This week Sam Sifton files the first four star review of his nearly year-long tenure. If you're in the restaurant industry, this is a big fucking deal. His precious stars go to Mario Batali's Del Posto, which is the first Italian restaurant to get a four-star ranking in The Times since John Canaday’s review of Parioli Romanissimo in 1974. And this makes Del Posto one of only seven restaurants currently ranked four star by the Times. Sifton's predecessor Frank Bruni gave Del Posto three stars when it opened in 2006, and Sifton says, "Del Posto is now among the very best restaurants in New York City... [Chef Mark] Ladner’s pastas are insanely good." (Last night, Batali tweeted, "Holy shitaly!!! We just got 4 stars from the NY TIMES for del Posto!!") more ›

In his penultimate review before abdicating his NY Times throne, Frank Bruni bestows four stars on Danny Meyer's Eleven Madison Park, just one week after giving Meyer's Union Square Cafe a tough-love demotion. A four star ranking from the Times is still a big deal, at least from the Times's point of view: only five other restaurants in NYC currently hold that status. more ›