The Other Critics

Bauer Still Loves the Supper-Clubby, Retro Air of Bix; Sweet Reviews Glen Ellen Star

The bar at Bix, which once was a downtown gay bar.
The bar at Bix, which once was a downtown gay bar. Photo: Chron

Michael Bauer returns to do an update review of Bix for today’s paper, and it’s the first time he’s given it an official update in ten years. Executive chef Bruce Hill is still overseeing the kitchen (in addition to his other restaurants Picco and Zero Zero), and Bauer says the food is still solid, though “not as compelling as it was a few years ago.” The bar still does great work, though, and even mixes him a decent Corpse Reviver No. 2 (his go-to cocktail), even though the server (gasp!) had never heard of it. And Bauer is charmed by the space, saying, “You almost expect Clark Gable and Carole Lombard to appear at any time,” and closing with an image of “Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier nuzzling in a corner booth.” He recommends the Little Gem salad, the trout salad, the spaghetti with lobster, and the “classic and satisfying” desserts. All told: They hold on to their three stars. [Chron]

And Carey Sweet takes the wine-country beat and reviews three-month-old Glen Ellen Star in Glen Ellen. She digs the place, and makes note that chef-owner Ari Weiswasser has an impressive resume that includes New York spots like Corton and Daniel, and that he’s recently settled in the small town after marrying into the Benziger family — his wife Erinn Benziger Weiswasser was a wine sales rep for her family’s winery when she met Weiswasser in New York. Sweet calls out the wood-oven roasted cauliflower and Romano beans, as well as a cassoulet of lamb and pole beans, and some bone-in pork ribs cooked overnight. There are some seasoning issues, and a pizza isn’t perfect, but she says the tiny restaurant has an “energetic buzz,” and she awards it two and a half stars. [Chron]

Bauer Still Loves the Supper-Clubby, Retro Air of Bix; Sweet Reviews Glen Ellen