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Los Angeles
The Rack,
6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd.,Woodland Hills, 818-716-0123;new
American. "The marinated beef on the skewers, quite tasty,
resembles the skirt steak featured on the Asian beef entree here.
This, one of the better main-course options, arrives plated with a
delightful accompaniment, a nicely conceived, colorful slaw of
thinly cut carrots, snow peas and sprouts. With a rich brew or
robust red wine, this could be preceded by the deep-flavored house
triple-onion soup. Other meaty triumphs are moist, thick-cut pork
loin with sausage cornbread stuffing and premises-produced apple
sauce, and a rack of babybacks flavored with beer and garlic. On
the seafood side, there's a bowl of crunchy shrimp floating in a
spicy Creole broth and a trio of dark, crispy crab cakes,
thankfully not over-breaded, and delivered with a heaping salad of
baby greens. From the sandwich list, the burger here is a good
one, large, meaty, juicy and available several ways. But the
not-so-tender beef in the beef dip sandwich might have been easier
to chew if thinner sliced." Entrees: $11.95-$18.95.
• Larry Lipson
Los Angeles Daily News
Boston
Chiara Bistro,
569 High Street, Westwood,781-461-8118; Mediterranean. "The
best appetizer is a triptych of salmon, three small preparations
on a pretty rectangle. Salmon rillettes on brioche has a pleasing
creaminess on the tongue, and gravlax on yellow tomato salsa
boasts an acidic sprightliness. But the prize is a piece of barely
cooked salmon crusted with tarragon and mustard and circled with a
light stream of lemon aioli." Owner Steve LaCount says that he
"concentrates on keeping the menu fairly short and very seasonal.
Big scallops arranged on a long plate exhibit an interesting
yin-yang quality, a result of the contrast between their silky
texture and sweetness with a topping of coriander and cumin. A
lime beurre blanc sauce offers further contrasts, its soft
tones against an almost-burnt taste of brick-red harissa
oil. Marinated grilled skirt steak and another dish of
thyme-crusted chicken breast are the menu's less extroverted
items, both nicely executed but with less richness. With its
arugula salad and simple white-wine pan sauce, the chicken could
almost qualify as spa food." Entrees: $23-$30.
• Allison Arnett
The Boston Globe
Cincinnati
Melt, 4165
Hamilton Ave., Northside, 513-681-6358;vegetarian/vegan and
all-natural poultry. "In case the word 'vegan' scares you, I
should mention right away that Melt's culinary philosophy
encompasses chocolate cupcakes. They get them from the bakery Take
the Cake, and they are soooo good. They're just about the best
chocolate restaurant dessert I've had in ages: nothing but moist
chocolate cake with a thick swirl of bittersweet frosting. In a
couple of lunches, I only scratched the surface of what is a
surprisingly extensive menu for a modest little operation. It's
all up on the chalkboard. An artichoke melt is artichoke dip
spread on round focaccia, topped with tomatoes and cheddar,
broiled so it's hot and creamy. Salads are good classic mixtures
such as gingered pear slices tossed with leaf lettuce, toasted
walnuts, gorgonzola and a very good dressing with balsamic
dressing and maple syrup, but not too sweet." Entrees:
$3.50-$6.95.
• Polly Campbell
Cincinnati Enquirer
Milwaukee
County Clare,
1234 N. Astor St.,414-272-5273; Irish. "County Clare's
Irish stew would make a much more authentic dinner on St.
Patrick's Day than any American corned-beef creation. Served in a
white porcelain casserole, it featured large pieces of lamb cooked
long and slowly to ensure tenderness without any loss of flavor.
Rich, brown gravy enveloped both the meat and the carrots cooked
with it. I'm not sure if this really was Grandma Flanigan's recipe
for pot roast, but the two thick slices of beef that made up our
serving were tender and tasty. The meat had been braised in
Guinness beer, which gave the gravy an unusual note. The idea of
cooking beef in beer is one that I associate with the Flemish, but
this Irish version of the stew was just as good and ought to be a
national dish." Entrees: $ 8.95-$14.95.
• Dennis R. Getto
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Philadelphia
Gioia Mia, 2025
Sansom St., 215-231-9895; central Italian. "In a city flooded
with so many Italian restaurants that each new trattoriais
at risk of becoming invisible, Gioia Mia is one to remember. The
special seafood antipasto was a great way to start, a cold salad
of tender mixed seafood (calamari, shrimp, cuttlefish) tossed in
lemony oil. I loved the appetizer of seared scallops, which were
perfectly browned over sweet garlic sauce and set around a timbale
of roasted eggplant and peppers." Chef Fabrizio Pace "doesn't
peter out at dessert. He makes his own semifreddo tinged
with anisette, fresh cream-filled profiteroles drizzled with fudgy
sauce, and a delicate boat-shaped 'barchetta' made from a
Brazil-nut crust layered with bananas and chocolate cream. The
best, though, is his cassata, a creamy cloud of frozen
meringue sparkling with almond brittle and candied fruit. Mmm —
not even a morsel lost in translation." Entrees: $9-$29.
• Craig LaBan
Philadelphia Inquirer
St. Louis
Jamaica Irie,
1227 Castillon Arcade (Olive Boulevard at Fee Fee
Road),314-878-5624;Jamaican. "U.S. dining culture as a whole
tends to eschew whole fish, but the snapper used for the brown
stew at Jamaica Irie was well worth the effort — and that effort
was minimal. I don't think that diners like the fish staring up at
them when it arrives, nor the need to carve off its head and tail,
but after those two steps, we simply lightly lifted the top layer
of meat from above the fish's bone structure, then zipped out the
skeleton from above the lower layer of meat. The fish itself was
firm, but picked up most of its flavor from the sauce, a sweetened
soy mixture flavored with onions and caramelized onto the skin.
After eating the easy-to-get-to pieces, we found ourselves
scouring the remnants and the rest of the plate for every
additional morsel we could find. Oxtail stew is another example of
making use of every edible bit, and a wonderful discovery for
those who like short ribs or other similar, slow-cooked beef
cuts." Entrees: $10.50-$13.
• Joe Bonwich
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Compiled by Mary
Cadden
Reproduced with the permission of
USA Today 5/12/06 |