’s a self-conscious heir to Gramercy Tavern…if only it performed that way.” He does like some of the food, and the wine list. “At Irving Mill’s finest moments, with its finest dishes, it’s decidedly more than pleasant,” he says. But the cooking is inconsistent, the menu sounds more flavorful than it tastes, the desserts are only so-so, and the space too big, says Bruni.

In Dining Briefs, Bruni finds an improved Gordon Ramsay at the London, but says “much of the expertly prepared food still lacked the glimmers of surprise and sense of real adventure that might have made them as exciting as they were coolly impressive.” Peter Meehan visits Bun, where he says “about half of the very long menu could use a trip back to the test kitchen.” Marian Burros is at TBar Steak & Lounge, where she finds “mostly well-prepared dishes that do not challenge diners.”

Paul Adams goes to Ilili for the NY Sun, finds it much more to his liking than he’d thought he would. Says the classic Middle Eastern dishes are terrific: “If the food at Ilili never got more creative than this, its future would be just as assured. But the less-familiar dishes are at least as good.” He loves the kofte with foie gras and the duck shawarmas. As for the desserts, he says stick with the essmalieh.

Restaurant Girl two-stars Smith’s in the Daily News. Says it's too loud and she hates the pasta, but overall “the menu delivers approachable fare with unmistakable polish.”

In other reviews, Adam Platt’s got the best places to eat right now; Moira Hodgson lists her favorites of 2007; Tables for Two goes to Tailor. In the blogs, Gael Greene goes to Ilili (scroll down); Food Writer’s Diary visits Soba Totto; NYC Nosh is at Bay Ridge Bakery; New York Journal goes to Bite Club; and Writing with My Mouth Full is at Dovetail.