Critic Roundup: San Francisco's Saison Scores Four Stars

This week in restaurant reviews, San Francisco Gate critic Michael Bauer awarded the upscale French restaurant Saison a perfect four star rating.

Bauer praised chef-owner Josh Skenes' cuisine. Of his sturgeon and caviar first course he wrote, "the dash of smoke, the brininess of the sea and the richness of the fatty fish float around the mouth and come together in a single, integrated bite."

The New York Times' Pete Wells revisited upscale Brooklyn landmark the River Café, which was closed for 15 month following Hurricane Sandy, and only recently reopened.

Wells enjoyed both the ambiance and the cuisine. "At the end of a night there, I always regret that it's time to come back to the mainland," he wrote.

Alan Richman of GQ paid a visit to New York's Bar Bolonat, where he was mostly impressed with the Israeli restaurants authentic cuisine.

"I love that Bar Bolonat takes you to Israel, and also to unknown lands, where ramps and asparagus, pasta and ricotta yogurt, and even beef and tahini co-exist, mostly in harmony but sometimes not," he wrote.

And Devra First of the Boston Globe was underwhelmed by the bistro cuisine at Merchant, concluding "The crowded bar is a fine place for an after-work drink. But the half-empty dining room speaks volumes."

Critic	Publication	Restaurant	Rating
Alan Richman	GQ	Bar Bolonat	2/4 Stars
Devra First	The Boston Globe	The Merchant	1/4 Stars
Stan Sagner	The Daily News	Heartwood	3/5 Stars
Brad A. Johnston	OC Register	Cat and the Custard Cup	2/4 Stars
Michael Bauer	San Francisco Gate	Saison	4/4 Stars
Scott Reitz	The Dallas Observer	Chino Chinatown	Mixed
Pete Wells	The New York Times	The River Cafe	2/4 Stars

Adam D'Arpino is the Restaurants Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDArpino.