Cavanaugh is Divided on Tippling Hall's Expansive Menu; Nagrant Loves Charlatan's Pastas; More

Tippling Hall is "trying to be everything to everyone" and that results in some hits and misses. Amy Cavanaugh raves about the "delicious and really fun to drink" Deep Dish Manhattan that smells like pizza and "falls together in perfect balance." Other winners include the Grumpy Cat, the "Stiegl Radler of cocktails," and good Juju, a "pleasant" tiki-esque drink with a "fiery end." But Misty in the Mountains, made with beets, mescal, pineapple, ginger and honey, is "so thick is need[s] a run through a strainer," while the food dishes Cavanaugh tries offers "zero hits." [TOC]

Michael Nagrant writes that Charlatan is a "neighborhood gem serving incredible pastas," but service and a few dishes "need a little more tweaking" to reach the heights of its sibling spot Three Aces. "Moist meatballs the size of tennis balls" are nestled in al dente spaghettini and a "rich, comforting red sauce," but the best pasta on the menu is tossed with "meaty and dry like a great jerky" pumpkin chips, crumbles of blue cheese and a kale and walnut pesto. However, a skate wing dish includes two piece of "bone dry" fish and garnishes on the Slagel Farms beef carpaccio don’t "deliver nearly enough seasoning for the plate." For drinks, the "satisfying" Pinky Ring is a mix of gin and Escorial with lemon and spearmint notes. [RedEye]

Lockwood’s lunch menu is worth a try despite some flawed dishes, according to Joanne Trestrail. A "homey" chicken noodle soup is a nice starter, while a savory tart turns out to be a large pizza with a "tough crust not worth of its delicate topping[s]." A salad of bib lettuce and shellfish is another "misfire," full of "flaccid, fishy-tasting" scallops but an entrée of salmon with raw asparagus salad is "terrific, the flavors fresh and the textures spot-on." A "generously sized" burger is also "great" and a "better choice" than the "heavy and unclubby" club sandwich stuffed with Swiss cheese, turkey, bacon, sunflower sprouts and slice of tomato. [Crain’s]