Frank Bruni at the Times stays close to home (the Upper West Side) this week and on message (recession dining) with a review of two newish restaurants in the 'hood: West Branch (a mostly Mediterranean brasserie) and BarBao (mostly Vietnamese). He likes both, but West Branch is "always packed" while BarBao has empty seats, and this "may say a lot about which types of restaurants this cruel economy is going to be kinder to...At a different moment, in a different climate, both could probably count on success. But in this one, merit and good intentions aren’t enough. Caution, classics and French fries — these may matter more." more ›

Note to fabulously good-looking, scrupulously healthy restaurant Rouge Tomate (pictured): the Times's Frank Bruni doesn't appreciate your good intentions. He opines, "In addition to a head chef with obvious talent, it employs a nutritionist, who makes certain that dishes have optimal ratios of meats to vegetables and fruits to nuts and don’t traffic recklessly in calories or the wrong fats...While about a quarter of the dishes are knockouts, at least as many are overly calculated and fastidious, suggesting there’s such a thing as too much balance. The same fruity, nutty, seedy notes pop up too often: during one meal I felt tyrannized by pomegranate, antioxidized to a fare-thee-well." more ›

This week Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni re-reviews Momofuku Ssam Bar, part of chef David Chang's New York empire, which you'll recall includes the impossible-to-get-into Momofuku Ko. There's a new chef at Ssam since Bruni awarded the place two stars in '07, and now he bumps it up to a lofty triple. The opening paragraph sums up his case: "If you’ve had just about all of the fawning over David Chang that you can take, think about how those of us dishing out the praise feel. We’d love to move on to a more original object of adoration and would be happy to pronounce him overrated or just plain over...But he won’t let us." more ›

Aspen Social Club: The big opening this week is this "modern‑rustic" evocation of Colorado ski-lodge chic in the heart of Times Square. Gold plated antlers hover over the bar like an inverted middle finger to the recession, and another $100,000 worth of illuminated antlers cover the dining room. The 3,000 square foot restaurant and lounge will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with delicacies like Bison Sliders with smoked cheddar, bacon & “gonzo” sauce. The "gonzo" here is a nod to longtime Aspen resident Hunter S. Thompson, a tireless enemy of developers who turned the town into their exclusive vacation playground overrun with places just like this. Nevertheless, the club's artisanal cocktail menu features the good doctor's favorite drink: The Biff, a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream topped off with Chivas Regal. 157 West 47th Street, (212) 221-7200 more ›