I Like Frank Bruni

Frank Bruni, the new New York Times restaurant critic, is doing a wonderful job so far in his new role. He immediately won my favor when he reviewed, for his first review two weeks ago, my favorite restaurant in the world Babbo. I shared his sentiment when he wrote: "Among the restaurants that make my stomach do a special jig, Babbo ranks near the top." The line he draws between three star and four star dining--differentiated by service and ambience (the music at Babbo rocks a little too hardcore for Mr. Bruni) seems fair enough. I, of course, sit gladly on the three-star side of that line, but his explanation helps me understand what places like Per Se and Charlie Trotter's are going for in their approach.Today's review of Bouley knocked it from four-star status to three. I've never eaten there, so I can't weigh in, but I thought Bruni's final sentence was wonderfully evocative: "[Bouley] feels like an echo, or like embers: pleasant, warm and inviting, but without a crucial flame."Keep up the good work, Mr. B.