Sula Gives Intro More Accolades; TOC Says The Betty Needs Work; More

If C.J. Jacobson’s run is any indication, then Mike Sula thinks Intro "can be every bit as important as L2O once was." The west-coast chef "brings some desperately needed sunshine" with a "delicate" dish of avocado, radish and fresh fluke bathing in an "intensely green" liquid infused with Douglas fir needles and droplets of Korean chili paste. A second course of fluffy riced potatoes with chicken skin and potato topped with chicken stock, butter and mugwort is a "heavy but delicious dish," while sturgeon fillet with chorizo is balanced with kumquat coins lending an "intense acidity" that cuts through the richness. Dessert is a bit confusing as the flavors on the chocolate ganache ice cream covered in juniper-infused kombucha snow are "interesting and delicious, yet so at odds with the others none of it made much sense together on the plate." [Reader]

"There’s still a substantial amount of work to do" before the Betty reaches its potential.The new Fulton Market bar offers Amy Cavanaugh a puzzling $16 gin and tonic, which she has to mix herself tableside. The rest of the cocktail menu also "has more $13 misses" like La Grande Dame that "has too many flavors going on that don’t coalesce into something you want to drink," and a cobbler that’s predominately sherry on one visit and apple brandy on another. There are some hits though: a "very pleasant" Life During Wartime drink is "dry and herbal" while the food menu includes "well-made" potato and mushroom pierogis as well as clams in a "flavorful" tomato fennel broth with buttery shrimp. [TOC]

The Brass Monkey is a delightful blast form the past, writes Heather Schroering. The restaurant features a ‘70s-inspired munchies menu full of retro bites. Fish sticks are "indeed fishy" but won’t invoke memories of the frozen variety and the cheese ball is "creamier than the standard store-bought party food," served with Ritz crackers and a pepper jelly. Truffle-mushroom pizza is a bed of "pillowy" French bread and arugula under a "melty cheese blanket," while drinks like the "delicious and dangerous" Tang cocktail and the Heavy Wallbanger, which tastes like a "dreamy milk chocolate-covered orange," are top notch. Everything from the "décor to the menu to the vinyl library" is "well thought-out" and anyone looking for a trip down memory lane will appreciate the space. [RedEye]