The Payoff: Varietal

As expected, the Brunmeister awarded one star to Varietal. As expected, he found the food uneven. As expected, he found it “a province of aggressive experimentation and eccentric, highfalutin name tags.” (“Highfalutin” is one of Frank’s favorite words to describe restaurants too clever for their own good.)

He was less taken with the desserts than some other critics, which I should have expected. Bruni will lament that avant-garde cuisine doesn’t have much of a toe-hold in New York, but when someone actually tries something, invariably he isn’t enthused. Jordan Kahn’s creations “will definitely get your attention. Your affection is another matter.”

Eater and I both took the one-star bet at 3–1 odds, winning $3 apiece.

	Eater		NYJ
Bankroll	$7		$11
Gain/Loss	+$3		+$3
Total	+$10		+$14
*
Won–Lost	4–1		4–1