Cold Storage Disappoints Sula; Timeout Lauds 5 Rabanitos; More

Mike Sula thinks Cold Storage is a "surprising disappointment," given Boka Group's "consistent excellence." The raw bar connected to Swift & Sons features "perfectly shucked and brimming with liquor" oysters but the tiny red mullet, one of the daily catches, is an "unforgettable morsel." Elsewhere on the menu, "poorly executed" dishes are numerous: salmon-skin chicharrones taste "scorched, overburdened by a muddled spice blend" while "tough" octopus has "bitter burnt notes." Even sandwiches are a miss as they arrive on "overly doughy rolls" and contain "cold, leathery" fried clam strips "drowned" in tzatziki sauce and "acrid" walleye fillet. Sula says it's "by no means a bad restaurant," but it fails to live up to the standards set by Boka. [Reader]

New Mexican spot 5 Rabanitos is "providing delightfully comforting dishes with just the right amount of personality," writes Elizabeth Atkinson. Chef Alfonso Sotelo, a Xoco alum, delivers "flavorful and heartening" dishes like "refreshing and creamy" guac and delightful carnitas tacos. Other winners include the caldo de res—€”a "delicious" soup with braised short rib in a light Serrano chile broth—€”and an "amazingly juicy and tender" cochinita pibil. And no matter what you order, "you have to stay" for a "thick and spicy" champurrado for dessert. [TOC]

Boltwood is a "smart choice" for lunch thanks to its "seasonal, super-tasty dishes." Joanne Trestrail starts with triangles of sourdough bread with house-pickled vegetables for a "real treat." Vegan butternut squash soup is "richly flavored" while a "house sausage and lobster roll" contains no lobster but is served with "utterly delicious" crisp-fried potatoes. For veggie lovers, there's also a section devoted to "substantial" salads and dishes like "luscious" roasted baby carrots with horseradishy-ranch dressing and pepitas. [Crain's]