Critics’ choice

Best new “Bar” that’s really a restaurant
Bar Blanc
Bar Boulud, Bar Blanc, BarFry, Tokyo Bar and noodle bars galore: It’s become increasingly popular to give boozy names to food-first establishments. Perhaps they sound more accessible, or maybe just more fun. Of them all, Bar Blanc is the one that’s raised the (ahem) bar the highest. Chef César Ramirez, a veteran of some of New York and Chicago’s top restaurants (Bouley, Tru), serves delicate creations with a minimalist bent, yet still uses a diverse range of flavors. In one dish, he pairs the world’s juiciest sweetbreads with a thin slice of pressed rabbit confit and ricotta cream, ringed by tiny pickled mushroom caps; in another, massive sea scallops are brightened with orange zest and a shallot chutney. Sure, you could go there for just a drink, but that would be a little bar-barous.

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