The Other Critics

Kauffman’s Not In Love With the New Citizen Cake; Reidinger Revisits Limon

Jonathan Kauffman writes of Citizen Cake’s move up to Pac Heights, “Delay aside, all the signs boded well. And then I had a few meals at the new place, each one leaving me bemused and somewhat taken aback.” His first dig is at the too-spare design, going so far as to draw unfavorable comparisons to the brand new, competing, next-door pastry shop Jane, and saying its charming design “strikes me as the setting I’ve always wanted for Falkner’s cakes.” Yikes. He goes on to describe several of chef de cuisine Amy Glaze’s dish as bland, even though they seem sophisticated on the surface. And he notes the one vegetarian entrée, “a mound of red quinoa smothered in sautéed greens, butternut squash, and cipollini ($16), was the kind of thing that excited vegetarians in 1973.” But he rather likes the fried chicken Cobb sandwich and the short rib stroganoff, and he’s totally pleased once he moves on to dessert — especially Falkner’s chocolate and salted-caramel tart, and her new layered “verrines,” with mousse etc. in little clear plastic cups. [SF Weekly, Unterman’s earlier, gushier take]

And our trusty pal Reidinger heads over to Limon to gush about their rotisserie chicken, “The juiciness surely had to do in part with the marinade, whose undisclosed ingredients had to include lemon and garlic, along with (I’m guessing now) cumin and paprika. Nothing about the bird seemed complex or exotic yet the result was sublime.” He says their ceviches are all too salty, but he also likes the seco de costillas “boneless flaps of braised (beef) short rib in a sauce dotted with carrots and peas,” and the chocolate bandido on the dessert menu. [SFBG]

Kauffman’s Not In Love With the New Citizen Cake; Reidinger Revisits Limon