Critic Roundup: Northern Stars

This past week, the Northwest's restaurant critics were greatly pleased by the establishments, they visited. William Porter of the Denver Post enjoyed his experience at Stoic & Genuine so much that he awarded it three stars, and Providence Cicero of the Seattle Times did the same with Mioposto.

Stoic & Genuine in Denver's Union Station got off to a bit of a rocky start, but has pulled itself together, according to Porter, as he assures readers that "the food will, by and large, have you swooning." The seafood restaurant satisfied the critic with its well-executed shrimp cocktail; the clam chowder, which the writer characterizes as "liquid surf and turf"; and two salads, which were praised as being "stellar, flavorful and vivid." The only minor missteps mentioned were the too-fine consistency of the tuna tartar, and Porter could not detect "the zip of remoulade" in the fried oyster sandwich. He also does not advise ordering a dish built around something that once had hooves, nor booking a reservation for an intimate dinner, as "on weekend nights sound levels can rival the din of the switching yard in the nearby train tracks. This is a place to cut loose with friends, not propose marriage." However, for a very good taste of the sea, Porter deems Stoic & Genuine "Great."

Seattle critic Providence Cicero found the Italian pizzeria and café Mioposto to be charming and delicious. She cuts right to the chase, asserting that "Mioposto's pizza is great," and calls the pies "oven-blistered beauties." While she did not get a good sample of the breakfast menu as "The oven was being temperamental that morning," which led to both overcooking and undercooking some of the ingredients in the dishes she sampled, lunch and dinner was a much greater success. For an added price, the sandwiches are partnered with "a lively side salad," and the smaller plates of "crunchy, sage-salted chickpeas and herbed meatballs" and Petite Hood Canal clams that "basked in a garlicky, buttery, white-wine broth that provided an excuse to break more of that oven-warmed bread" also pleased the critic. It's unfortunately another too-noisy setting for getting to know your companion, but Cicero wants readers to know that "Acoustic panels ... are on the way."

                                                                     Restaurant Critic Roundup: 9/18/14                  

Critic	Publication	Restaurant	Rating
Devra First	Boston Globe	Legal Oysteria	2 Stars
Pete Wells	The New York Times	Claudette	1 Star
Gael Green	The Insatiable Critic	Dirty French	Mixed
Stan Sagner	The Daily News	Colonia Verde	3 Stars
Tom Sietsema	Washington Post	London Curry House	Positive
Allston McCrady	Charleston City Paper	Park Café	Positive
Scott Reitz	The Dallas Observer	So & So's	Mixed
Jonathan Gold	LA Times	Superba Food + Bread	Positive
Michael Bauer	San Francisco Chronicle	The Farmer and the Fox	2.5 Stars
William Porter	Denver Post	Stoic & Genuine	3 Stars
Providence Cicero	The Seattle Times	Mioposto	3 Stars

Kate Kolenda is the Restaurant/City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @BeefWerky and @theconversant.