LEO Weekly's Garr Knows Who David Chang Is (Also Likes MilkWood)

After spending seven paragraphs making it clear he knows who David Chang is (executive summary: Chang's not the chef of the restaurant being reviewed), LEO Weekly's Robin Garr tallies a 94 for Edward Lee's MilkWood. "We covered the table with nine small plates, and conversation soon gave way to inarticulate moans, munching sounds and 'nom nom nom.' Two links of coarsely ground Vietnamese lamb sausage ($8), split lengthwise, were seared rare and served in mint-scented pan drippings with a pair of crisp, light, bite-size grits cakes and a cumin-flavor green tomato relish. Romaine fresh and grilled ($7) featured a mix of tender grilled and crisp fresh lettuce dressed with tart-sweet grapefruit vinaigrette, soft ricotta, sunflower seeds and crunchy fried capers. The roasted veggie plate ($16) was a symphony of plant-based flavors: A crisp-fried block of marinated tofu wrapped in black nori seaweed perched on a cool cucumber salad plated on colorful orange sweet-potato puree and green tahini-nori sauce." [LEO Weekly]

While the online version again omits a rating, Marty Rosen's Louisville Courier-Journal review of Momma's Mustard, Pickles & BBQ launches with the question, "Is there anything more suspenseful for a diner than the first meal at a new barbecue joint?" Yes. Allotting just 30 seconds for the task, here's what this editor came up with (feel free to play along in the comments): wondering if that chicken bone's going to get dislodged, noticing a C health department rating while leaving a restaurant, being asked "did that just taste funny to you?," wondering why people eat at Buca di Bepo, watching the water level rise in a restaurant's toilet and reading a review of a restaurant you just ate at to find out if your meal was any good. As for the review itself, "Their beef brisket sports the tell-tale red ring that's pretty much the universal mark of quality (a generous sandwich, with two sides, $10, or a smaller slider, $3). Their pulled pork is chunky and flavorful ($8; $2). And the pulled chicken is as good as gold ($8; $2). Even more special is the smoked sausage, with its slightly spicy kick and the fine-grained texture of a hand-crafted artisanal product ($9 as an entree, though if you ask the friendly, accommodating servers, you can probably get a sample in the form of a slider)." [Louisville Courier-Journal]

·All Week In Reviews Coverage [~ELOU~]

[Photo: Courtesy Facebook/MilkWood]