BoHo Puts Czech Cooking on the Map; mfk.'s Simplicity Shines; More

The dishes at Bohemian House feel "intensely personal" and is "serious, thought-provoking food" that's "approachable," according to Amy Cavanaugh. There are "hearty" beef pierogi to start, "generously stuffed" with roasted carrots, pickled onions and sour cream, as well as a "standout" plate of slow-roasted beets that's a "study in textures." Entrees include a "surprisingly light" but "satisfying" spaetzle tossed with corn, pickled garlic and beef tongue, and delicious chicken paprikash served with bread dumplings, pickled peppers and kale. For dessert, caramelized plum kolacky are a "worthy ending to the meal." [TOC]

Simplicity stars at mfk. as the menu "testif[ies] to the virtues of leaving good stuff alone." Mike Sula lauds the kitchen for having the "good sense not to obscure the attributes" of salt-cured anchovies and letting the "firm, sweet, natural qualities" of head-on shrimp shine. In fact, the shrimp heads are "full of hot, sweet viscera you'd be mistaken not to vacuum out," and the crustaceans also appear in a bouillabaisse with fatty cobia collar that "beg to be sucked clean." Among the few non-seafood options, the 18-ounce steak for two is "the most remarkable dish" on the menu with a "buttery texture and a jacket of precious fat that you'd deserve to be jailed for leaving behind." [Reader]

Even though Lee Wolen is gone, The Lobby continues to impress and receives a four-star rating from Joanne Trestrail. The seasonal menu offers a honeydew melon consume with thin curls of Serrano ham that's a "masterful cold soup, perfect on a hot summer day." A meaty lobster roll is a "decadent treat" and the shellfish is also highlighted on a "glamorous" lobster Cobb salad with bacon, quail egg, tomato and avocado. Entrees include an "earthy but refined" version of roasted Amish chicken leg, while desserts like the rum-soaked almond cake with rum-raisin ice cream are a "strong suit, worth lingering over." [Crain's]