Restaurant Critic Roundup: GQ Critic Alan Richman Takes Up Weekly Reviews

This week in restaurant news, GQ's food critic, Alan Richman, kicked off new weekly restaurant reviews (to be posted Mondays with a star rating) with his review of the new location of veteran Brooklyn restaurant, Franny's. In the 10 years since its opening just down the street, he says, "Nothing much has changed, although now you can reserve for parties of eight to 12. Come to think of it, that's a lot that has changed." 

Also in New York, critic Pete Wells tackles a notion that "there are people who believe that the Internet has made restaurant critics irrelevant." He calls attention to a tweet from ABC Cocina, this week's review spot for Wells, that read: "'abc cocina & michelin star chef jean-georges vongerichten welcome you to our modern global exchange celebrating local craft and international culture, a fusion of tradition and innovation uniting yesterday and tomorrow.'" "If that gives you a vivid picture of what is in store for you at this three-month-old establishment, stop reading and use the free time that now stretches out before you to do something nice for a stranger," he says, but "if, on the other hand, you found a few passages somewhat hazy, I'll be happy to do my job." 

In San Francisco, critic Michael Bauer reviews restaurant Chalkboard. "A feeling of deja vu crept into my mind as I entered the marble-topped bar at the new Chalkboard, which took the space of Healdsburg's four-star Cyrus restaurant," he says. "Some distinctive elements remained, but in what is a telling commentary on our times, Cyrus' elegant appointments had been changed or downplayed to create a much more casual vibe."

As always, the ratings range from stars to bells to beans, but every review offers specialized insight into the food, atmosphere, and service of eateries in each city's dining scene and the critics eating at them.

Restaurant Critic Roundup: 7/31/2013

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Tyler Sullivan is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter at @atylersullivan.