Thanks to the eGullet staff for giving closet restaurant reviewers like myself an outlet where they can offer their experiences and opinions about food. All I can say about what I ate this past year was that it was a lot. So here they are, listed by my own funny categories, with a few words that will hopefully impart enough opinion so you can make up your own mind whether you want to go or not. Before anyone comments, I’m doing this mostly from memory so a few of these meals might actually have occurred in 2000. And I hope I don’t have to field too many questions about why certain restaurants were grouped the way they were. It’s just my gut about what they stand for. Not some secret, scientific method I used. And as for the ratings, the ratings are relative to expectations. For example, the fact that Le Bernadin gets the same rating as Aureole means I think it is underachieving. But a B+ at a bistro styled place means they are cooking with fervor. I also must add that although I write up restaurants that extend well beyond New York City, I decided to post them all in the New York forum because they are a New Yorker's point of view. Well at least one New Yorker's point of view. Okay, I hope you all enjoy it. <p> <b><u>Traditional and Formal</b></u><p> <b>Aureole</b> - I hadn’t been to Aureole for a good three or four years but it felt like an old glove when I had lunch there this past summer. The food was really delicious, better than I remember it. And it had a classy, ladies who lunch, posh tourist crowd feel to it which was a pleasant surprise. This restaurant is comfortable with itself. I kept waiting for Elaine Stritch to start singing <b>B++-</b><p><b>Le Bernadin</b> - I attended a wine tasting of DRC wines in a private room on the second floor which was my only visit this year. The food was good, with a few dishes being really good. I’m in no rush to go back as I don’t think they are slaying any dragons there. The feel is a bit clubby for me <b>B++</b><p><b>Café Boulud</b> - I’m a confirmed Daniel Boulud fan. He actually thinks his restaurants through so each one is a unique dining experience. I had a number of pretty good meals here and I like those four different menu strategies. But one complaint is that it’s a bit fussy. It’s also a bit too cramped and Upper East Side-ish. I wish Daniel had a place that was less froufrou where he just cooked. <b>B+</b><p><b>Cello</b> - I recently attended someone’s 60th birthday party in a private room on the top floor and they did a very nice job. My first experience (last year) was less impressive. <b>B+</b><p><b>Le Cirque 2000</b> - Similar to my experience at Le Bernadin, I attended a wine tasting in a private room at Le Cirque. There were 17 of us, and the meal they served us was great. Nothing daring, but well cooked dishes served in copious portions. I had never been to their new location but the food was in keeping with my idea of what Le Cirque is about. Which is a European restaurant that has been stylized to fit NYC. <b>A--</b><p><b>Daniel</b> - When the kitchen is on, Daniel can be the best restaurant in town. But I have to admit that in my experience it’s on only about 2/3 of the time. I don’t think there’s a better space in NYC. And I’m not focusing on the décor, but the layout of the room. Even the tables raised around the perimeter have good views of the action. It’s too bad they serve so many people each evening as I’m sure the food would be better. But Daniel is a real gentleman and I think he really wants you to have a good time. And I can’t say enough good things about the sommelier Jean-Luc Le Du <b>A</b><p><b>Alain Ducasse</b> - Ducasse brings the 3 star experience to NYC. Did we really need it? The jury is out but my gut tells me no. We need our own experiences, built on our own culture. But putting aside the Las Vegas we can put snooty France anywhere aspect of the place, you can have a very good, and certainly a very refined meal there. Okay, maybe I am being a bit too harsh, but maybe I’m not <b>A-</b><p><b>Jean-Georges</b> - I’m a confirmed J-G man. I think he gets more flavor out of a few simple ingredients than any other chef in town. I’ve found the cooking to be consistently at a higher level than almost any other place in town. Not every dish works, but every dish is intended to make some sort of statement. And I think that Nougatine goes completely unnoticed. I’ve had some sublime dishes there, throwaways to the main restaurant. <b>A+</b><p><b>Le Perigord</b> - Another private wine tasting dinner brought me to Le Perigord for my first ever experience. Well I was quite disappointed as I found it second, possibly third tier old school French. <b>B--</b><p> <b><u>Contemporary European and American</b></u><p> <b>Babbo</b> - Is offal all it takes to get high scores? Not that I didn’t like my two meals at Babbo. I just didn’t get the same thrill that other people seem to get from the place. It feels slightly homogenized in a way that Po never felt. But I have to say that most people rave about the pasta tasting menu which I haven’t had. I dislike the room, especially if you sit upstairs. But I’m open minded and will return. Especially since I saw Mario playing the blues with that guy who owns that famous Salumeria in Bologna on the Food Channel <b>B</b><p><b>Craft</b> - How to deconstruct a restaurant. It’s good, but I was expecting more. If you go and the food is on, it’s extremely enjoyable. But if the food is slightly off, it seems gimmicky. The photos of the Diver Scallops and Mushrooms in this weeks New York magazine said it all. This is a restaurant that is good for intellectuals, but bad for gluttons. <b>B++</b> and I was hoping for an A<p><b>Eleven Madison Park</b> - Three meals. One excellent, two that were fair at best. But one was a Saturday night and I tend to discount Saturday night experiences. Beautiful room. The menu seemed to be more interesting awhile back when they had different foie gras preparations that were available as a tasting. My biggest nit to pick is that it’s hard to say what the place is about. <b>B+</b><p><b>Esca</b> - I had an enjoyable lunch back in November. My initial reaction is the same one I had about Babbo. They have taken an original dining concept and lowered the standards just enough to feed too many mouths. For those who know the place, Alberto Ciarla in Rome was the original new wave Italian seafooder and he experimented with all types of raw fish and seviche style preparations. <b>B</b><p><b>Gotham Bar & Grill</b> - Tall food, very tall. I never could understand what the fuss is about? You can get a reasonably good meal here but nothing close to a great meal. Yet I still go back from time to time because I feel like I’m missing something. And Alfred Portale is such a lovely guy. But I feel like grabbing him by the arm and whispering in his ear, “I know you can cook with passion, show me.” <b>B-</b><p><b>Gramercy Tavern</b> - I had an exceptional meal at GT over the summer. The best I ever had. But a different meal I had earlier in the year was average. Still, I enjoy eating at GT and I love being able to drop in at the tavern without a reservation and get some honest cooking for not a lot of money. Clearly the best of the bunch in the tier just below the big French places. </b>A-</b><p><b>March</b> - I’ve only been once. Well there is no shortage of trying here. Wayne Nish certainly tries to make the food interesting. But I thought it more interesting than delicious. They get an A for effort but <b>B</b> for the food.<p><b>Olive’s</b> - There was a time where I was convinced that the original Olive’s in Charlestown, Mass was the best casual restaurant in the country. One night they served me a double cut, double smoked then grilled pork chop atop cabbage braised in apple cider studded with lardons and painted with three different types of mustards that just knocked me out. It was really a choucroute turned on its head and it exemplified what I thought great American cooking was about. Todd English has deconstructed/reconstructed other classic dishes as well. But then fame and fortune came upon Todd and he became, well a chain of restaurants. And though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for anything named Olive’s, I have to admit that both in NYC and at the original location they do not cook with the same level of intensity that served up that pork chop. <b>B</b><p><b>Town</b> - I had two very good meals at Town but I have to say that Geoffrey Zakarian’s style of cooking is a bit subtle for my palate. The meal I had last summer when he had access to fresh fruits and vegetables was better than the meal I had a few weeks ago. I’m sure the place will be humming come spring<b>A--</b><p><b>Union Pacific</b> - I love Union Pacific. I must have eaten there a dozen times. I have learned that if you stick to the dishes that appear Asian fusion on their face, you will have a far more enjoyable meal than if you get something that is simply French. Rocco’s Taylor Bay Scallops with Uni in Mustard Oil (they add tomato water too the kitchen told me) is as classic as Nobu’s Miso Rubbed and Roasted Black Cod. And nobody makes slow roasted salmon like Rocco. It is the consistency of a warm pudding. <b>A-</b><p><b>Veritas</b> - As a wine collector, how can I not like Veritas? Unfortunately the list has been picked over so the bargains come up far less often. And despite the fact that Scott Bryan cooks some lovely food, it gets overshadowed by the wines. But I have a great time every time I go and Tim Kopec the sommelier is a lovely guy who really cares<b>B+</b><p><b><u>The New Wave</b></u><p><b>71 Clinton Fresh Foods</b> - I wish it wasn’t so hard to get in. All three meals I had were terrific. Wylie Dufresne shows true Jean-George ingenuity with dishes like his smoked salmon covered in fresh avocado. <b>B++</b> <p><b>Annisa</b> - I’m quite fond of Annisa. Anita Lo’s Asian fusion cooking stretches beyond the typical Southeast Asian/French spicing you see elsewhere and she has delved into the Middle East for inspiration. Honorable mention for having the guts to open a place this size. Great staff <b>B+</b><p><b>Atlas</b> - I had the good fortune of dining at The Fat Duck in Bray before eating at Atlas so I was prepared for the weirdness. It’s hard to describe my meal. Only 6 months later I can’t remember a single thing I ate. I do remember liking my meal but I remember thinking it more technical than delicious. Despite all the originality, I haven’t had the craving to go back. And now the chef has moved on. A+ for sheer technique but more like an overall <b>B-</b><p><b>AZ</b> - How Grimes ever gave this place three stars boggles my mind. It was so pedestrian, so not from New York. I felt like I could have been in Cleveland, no make that Dayton. Sometimes I walk into a place and the management seems like they are from management school central casting and it turns me off right away. Blech. And the food matched my feelings about the vibe. Annisa blows this place out of the water. They should dismantle it and move it to the Newark Sheraton.<b>D-</b<p><b>Blue Hill</b> - My first experience at Blue Hill didn’t move me. But a few friends I trust told me they ate some great meals there and I tried it again. Well I’ve been back twice and both times it was terrific. The menu could be slightly larger, but their thrust for innovation while intending to maximize flavor suits me well. <b>B++</b> I give 71 Clinton a slight nod over this.<p><b>Canteen</b> - Gee the food here was really awful. Cool 60’s décor though. <b>D-</b><p><b>Chicama</b> - Love the seviches. Hate the décor. Hate that eucalyptus grill too. It makes me feel like my whole body has a cold and they are slathering Vicks on it. It makes the food taste like it’s been in camphor. It’s too bad because I think Rodriguez is a great chef and I have been following his career since he was at Yuca in Coral Gables<b>B--</b><p><b>Chow Bar</b> - Another Village entry in the we can be affordable but interesting derby. Affordable? More so than others. Interesting or delicious? No <b>D</b><p><b>DB Bistro Moderne</b> - Is the DB Burger the dish of the year? I can’t think of another creation that will most likely become a permanent part of NYC culinary culture the way it did. The European style boutique hotel décor makes you feel like you are on vacation (or maybe that was the Roumier Chambolle-Musigny that did that?) <b>B-</b><p><b>Dim Sum GoGo</b> - I had lunch there after jury duty one afternoon and I was by myself so I didn’t get to taste very much. But clearly steps up from your basic dim sum slingers who all seem to get their shu mai from the same place. And the small dishes of dipping sauces are a great touch, especially the killer XO sauce. <b>B++</b> and I am primed to raise the score after another visit.<p><b>Dinerbar</b> - The Lower East Side comes to Spanish Harlem. A great addition to the neighborhood as we think of it as almost Carnegie Hill. We needed a hip coffee shop. And they deliver too. <b>D+</b><p><b>####’s Kitchen</b> - Excellent contemporary Mexican in Clinton. Three meals have all been wonderful. <b>B-</b><p><b>Inside</b> - Ann Rosenzweig’s new place. Gee what a downgrading for her after Arcardia and then The Lobster Club. Is there more money serving ภ chicken to 25 year olds then there is ษ chicken to 55 year olds? <b>D</b><p><b> Marseille</b> - I was excited to read about this new place in the Film Center building which features the cooking of Alex Urena (ex Blue Hill.) Well there is no need to rush there. The place seemed more like a bar than a restaurant. And add one more NYC restaurant whose Bouillabaisse seems like it has been juiced up with Pernod to make up for the lack of availability of Rascasse <b>C--</b><p><b>La Palapa</b> - I loooooove La Palapa. For my money it’s better than either Maya or Rosa Mexicana. Their Chalupa (grilled pork chop) could be the single best Mexican dish in the city. One night in December they served it grilled and then topped with sliced quince and crema. Perfect. <b>B++</b><p><b>Sugiyama</b> - I go every 3-4 months religiously. In fact, it’s the most spiritual place to dine in the city. It’s best to sit at the kaiseki bar and forge a relationship with Chef Nao. The food is minimalist so you need to hit it on a day when they have the top ingredients <b>A</b><p><b>Virot</b> - I’m sorry this restaurant failed as it was obvious from just one visit that Didier Virot could really cook. But a project of this size is too ambitious for a new name on the scene unless you have the goods to wow the critics immediately. And that neighborhood. Drab. He needed to open a 71 Clinton size place to make a name for himself. A posthumous <b>B+</b><p><b><u>Old School</b></u><p><b>92</b> - I was disappointed when after putting in a beautiful French deco installation what opened here was just another Carnegie Hill catering hall with poached salmon in dill sauce. My mouth was watering for some expertly grilled salmon with a perfectly whisked Bearnaise. Boring <b>D</b><p><b>Beacon</b> - I’m a big Beacon fan although I must say they make some odd choices. The swordfish I had recently was cut like a filet mignon, which made it almost impossible to cook properly. But other things are simple and done really well. Their Charred Filet Mignon Tartar is one of the better dishes in town. <b>B</b><p><b>Blue Ribbon</b> - I love Blue Ribbon. Not necessarily for the food which ranges from average to good at best. But the place has more spirit than ten other places combined. And there isn’t any other place I know of where sharing a paella and a steak in mushroom sauce makes sense. <b>C</b><p><b>Blue Ribbon Bakery</b> - A big step down from it’s older brother, especially when it comes to cooked food. Ordering cheeses and charcuterie ala carte is a nice touch but I find the portions to be wanting and the prices to be high. <b>D-</b><p><b>Bouchon</b> - One more French bistro type of place that people I know liked which I found inferior. Cheap is good, but not when the food tastes it. <b>D--</b><p><b>Butterfield 81</b> - A favorite local haunt for my wife and I before the chef left (forgot her name.) Her New York Strip Steak Frittes was amongst the best in town. But our one meal after she left was a big step down. <b>C</b><p><b>Café Loup</b> - Generic French bistro food in the Village. Good space but I wish the food was better <b>D</b><p><b>Caviateria</b> - What’s not to like? The perfect place for a luxury lunch when power shopping. <b>B</b><p><b>Delegate’s Dining Room at the United Nations</b> - I had a friend from the Bahamas who worked at the U.N. until recently and she would invite me to lunch whenever they were featuring the cuisine of a country we found interesting. While the food was generic Restaurant Associates fare, the setting is so light and pleasant that the few nods they would have at the buffet table to whatever nation’s food they were featuring would make for a satisfying lunch experience. <b>D+</b><p><b>D’Artragnan Rotisserie</b> - I ate there only once when they first opened and I found it extremely disappointing. My garbure had nothing to do with the garbure I get in Paris. It seemed like they opened a package of the stuff from the D’Artagnan plant and heated it up. I also found the Gascon and Basque décor heavy and out of place for NYC. <b>C</b><p><b>The Dining Room</b> - I had two good meals at The Dining Room. Their raw fish combination platter is a great dish, and copious at that. Once I had the lamb prepared two different ways and the other time the beef prepared two ways. Both delicious. A good addition to Upper East Side dining, as the choices are mostly poor. <b>B</b><p><b>Elio’s</b> - Upper East Side celebrity haven with solid Northern Italian food. On one night this past September we dined with Pete Samprass, Alice Waters, Vernon Jordon, Barbara Walters and Tom Selleck . Okay, my kids go to school with one of the owners kids so there’s my full disclosure. But the food is really solid considering that with that clientele they could serve what they serve at Elaine’s <b>B</b><p><b>Estatorio Milos</b> - I would never turn down an invitation to dine at Milos. They do a great job with the simplest of ingredients. Their grilled calamari stuffed with feta is one of the better appetizers in town. And if you hit the fish right, perfection. Great side dishes too. <b>A-</b><p><b>Grand Central Oyster Bar</b> - I’m a sucker for an Oyster pan roast. It’s a dish that reeks of yesteryear. I mean clam broth, half and half, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, who eats like that anymore? Clearly something to go into the NYC food museum along with the original broiled clam bellys from Gage & Tollner<b>B-</b><p><b>Jarnac</b> - I’m a committed Jarnac fan as the owners are people who really care about the food. They are also not happy serving only traditional French bistro fair and are looking for ways to stretch the genre. I wish it was in the neighborhood I live in. <b>B</b><p><b>Judson Grill</b> - The best midtown lunch? I’m quite happy with Bill Telepan’s cooking but I have to admit I don’t always find the menu interesting. Nice room and always friendly and proficient service <b>B</b><p><b>The Palm</b> - What can I say? I have to admit I love The Palm. Not Palm Too, not the one on the West Side. The cruddy original one. I don’t know what it is. Maybe their broiler has more schmutz on it but I’ve had some mean steaks there this year. A must visit for people on the Atkin’s diet. <b>B+</b><p><b>Payard Bistro</b> - I like the café better than the restaurant. I’m sure Christian Payard could cook with more gusto had his audience been a little more robust and a little less Palm Beach. <b>B-</b><p><b>Quilty’s</b> - The food is okay, but another place that doesn’t project much purpose. Drab dining room could use an overhaul. Now I heard they closed Jan 1, 2002. I’m not really surprised <b>B--</b><p><b>Strip House</b> - Good job for a generic steak house. Stick to a strip steak and don’t get suckered into what they call their rib chop, which is something like a 32 oz prime rib. Great décor and tables spaced far apart. A good addition to Greenwich Village dining. <b>B</b><p><b>Union Square Café</b> - I have recently made my peace with USC after years of avoiding it. The need to reserve 30 days in advance for a place of its caliber was something I couldn’t reconcile. But I’ve learned that if you get a steak or the lamb chops scotto ditto you can have a fine meal. And the Creamy Polenta and Garlic Potato Chips are among the better side dishes in this town. <b>B</b> and the staff deserves a plus all for themselves.<p><b><u>Bistro, French and otherwise</b></u><p><b>Artisinal</b> - Well here’s a lot of hullabaloo I can’t figure. It’s the good old cheese diversion trick. Maybe my most disappointing meal of the year. And I like Picholine so much (though I haven’t been this year.) I recently went back for lunch and it had improved somewhat (the multi-cheese chapeau on the onion soup is a winner) but it didn’t make we want to go have dinner again <b>C-</b><p><b>Balthazar</b> - What can you say about Balthazar other than they serve better food than they have to. Its functionality transcends the food so I’ve never left there less than satisfied. <b>C</b><p><b>The Grocery</b> - One of the darlings of the Court Street/Smith Street resurgence. They write about those places as if they serve the same quality food you get in Manhattan, only for less money. Well I can assure you that despite the fact that The Grocery served good food, it was not at Manhattan level and if it had opened here it would probably not have made it. <b>C</b><p><b>Lupa</b> - I’ve had a few lunches at Lupa and of the three Super Mario places I sort of liked it the best. It is certainly senza pretenzione. One can forge a good lunch out of a bunch of small plates. Nice wine list. <b>B</b><p><b>Orsay</b> - Posh, posh, posh. That’s two poshes too many. Okay maybe one. You can eat really well here. Or you can have a poor meal too. I wish the kitchen wasn’t so uneven. On two different occasions I’ve seen tables leave the restaurant because the food wasn’t acceptable. It’s too bad because the strategy of separate fish tartars was a good one. But you can’t eat the menu <b>C</b><p><B>Prune</b> - There was a time when I was eating at Prune once a week. It’s a place that people who like both meat and French food shouldn’t miss. It’s a bit cramped, but I’ve never been where I don’t have a great time. Gabrielle Hamilton has to get a special award for having the guts to serve Grilled Marrow Bones<b>B+</b><p><b>Quatorze Bis</b> - I have an on and off relationship with this restaurant. On paper, it’s the best French bistro/brasserie in New York. And some time it tastes that way (like my last visit.) And sometimes it just falls short and it seems like a copy of the real thing, but not the real thing. <b>B-</b><p><b>Rene Pujol</b> - Tired French in theater district. A friend touted me on it as they said they had a list of great old wines. Well both the list, and the food seem picked over. <b>D</b><p><b>Rhone</b> - Those of us who are Rhone wine fanatics can’t help but love Rhone. The food is just mediocre. But it’s a different story once truffle season starts and the special list of truffle dishes they offer are all terrific. <b>C+</b><p><b>Le Zinc</b> - The Waltuck’s have done a good job with Le Zinc. They managed to serve a good version of classic French bistro food without having to rely on a promise of authenticity. So certain dishes were New Yorkified which is fine with me as long as it works. But on a recent visit, I found that the Entrecote was no longer on the menu. When I asked the waitress why, she told me that too many people complained that it was too fatty. Well Le Zinc served it cut the same way one might find it at La Coupole, thin with a wide streak of fat surrounding the eye of the rib. I guess NYC isn’t ready for everything. Dommage <b>B--</b><p> <b><u>Italian</b></u><p><b>Bamonte’s</b> - 100 year old Italian in an old Wise Guy section of Williamsburg. I’m a sucker for these types of places but this one is resting on reputation. Far better versions of red sauce slinging joints around. <b>D--</b><p><b>Beppe</b> - Okay what am I missing? Or is the Tuscan thing just played out? Is it me, or is it the fact that one needs to be in Tuscany with actual Tuscan ingredients for this style of cooking to show properly? Fish out of water syndrome? I would go back but I’m having trouble convincing my wife. But I know that this place is the darling of foodies in the city. Hmmm. <b>C+</b><p><b>Campagna</b> - Steady as they come. I used to be a regular but only go on occasion these days. Mark Straussman (a friend from my college days) does great Italian/Jewish fusion food. I don’t mean Roman Jewish. I mean Potato Latkes with grated White Truffles for Hanukah <b>B</b><p><b>Chingale</b> - Mid-price, trendy Italian wanna-be on Gansevoort. Trying to deliver good food at this price point is difficult. <b>D</b><p><b>Cucina</b> - Hamische, Northern Italian in Park Slope in great Art Deco room. Sunday dinner is full of Brooklyn families. The cooking has aspirations that go beyond your basic red sauce joint you typically find in the boroughs. I wish there were places like this in Manhattan. <b>B-</b><p><b>Da Silvano</b> - The best outdoor dining in NYC. I’ve been eating at Da Silvano for more than fifteen years and I can’t say I ever had a bad meal there. It’s solid Tuscan fare without any surprises, aside from the few innovations that Silvano lists as specials. A solid <b>B</b><p><b>Dominick’s</b> - Famous Arthur Avenue Calabrese. I hadn’t been in years, having been a regular more than 10 years ago. Well either the quality of the food has dropped or my palate has become more discriminating because my wife and I found this to be a second rate version of an old school red sauce joint. <b>D</b><p><b>Don Peppe</b> - South Ozone Park Italian where big hair is the fashion. If you are looking for red sauce and garlic heaven this is the real deal. I’ve been eating there since the mid 70’s and they consistently turn out food at a high level of intensity. The place that Carmine’s copied but the food is ten times better. I would lay a pretty large bet that this restaurant uses more garlic per pound of food than any other place in the U.S.A. Linguine and White Clam Sauce to die for and the sauce the Chinese Chicken is served in (the house name for Chicken Cacciatorre) is the single best red sauce I have ever tasted in my life. <b>A</b><p><b>Ferdinando’s Focacceria</b> - Brooklyn landmark Sicilian café that has been at the same location for over 100 years. I’m a sucker for an order of Crespelle (chickpea fritters) that are served with a cloud of fresh ricotta and some shaved fresh parmagian. Stay away from the steam table stuff <b>C</b> <p><b>Manducati’s</b> - Killer wine list. Italian food is good at best. But ’78 Conterno Bussia Soprano makes up for a lot. Stick to simple things like the grilled meats. <b>B--</b><p><b>Parma</b> - Where my family often takes their Sunday dinner. The food is nice and steady. They can make a mean veal chop when the spirit moves them. <b>C+</b><p><b>Piccolo Venzia</b> - Upscale for Queens Northern Italian with an emphasis on steaks and chops. Top notch wine list at good prices. Not worth the schlep unless you need to be in Queens or you want to drink a few good bottles <b>B-</b><p><b>Roberto’s</b> - What is undoubtedly the best restaurant in the Arthur Avenue section of the Bronx. But that isn’t saying much as the kitchen doesn’t really have the skill to churn out top notch Italian food though they try to. It gets high ratings but another place I’m convinced would fail against Manhattan competition <b>C-</b><p><b>Scalinatella</b> - Excessively priced, grotto-like Northen Italian in a basement near Bloomingdale’s. I think the food here is a notch or so above the other places. Their warm Carpaccio with White Truffles grated on top is a masterpiece. One night we were in the hunt for the carpaccio followed by a seafood risotto and we showed up with important bottles of Barolo and Batard Montrachet. The waiter had the presence of mind to realize that the tomato sauce in the risotto would be too acidic for the Batard and he had the kitchen replace it with bits of fresh tomato instead. I’ve been in 3 star restaurants where they weren’t as tuned into my meal <b>B+</b><p><b>Tommaso’s</b> - Old school Italian in Bensonhurst with one of the countries great wine lists. But you will eat and drink better if Tomasso himself is there as the rest of the staff doesn’t seem to know where he has hidden many of the great bottles. <b>D+</b><p> <b><u>Ethnic</b></u><p> <b>Arte’s Deli</b> - Too bad pedestrian deli is de rigeur these days. I mean if you can’t go to Katz’s where can you get a good sandwich that isn’t the same meat you get everywhere else? Don’t tell me Pastrami Queen as I have been a Pastrami King eater since they were in Williamsburgh 35 years ago and the Queen just ain’t the same thing. But Arte’s does a much better job with things like chicken in the pot. <b>D</b><p><b>Ada</b> –If not the best Indian meal I ever had in NYC it certainly was the most interesting. Their decision to open on 58th street was a poor one as the night we ate there it was empty. Friends of mine who went a few other nights reported the same. They should move to 22nd Street and get themselves a good publicist. Oh, somebody already did that <b>B-</b><p><b>Barney Greengrass</b> - The only thing that tops Sunday breakfast at Greengrass is takeout from Murray’s. I can’t think of a bad meal I ever had there. <b>A</b><p><b>Carnegie Deli</b> - Is it my imagination or has the quality of the food gone down since Leo died? <b>C</b><p><b>Dalga</b> - Turkish fish joint on E62nd Street. Is the fact that it is Turkish fish supposed to make it taste better? I was trying to figure out what about my Dorade was Turkish. As my wife said afterwards, “no need to go back there.” <b>C--</b><p><b>Dosa Hut</b> - Another darling of the boroughs foodie crowd. This vegetarian dosa slinger gains authenticity from being down the block from the Hindu Temple. It’s good, but I can’t figure why people swoon over it ?<b>C+</b><p><b>El Charro Espanol</b> Another indistinguishable Village/Chelsea Gallician. Okay tell me, can’t any of these places make paella that isn’t dried out? It just means adding more fish stock to the pot. <b>D</b><p><b>El Faro</b> - Probably the best of the Gallician bunch. I go once a year to scratch my paella itch. It would be better if they cared more. <b>C-</b><p><b>Emo’s</b> - Modern Korean on the Upper East Side. My one meal this summer was enjoyable with a beef tartar in a spicy sauce a standout. But I’m not sure we are ready for modern Korean or has traditional Korean infiltrated our lives yet? <b>C</b><p><b>La Esquila Criola </b> - Bargain priced Argentinian Parrilada specialist in Corona. Another place that is popular with the eat in the boroughs crowd. Well I find that you get what you pay for. Cheap meat is just cheap meat. Much better Argentinian and Uraguayan steak places within a mile in almost any direction <b>D</b><p><b>Great New York Noodle Town</b> - Another favorite of foodies but I never got it as I thought they were other Chinese noodle and BBQ places that were better. I much prefer to eat just down Bayard Street at Win Hop. I guess being open 24 hours brings notoriety <b>D</b><p><b>Hallo Berlin</b> - Please bring back Zum Zum. </b>D-</b><p><b>Havana Chelsea</b> - Best Cuban sandwich I know of. And maybe even better than anything in Miami. It’s the fresh roast pork they use. Easy to double park too while running in to get some sandwiches to take out. <b>B-</b><p><b>HSF</b> - I attended a party for a newborn so I got the whole banquet experience. Well I’ve had better elsewhere. This seemed a bit of a watered down experience <b>C--</b><p><b>Jackson Diner</b> - Queen’s best Indian is the best no more. This place lost it after it moved to a more comfy space a few years back. It’s a pity as I used to love it. <b>D</b><p><b>Japonica</b> - Among the top of the second tier sushi places. They like to cut the pieces large there. I’m not sure why. <b>B</b><p><b>Joe’s Shanghai (Flushing)</b> – A bit tired and the quality has lessened somewhat since they opened additional locations. But it’s usually tasty enough and perfect for a pre Met game meal. <b>C</b><p><b>KB Garden </b> - Gigantic Flushing, Queens dim sum palace. Nothing earth shattering but good enough standard issue dum sum to make for an enjoyable meal. The size of the place means they are carting around more choices than you would get in other places. They even have a cart dispensing my favorite Chinese breakfast dish of steamed tofu with a sweet sauce of sugar and molasses. They have the best version I know other than the stand on Mott Street which makes a fresh tub of the stuff every day. <b>C</b><p><b>Katz’s Delicatessen</b> - I don’t know what happened to Katz’s. It went from tired old pastrami to absolutely killer pastrami. Other things like brisket and corned beef and nothing to write home about. But the pastrami, to die for. <b>B+</b><p><b>Mombar</b> - 1001 Arabian Nights at this Steinway Street Egyptian. They try so hard here but all too often their lack of experience makes them come up short. But you couldn’t find nicer people who aim to please. If the score was only for effort they would get A++. Unfortunately you have to eat there too <b>C--</b><p><b>Nazar</b> - Recently opened progressive Turkish on Queens Blvd in Sunnyside with mostly terrific food. Good enough to be in Manhattan, and better than the Turkish restaurants that currently populate the borough. Worth the trip. Lovely people too. <b>B-</b><p><b>Pampa</b> - Second rate Argentinian on the West Side. A number of places in Queens blow this place away. Crowded and noisy too. <b>D--</b><p><b>Pasha</b> - Better than average Turkish on the West Side. Good appetizers but my Iskender Kebab wasn’t killer. Better Turkish in the Boroughs. <b>C-</b><p><b>Ping’s Seafood</b> - I ate at the original branch on Queens’s Blvd in Maspeth on two occasions. Once for dinner where it was sort of strange. And once for dim sum where it was terrific. I understand that when Ping used to cook at the Queens branch the food was phenomenol but now that he opened the Chinatown branch the quality fell off <b>C</b> for dinner but <b>B+</b> for dim sum<p><b>Rice ‘n Beans</b> - I can’t let a year go by without making my way over to Clinton to have a Fejoida at one of the few Brazilians in town. They make a mean version here. Full of all sorts of fresh, smoked and preserved pig parts. Faroafa (toasted manioc flour) is one of the great, unknown ingredients still out there. Great on a cold day <b>B-</b><p><b>Sahara</b> - Killer Turkish kebabist in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn. Kofte, Sis Kofte, Adana, Iskender etc.are the best I know of until you get to London. Worth the schlep. <b>A</b<p><b>Sripaphai</b> - Other worldly Thai in Woodside, Queens and if you have never been there I suggest you immediately get in your car, or on the # 7 train and hurray on out for what is clearly a contender for the best ethnic restaurant in the city. The Banana Sticky Rice is a must have although they often run out of it before dinner. <b>A</b><p><b>Sunrise 27</b> - Good Asimov tip about this Chinatown seafooder on Division Street that serves food that is somewhat better quality than the standard Chinese seafood fare <b>B-</b><p><b>Sushisay</b> - Did I hear anyone say old school sushi? Great quality fish but I don’t think it’s the top. Surly greeting which I think bleeds into having less than friendly service. <b>B</b><p><b>Sushi Yasuda</b> - In the mood for five grades of tuna? Or seven grades of salmon? Well this place is for you. I prefer the sushi bar to a table here. And the fish, from another planet <b>A-</b><p><b>Sweet and Tart Café (Flushing and Chinatown)</b> - I kind of like this Chinese version of Junior’s that is full of young couples on dates. They make pretty good Congee too and I’ve had a Steamed Chicken with Lemongrass Sauce that was noteworthy. And all of those funny drinks. A good place for a quick dinner before the Met game. <b>C+</b><p><b>Taco Cart on 97th and Second Avenue</b> - Best street Mexican food I know of. Her Gorditas are sublime. And if you have patience, she will make you sopes. <b>B</b><p><b>Tamarind</b> - A good addition to NYC Indian dining. Well thought out food but I thought it needed a little more fire in the belly. Not as in hotness, as in the intensity of the cooking. They unfortunately they do not allow BYO and the wine list is sorely lacking in the type of sweet wines that go well with Indian food. <b>B+</b><p><b>Tomoe Sushi</b> - For many years my office was near Tomoe so I used to have lunch there on the average of once every other month. People complain about the lines but getting there at ten to one assures you of a table. I don’t know how they do it because places at almost twice the price serve inferior fish. <b>B+</b><p> <b><u>Other Points in the U.S.</b></u><p> <b>Della Femina (Easthampton)</b> - My number one choice for dining in the Hamptons. The house signature dish of a Grilled Double Cut Maple & Soy Marinated Pork Chop is great. And the kitchen ages their own beef and their New York strip has just the right amount of funk for me. <b>B+</b><p><b>Hampton Chutney Company (Amagansett)</b> - I love this dosa purveyor. Don’t stone me for saying this, but I like their dosas better than the Dosa Hut in Flushing. They opened a Prince Street branch this year too <b>B</b><p><b>Nick & Toni’s (Easthampton)</b> - The food here varies from season to season but when it’s on it can be great. This year they added a Stuffed Niman Schiller Pork Belly to the menu that was as good a dish as I’ve seen in a U.S. restaurant for quite some time. Stuffed with minced pork, cheese and spinach garlic and nutmeg, roasted in the oven and then finished in the wood burning oven. It had a caramelized exterior that defied description. Absolutely melt in your mouth <b>B+</b><p><b>Pacific East (Amagansett)</b> - The quality here deteriorated from summer of 2000. Nice terrace dining on warm summer evenings. But since the owners bought the building at auction they don’t seem to be working as hard. </b>C-</b><p><b>Tsunami (Easthampton</b> - This Asian/Fusion menu seemed tired too. What’s the big deal if you switch some ingredients around guys? This year the Thai Chili sauce can go on fish, next year on beef. It’s boring if you don’t makes any changes <b>C+</b><p><b>Chez Sophie Bistro (Saratoga Springs)</b> - Because of sleep away camp visiting day, I’ve been fortunate to visit this country style French bistro in a renovated diner every summer for the last five years. They serve some of the purest food around. They have a select group of local farmers growing produce for them and I can literally say they serve the best salad I ever had on these shores. The food is nothing fancy, maybe some pan sautéed lamb chops or a nice sautéed trout. Excellent wine list full of bargains from Alsace and the Rhone. But Sophie passed away last winter leaving her husband Joseph and their son to run the place. It didn’t seem like anything had changed. I hope it never does. <b>B</b><p><b>Miss Hattie’s (Saratoga Springs)</b> - Legendary soul food restaurant in Saratoga Springs. I had read an interview with Danny Meyer where he said that he likes to eat Fried Chicken here when he visits. Well our visit was disappointing. Dry chicken and all. More fun than good. <b>D</b><p><b>Simon Pearce (Quechee, Vermont)</b> - Behind the Simon Pearce outlet shop they have this lovely restaurant on a beautiful setting on the Quechee Gorge. Excellent wine list, which I guess makes sense as wine glasses are one of the shops big sellers. I had a nice Cumin Spiced Hanger Steak for dinner <b>B-</b> <p><b>Maine Diner (Wells, Maine</b> - A place right out of Jane & Michael Stern Roadfood heaven. Heaping plates of food filled with Lobster Rolls, Fried Clam Bellys, Meat Loaf or just a plain ole New England Boiled Dinner. And of course pie for dessert <b>B+</b><p><b>Ogunquit Lobster Pound</b> - Pick your lobster and steamers by the pound. Lobster was delicious, but the steamers even better. Hope for a good night as you can BYO on the benches outside. <b>B</b><p><b>Biba (Boston)</b> - What a bust this was. We were there on a Thursday night in July and the place was deserted. It seemed like the kitchen was deserted too. How the mighty have fallen. <b>C--</b><p><b>Radius (Boston)</b> - The word is out that Radius is now Boston’s finest. Well I had some business up there in October and I took some old friends out to dinner. Things started off well but they couldn’t maintain a high level of consistency throughout the tasting menu they served us. In NYC this place would not receive the raves it gets in Boston. Even Michael Schlow the chef/owner admitted to me that aside from fish and seafood, the Boston area doesn’t get the same quality produce and meat that is available in NYC and as a result the restaurants suffer <b>B-</b> <p><b>Sugar Shack (Cambridge) </b> - Jasper White’s new venture. A theme restaurant version of Legal Seafood. Really poor food. But I hope Jasper becomes rich from it. <b>D--</b><p><b>Bizou (San Francisco)</b> - In the book “Chef’s Night Out”, quite a few chefs named this restaurant as one of the places they like to eat when they are in S.F. My meal was so blah. Another piece of evidence that being a “chef’s chefs” is not something to aspire to. <b>C</b><p><b>Ritz-Carlton Dining Room (San Francisco)</b> - One of the worst meals of the year. I had eaten Sylvan Portray’s food when he was the chef at Le Cirque. He used to cook really well in those days. What happened?<b>C-</b><p><b>Yuet Lee (San Francisco)</b> - Funky old timer on the corner of Broadway and Stockton. Their Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab is one of the greatest Chinese dishes you will find. And one of the most expensive too. It was something like ะ for a whole crab. Considering we are talking about a restaurant in Chinatown, that would be the equivalent of paying 贶 for it at a fancy place who wouldn’t make as tasty a preparation <b>B+</b><p><b>Avenue Room (Ritz-Carlton Kapalua) </b> – Of course this was supposed to be the best meal on Maui and it was fair at best. It provided my favorite anecdote of the year as the wine list had 1961 Latour twice. Once for a bottle and once for a bottle. When I asked the sommelier about it, he told me that he sells two bottles a year, one to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. I’m certain he must buy the bottle <b>C--</b><p><b>Pacific Café (Kaanapali in Maui)</b> – Another Asian fusion chain. The best thing here was a Double Cut and Smoked with Kona Coffee Pork Chop <b>B-</b><p><b>David Paul’s (Lahaina in Maui</b> - More Kona Coffee cooking with Rack of Lamb roasted over Kona Coffee. A a nice way to use local ingredients. <b>B-</b><p><b>Roy’s (Kahana branch in Maui)</b> - Chainlike Asian fusion. It made sense that Roy is franchising these places around the country. A step up from Houston’s <b>C</b><p><b>Sensei (Kapalua Resort in Maui)</b> – Nobu-ish Japanese serving things like foie gras sushi (lightly sautéed and served atop nigiri rice and Seared Ahi Roll with Thai Chilli Sauce. Best meal we had on the Island <b>B+</b><p><b>Roy’s (Hawaii Kai in Oaho) </b>– The original location and like night and day compared to the Maui branch. I can get down with a Miso rubbed Butterfish with Wasabi Cream sauce when it’s made correctly. Can’t you? <b>B+</b><p><b>Alan Wong (Honolulu)</b> - Asian fusion cooking at it’s best. Great modernized takes on classic Hawaiian dishes like “Da Bag”, roast pork and clams steamed in a tinfoil bag. <b>B++</b><p><b>Chef Allen (Aventura Florida)</b> - I think Chef Allen has gone way downhill. Everything about the place needs a revamp, from the menu to the décor. I think he found that he had a good thing with the platinum hair crowd from North Miami so he isn’t pushing it. It’s too bad because I ate some good meals here a few years back <b>C</b><p><b>Joe’s Stone Crabs</b> - Now this is the true Florida experience. People wait up to 2 ½ hours for a table. Fortunately I have a friend with juice so we wait less than five minutes. Everyone should eat here at least once in a lifetime. And if you’re there on a day when the stone crabs are good it’s a great experience. Amazing side dishes. I think there are 10 different potato preparations and whenever I go I want to order every one of them. This years meal wasn’t as stellar as past years though <b>B</b><p><b>Norman’s (Coral Gables Florida)</b> - I think Norman Van Aiken is the best chef in South Florida. Of the three heralded chefs, Norman, Allen Susser and Mark (can’t remember his last name), he is the only one whose cooking is of sufficient scope to be able to offer a proper tasting menu. When he is on, it is among the best restaurants in the country <b>A--</b><p><b>Osteria del Teatro (Miami Beach Florida </b> - This restaurant is the perfect example of Zagat at it’s worst. It gets something like 26 in the Miami guide but NYC has a Northern Italian of this quality on almost every block. Here it would be lucky to get 19. <b>C-</b><p><B>Tuscan Steak (South Beach Florida</b> - An upscale theme restaurant done right. We go every year and the food is consistently good. I hear the NYC version is less good. This one is perfect when you are on vacation with your kids <b>B-</b><p><b>Wish (Miami Beach Florida)</b> – This was the hot new restaurant on South Beach last year. A number of friends raved about it. But you can chalk it up as one more place I just shrugged my shoulders about <b>B--</b><p><b>Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House</b> - Old school Jewish diner/deli in North Miami Beach. Another must visit for my family when we are down there. If you are ever in the mood for an old fashioned yiddishe cabbage borscht, this is the place for you. They bring you a pot the size of Warsaw that has a piece of flanken in it that must be a foot long. From a different time and place <b>B-</b><p><b>Versailles</b> - Cuban diner on Calle Ocho. The Chicken Versailles, which is just chicken grilled while pressed flat and served with garlic butter is stupendous. And it cost something like Ű.98! Near the airport so it is always our last meal before we drop off the rent-a-car. I wish there was Cuban like this in NYC <b>B</b><p> <b><u>Meals in Europe</b></u><p> <b>Al Waha</b> - London’s best Middle Eastern? I try and eat a Middle Eastern meal every time I go to London and this is the best meal I’ve had so far. They have a nice wine list with numerous vintages of Château Musar and Chateau Kefraya. <b>B+</b> Honorable mention must go to the café of Al-Dar on the Edgeware Road where the waiter keeps trying to get me to smoke a hookah filled with shishah while sipping my mud thick cup of coffee. I keep telling him I only smoke kosher shishah but he doesn’t know what I’m talking about.<p><b>The Fat Duck-Bray, United Kingdom</b> - I have a group of wine tasting friends in London and one evening this past May I found myself in Paddington Station boarding a train for a 22 minute ride to Maidenhead which is a 5 minute taxi ride to Bray. My friend Robert convinced the restaurant to allow us to BYO and the ensuing carnage was monumental. I have to say it was an A+ experience but I might be exaggerating due to the shock value of the food. Let’s call it an <b>A-</b>. <p><b>Nobu</b> - Nobu Matsuhisha is becoming the Alain Ducasse of the sea by packing up his Peruvian/Japanese cooking concept and bringing it to London, Paris and Miami Beach. My lunch here was fine, but seemed a little restrained compared to my memories of dining in the Manhattan branch. <b>B</b><p><b>Le Suquet</b> - My old standby in London. You can always get a table, and they do a good job of recreating a meal from the South of France. They prepare Coquille St. Jacques a half dozen different ways, all delicious. And if I want a simple and honest grilled Dover Sole with Bearnaise Sauce, their version will always satisfy. <b>B-</b><p><b><u>France</b></u><p><b>Brasserie Lorraine</b> - How disappointed was I when we arrived at the old Lorraine only to find out it had been sold to the Freres Blanc and had been converted to a seafood brasserie. I used to use this brasserie located on the beautiful Place des Ternes as my Paris coffee shop. Will there be any brasseries left that aren’t part of a chain? <b>D</b><p><b>L’Ambroisie</b> - My first time and a very disappointing dinner. We had run-ins with Madame in regards to the menu as well as the Sommelier on our choice of wines. Before writing this I reread my original notes and my first comment that my Crayfish soup lacked the intense “Gout des Coquillages” that I expected says it all <b>B</b><p><b>La Regalade</b> - Now here’s a chef who cooks with passion. I’m sure he could be wearing a prettier apron while garnering a few Michelin stars if he chose to. But he probably makes more money turning the tables 3 times a night. My Hachis Parmentier made with Boudin Noir was stunning. And the dessert of Brebis served with AOC Espelette Jam was special <b>A</b><p><b>Troisgros</b> - This was a near perfect experience in every way. Every little detail in both the hotel and restaurant was thought out. The texture of my pork chop was something other worldly and later in the evening Michel Troisgros paid us a visit and spoke of the farmer in the Limousin who raises pigs for the restaurant and how special they are. And any restaurant that has a 1992 Coche-Dury Meursault Perrieres and a 1990 Henri Jayer Echezeaux on their list at the same time is alright with me <b>A++</b><p><b>La Pyramide</b> - My urge is to say that the food was inedible but that would be an exaggeration. I reread my notes and they say the food was so ordinary it wasn’t worth writing about. I do remember some uneaten dishes though. <b>C</b><p><b>Leon de Lyon</b> - I quite liked my first visit here. It’s a two star restaurant and it does not have any aspirations to get its third star. The result is a relaxed dining room offering a refined version of Lyonaisse comfort food. The house version of Poulet Demi-Deuil (truffles stuffed under the skin) will make you smile. Correct and friendly service and Jean-Paul Lascombes is a gentleman <b>B++</b><p><b>La Voute (Chez Lea)</b> - On a drizzly Saturday afternoon last January, we had one of those glorious lunches that can inspire a good nap. You know, plump and meaty slices of truffle laden sausage in a butter and lemon sauce served with some steamed potatoes and then a Piece de Boeuf in a truffled gravy served with a gratin of cardoons. It ‘s meals like this that make me daydream of France. <b>B-</b><p><b>Cote Rotie</b> - Smack in the middle of the town of Ampuis and a great place to dine after visiting Cote Rotie producers. Manuel Viron is an ambitious chef who served a lovely terrine of oxtail and foie gras when I was there after the Marche au Vins in January. Killer, I mean killer wine list of all sorts of Rhone wines <b>B+</b><p><b>La Cave</b> - Where the locals eat in Cannes. I’ve eaten here a good 15-18 times and I love the joint. They serve simple Cannoise cuisine (bet you didn’t know Cannes had an indigenous cuisine did you?) Delicious, butter laden, stuffed cabbage. Creamy scrambled eggs with grated truffles in season. Or a fresh goat cheese omelet when not. Precious wine list of Cote de Provence, Bandol and Bourgoise Cru Bordeaux for not a lot of money. Marc the chef owner is a big wino and he will steer you to just the right bottle. <b>B-</b><p><b>La Palme D’Or </b> - Beautiful terrace restaurant in the Martinez Hotel in Cannes. The highlight of this year’s meal was a Carpaccio of scallops on a dry minestrone that had so much flavor it just exploded in your mouth <b>B+</b> this year but I’ve had A meals here in the past.<p><b>Chez Dumonet (Chez Josephine)</b> - Old school, fairly dry and boring bistro on rue de Cherche-Midi that serves a special truffle “carte” when they are in season. I can’t do it better justice than my original notes which said “<I>There must have been near a dozen different truffle preparations and we settled on a salad of potatoes, mache and truffles to be followed by truffle omelets. While the salad was really good, with the mache speckled with chopped truffles and truffle oil, the omelets were over the top. Fluffy, ethereal masses of egg swimming in pools of cream and butter with bits of truffles everywhere. Pure decadence.</I>” A bottle of 1979 Hermitage La Chapelle made this a two nap lunch <b>A</b><p><b>Taillevent</b> - My first visit with the new chef. I found the cooking correct but a bit hesitant. My sense is that the food will become a bit more daring as soon as the chef gets his ladles wet. But I looove dining here. They make you feel so good. And the wine list is full of little gems that are more than fairly priced. <b>A-</b><p><b>Le Passage</b> - Bistro/wine bar written up by Frank Prial in the Times. Good list of Rhone wines but in reality too young to drink. Their speciality is andouilettes made by different artisans thoughout France. I think they need better food <b>D</b><p><b>Helene Darroze</b> - Delicious and unusual food. The menu had an entire page of Foie Gras preparations and an entire page of truffle preparations. They even have a signature dish, l’Escatoun which is white polenta, hazelnut butter, fresh brebis curds and truffles. And my roast rack of lamb with an anchovy crust was to die for. This meal was back in January but I understand the place has been overrun with American tourists since then. But more places like this please. <b>A-</b><p><b>Le Dome</b> - I’m a confirmed Dover Sole fan and Patricia Wells has raved about their Sole Meuniere so many times that I had to try it at least once. Well aside from the fact that the place is old and stodgy and could use a scrub-down/redo, you get a nice, firm piece of fish that is absolutely swimming in melted, salted butter. I’m glad we went because now we don’t have to go back <b>C+</b><p><b>Timgad</b> - Just like I eat Middle Eastern in London, I love to eat North African in Paris. It’s like eating Chinese food here. My wife and I love acting Parisian and usually go to a movie and then have a late couscous. This time it was Wonder Boys (the topic of the film made us even hungrier) and then Timgad. For years we ate at Charlie el Bab-el Ouad but they sold their lease to Leon de Bruxelles. We’ve been looking for a replacement ever since and we can’t find one that is up to snuff. Timgad was good, but without the fire they had at Charlie. <b>B-</b><p> (Edited by Steve Plotnicki at 7:18 pm on Jan. 3, 2002) <p>(Edited by Steve Plotnicki at 7:33 pm on Jan. 3, 2002)
