Sietsema at Nicoletta, Rao at Ducks Eatery

Robert Sietsema visits Nicoletta in hopes that chef Michael White had made amends to all of the negative press: “I took another bite of that disappointing crust, and my mind went back to college: It tasted like the Tombstone frozen pizzas once served in Wisconsin bars and warmed in lightbulb cabinets.”

Tejal Rao checks in at Ducks Eatery, an Asian-Creole mash-up in the East Village. She reports that the restaurant “has a plucky sense of adventure that is often charming, and that occasionally leads to peril…A raw diver scallop ($8), shucked and sliced to order, gets lost in a sticky dressing tweaked with vanilla oil, green olives, and pearls of finger lime–the same elements composed with a touch more finesse could make a stronger case for their pairing.”

Pete Wells heads over to Yunnan Kitchen, a restaurant that takes a farmers’ market approach to the cuisine of Yunnan Province in China: “Mr. Post’s fresh, locavore sensibility leads to straightforward and uncomplicated cooking. In one key way this is a liability: nothing at Yunnan Kitchen builds to a pitch of flavor that makes you dream about your next visit.”

Michael Kaminer reviews Jezebel and gives them two out of five stars: “The most intriguing starter, a red snapper crudo with melon, lime, and jalapeño ($20) falls flat, spiky notes absent among polite flavors. Avocado pieces, not mentioned on the menu, reinforce an overall meh-ness.”

Steve Cuozzo is at Gaonnuri, an upscale Korean eatery in K-Town, where the view is absolutely spectacular: “Some dishes are as little as $12, but you’ll pay up to $33 for “single choice” seng galbi (short ribs) barbecue and $100 for ‘Course A.'”

Leo Carey for the New Yorker checks out Hospoda, a restaurant that serves up fancy Czech fare: “Goat cheese on a green salad is not baked or grilled but deliberately singed. Often somewhat conventional elements are given a surreal twist.”

Adam Platt gives three stars for Blanca: “I didn’t hear any real murmurs of approval from the assembled food geeks at the bar, however, until the arrival, about an hour into the meal, of Mirarchi’s version of beef carpaccio, which is sweetened with duck yolk and has the soft, melting consistency of a fine French crêpe.”