Restaurant Critic Roundup: San Francisco Restaurant's Interior Is A 'Tim Burton Christmas Nightmare'

As always, the ratings range from stars to bells to beans, but every review offers specialized insight into the food, atmosphere, and service of eateries in each city's dining scene and the critics eating at them.

This week in Washington, D.C., critic Tom Sietsema discovers that at "the latest creation from Top Chef alumnus Bryan Voltaggio... the hype is justified." After four dinners, "its early problems with pacing appear to be solved, and while the setting overlooking several floors of office and retail space... suggest[s] Las Vegas, this part of town could use the glitz."

In New York, critic Pete Wells does a double review, first venturing into the self-described "Filipino gastro pub," Jeepney. According to Wells, "The unabashed embrace of a delicacy with major freakout potential is typical of the deep-end approach" at this restaurant. The intro of Wells' review describes the delivery of balut with a "whack" of a wooden spoon on a customer's hand, and then the description of the the layered egg dish, which includes "a two- or three-week-old duckling that will never hatch, a ball of spindly legs and tucked wings and fine threads of feathers." His other two-star review, for Pig and Khao, also has a "strong Filipino imprint," and is "on display about a mile south" of Jeepney. 

In San Francisco, Roxy's Café recieves two stars from critic Michael Bauer. "Manny Torres Gimenez is one of the new breed of chefs who cook from the heart and aren't deterred by inadequate kitchens and inferior dining amenities," he says, but the interior is more like a "Tim Burton Christmas nightmare." 

From the East Coast to the West Coast, from North to South, the weekly restaurant critic roundup is here for all of your dining out needs.
 

Restaurant Critic Roundup: 3/13/2013


Critic Publication Restaurant Rating
Dan Zedek Boston Globe Sycamore 3 stars
Ryan Sutton Bloomberg Briskettown, Mighty Quinn's  
Pete Wells New York Times JeepneyPig and Khao 2 stars
Michael Kaminer New York Daily News Tommy Bahama Bar & Restaurant 3 stars
Michael Bauer San Francisco Chronicle Roxy's Café 2 bells
Brad A. Johnson Orange County Register The Ranch 3.5 stars
Tom Sietsema Washington Post Range 3 stars
William Porter Denver Post Wild Eggs 3 star

 

Tyler Sullivan is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter at @atylersullivan