This week, New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells gave us a twofer, and he liked both places he went. What tied the places together was that they’re both places where “meat matters.”
First, he reviews Achilles Heel in Greenpoint, a place he says “reminds [him] of McSorley’s Old Ale House.” They both have hot stoves, “neither spot is there in any hurry, and time there moves at a pace that is decidedly prehashtag.” Where they differ is the food. While McSoreley’s takes a “rough-and-ready approach,” the menu at Achilles Heel is “thoughtful, engaging, subtle and intimate.”
He recommends the oysters, cheeses and charcuterie, though he warns against staying too long. At night, Achilles Heel is more bar than restaurant, and the volume goes up. He gave the place one star, and it’s a NYT Critics’ Pick.
Part two was about Resto, located on East 29th St. This isn’t the greatest area for restaurants but places like Upland are making it better. Resto has been around for ten years but the menu was never overly intriguing (to this writer). Until now. Wells gave it two stars (which it already had), but his review made us want to go there.
He says of one dish: “You don’t often meet up with winter salads as dynamic as the one Ms. Grieveson puts together out of endive and celery root with mint, slivers of dried apricots and long twists of lamb bacon; the orange vinaigrette tasted like the sun coming out after a blizzard.” Sounds kind of perfect for right about now.
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