The Payoff: Ilili

In tomorrow’s Times, Frank Bruni awards one star to Ilili:

In addition to its considerable charms, intermittent disappointments and svelte-letter palindrome of a name, the new restaurant Ilili presents a case study: how do you try to turn a medium-profile cuisine into a big-time event?

The answer isn’t revelatory to anyone who’s been foraging in trendy, splashy New York restaurants in recent years.

You throw foie gras at the problem. Raw tuna, too. You write a menu that permits diners to build a nibble-of-this, nibble-of-that meal from a lengthy succession of small plates. You add pulsing music and lavish décor.

For what it’s worth, this review may have set a record for the earliest posting in the Bruni era: it was on the Times website before 6:00 p.m., about 3–4 hours earlier than usual.

After a three-week losing streak, we decided to throw out all the BruniTrends^®, and just went with our gut. As a result, the streak ends: we win $2, while Eater has now lost two in a row.

	Eater		NYJ
Bankroll	$64.50		$77.67
Gain/Loss	–1.00		+2.00
Total	$63.50		$79.67
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Won–Lost	28–13		29–12