Critics’ choice

Best little restaurant that could
Shorty’s.32
When chef Josh Eden left the highfalutin Jean-Georges Vongerichten camp last year, his first solo move was a surprising one: He opened this casual 32-seat restaurant. The unassuming front belies the quality of Eden’s food; it’s comforting, all right, but also skillfully executed and elegantly presented. Neat cubes of short ribs glisten with jus, and roasted chicken is a marvel of crisp skin and moist meat. The result is a neighborhood bistro that far surpasses the genre’s expectations. It’s a feat that won Shorty’s critical attention—including four stars from TONY—and a flurry of local disciples who might balk if they were ever to spot a truffle shaving in Eden’s excellent, no-frills mac and cheese. That’s devotion.

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