Critic Roundup: Dining That Tickles The Funny Bone

The stars aligned around the country — and in London as well — this week in the world of restaurant criticism. Critics across the board could find at least something positive to say about the establishments they reviewed, and in nearly every case, they bestowed a glowing rundown accompanied by multiple stars or high marks.

Pete Wells of The New York Times was clearly pleased by both chef Frédéric Duca's and sommelier Arnaud Tronche's offerings at Racines NY, injecting a great deal of light-hearted humor into his review, such as the self-deprecating quip, "the menu is meant for dining, not snacking. Nor for sharing, either, although my attempt to keep my fork out of my wife's plateful of whole, warm Oregon morels on a pool of half-liquid burrata failed miserably."

The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema enjoyed chef José Andrés's America Eats Tavern, which was a pop-up concept in Penn Quarter for a year, now permanently installed in the Ritz-Carlton. The original concept boasted menus filled with the history behind featured dishes and ingredients, but Sietsema is glad that the reboot has left its history textbook at home: "Did Martha Washington really use cocoa nibs to decorate her chocolate cake? Does anyone but a historian care? The dessert, said to be the first FLOTUS's recipe, is a wedge of moist, rich satisfaction."

Restaurant Critic Roundup: 7/24/14

Critic	Publication	Restaurant	Rating
Richard Vines	Bloomberg	Beast Restaurant	7/10
Pete Wells	The New York Times	Racines NY	2 stars
Stan Sagner	The Daily News	Kailash Parbat	Mixed
Gael Greene	Insatiable Critic	Bâtard	Mostly Positive
Tom Sietsema	Washington Post	America Eats Tavern	2 stars
Eric Doska	Charleston City Paper	Georgean's Caribbean Soul	Positive
Scott Reitz	The Dallas Observer	Stock and Barrel	Positive
William Porter	The Denver Post	Sugarmill	2 Stars
Jonathan Gold	LA Times	Smoke.Oil.Salt	Positive
Michael Bauer	San Francisco Chronicle	The Big 4	2.5 Stars
Providence Cicero	The Seattle Times	The Watershed Pub & Kitchen	2 Stars

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