Critic Roundup: A (Mostly) Brighter Future

Nearly everything seemed to be coming up roses in the national culinary scene this week. The revival of Cassis in Seattle and D.C.'s Jack Rose Dining Saloon under its newly acquired chef Russell Jones, were both a hit with the critics. Providence Cicero wrote of the rebooted Seattle French bistro, the sequel to the original that closed in 2004, "Cassis is at its most enticing." Tom Sietsema encouraged Washington D.C. residents to now consider Jack Rose Dining Saloon "a place you want to return to for a plate of food as much as a shot of something amber."

The exception—and there is always bound to be at least one deviation—was a big one. Stan Sagner of the New York Daily News added insult to injury atop The New York Times' Pete Wells, New York Post's Steve Cuozzo, and Adam Platt of Grub Street's unflattering reviews of the newly reopened New York landmark, Tavern on the Green. Sagner echoed Wells' admittedly high initial hopes, as well as his subsequent criticism of the unrefined service and confusing décor. He showed chef Katy Sparks no mercy with withering descriptions of her creations and an overall poor review of her food, commenting, "the new incarnation fails to justify its over-the-top prices...the dishes that emerge from her gorgeous open kitchen fall well short of the source material's potential."

Restaurant Critic Roundup: 7/02/14

 

Critic	Publication	Restaurant	Rating
Devra First	Boston Globe	La Brasa	2.5 stars
Stan Sagner	NY Daily News	Tavern on the Green	1 star
Gael Greene	Insatiable Critic	NoMad Bar	Mixed
Tom Sietsema	Washington Post	Jack Rose Dining Saloon	Positive
Scott Reitz	The Dallas Observer	Smoke	Positive
William Porter	The Denver Post	Bistro Barbes	3 stars
Providence Cicero	The Seattle Times	Cassis	2 stars
Jonathan Gold	The LA Times	Night + Market Song	Positive
Michael Bauer	San Francisco Chronicle	Archetype	2.5 stars

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