Three Stars for Marea

Congrats to Michael White and Chris Cannon on their three star review today in the NYT. While I was hoping that critic Sam Sifton might drop a big fat juicy four star on White and Cannon's high-class charmer, three stars is perhaps the more appropriate rating. Sifton sort of redeemed himself in my mind with the Marea review -- it contains some elegant prose, it's informative and fun, with lots of sharp twists and turns of the pen. He's brought his A-game, and didn't even make any awkward references to hip-hop lingo, as did in his two star of DBGB's last week. There was one passage, however, that truly belongs on his burgeoning greatest hits list...[bxA]

On describing a delicious appetizer:

The very first item on the menu at Marea is ricci, a piece of warm toast slathered with sea urchin roe, blanketed in a thin sheet of lardo, and dotted with sea salt. It offers exactly the sensation as kissing an extremely attractive person for the first time — a bolt of surprise and pleasure combined. The salt and fat give way to primal sweetness and combine in deeply agreeable ways. The feeling lingers on the tongue and vibrates through the body. Not bad at $14 a throw — and there are two on each plate.

Sexy Sifty, what have you done?

Four Stars for Marea Tonight?

After laying a big fat deuce on DBGB's last week in his first review as NYT food critic, Sam Sifton is about to deliver his second star rating to Marea, Michael White and Chris Cannon's pricey Central Park South Italian seafood joint. Now, conventional wisdom says that Marea is a lock for three stars -- the food, dining room and service are certainly all there, and many, many critics have already awarded it three stars or the equivalent. So, sure, Marea, three stars, that's the safe bet. But, for one second, could we consider, just consider, the possibility that Marea might join The Four Star Club Tonight? Hear me out, people:
[bxA]
I think Sifton's two star review of DGBG's skewed WAY too high. I know I'm in the minority here, but I was really underwhelmed by the place on my only visit. Sure, its possible I was there on an off night, but of the many dishes my party tried, about half were totally off, and the other half showed the potential to be a lot better. The food was, however, the thing that Sifton liked the most in his review. So, maybe, Sifton is easy when it comes to food. If that's true, than Marea might blow.his.mind.

More importantly, though, I can't help but feel like a four star Marea review might be the perfect strategical opportunity to let the Siftonator gain gravitas in the food world. In the weeks counting down to Bruni's departure, the odds were that it might be his last review, maybe even the first new four star restaurant to come about of his tenure (turns out EMP got that honor). By the time Bruni filed his last review, every big critic had already reviewed the place months before. It sort of seems like the times dining section put the Marea review aside for Sifton, maybe so that he could have a big moment early on. While a three star review might not raise his profile much, a four star review might even get people that don't read food blogs to take notice of Sam Sifton, the new NYT food critic. Also, understanding Marea's price point, a four star review might be an opportunity to suggest something about an economic up swing where fine dining is concerned. A lot of Bruni's four star EMP review revolved around its value. Marea is an old school expensive restaurant, and maybe a four star would be a way of saying that its time that we start thinking about these kind of places a bit more. Also, would anybody in the food world really complain about letting Marea join the four star club?

I'm calling it (perhaps foolishly) on a four star. He's bald. He likes hip hop. He's Sam Sifton, and he's the new sheriff in town.

Bruni's Replacement Announced!

Early this afternoon, big, thick plumes of black smoke arose from the top of the NYT buildling. Could it be? Had the sage council of the dining section decided upon a replacement for Frank Bruni? Oh yes. Ladies and gentleman, meet Sam Sifton, your new Food Critic for The New York Times:
He likes Japanese curry, hip-hop, and sesame noodles. He was a New York City School teacher, a food critic for the New York Press and a culture editor for the the Times. He was also the pinch hitter for the NYT food section in the months between William Grime's departure and the beginning of Bruni's tenure back in 2004. Also, his Mom is Vice President of FSG.

And here he is, in two separate photos. These photos were literally everywhere on the food blogs this morning. My guess is that now history may remember Frank Bruni as the last anonymous food critic for a major newspaper. But we still have two weeks to go with Big Boi Bruni, and a few weeks after that until The Siftonator files for the first times. Eat up Sam! We look forward to hearing from you soon.