• Corby Kummer visits Somerville’s Journeyman seven months in and thinks that those who enjoy it appreciate “dinner as performance art.” This means “surrendering” oneself to that week’s menu; the chefs might model themselves after Grant Achatz, but their technique needs fine-tuning. An order of pork loin had “almost no flavor,” while fish in salmon, chives, and vichyssoise was “similarly bland.” Other dishes were “just plain odd.” Kummer kindly suggests that the chefs might entertain “an extended tryout” rather than the “weekly fiddling” with the menu. [Boston]
• Devra First would enjoy the small plates at 94 Mass Ave, if only they weren’t thrown at her. Here, “you help your server arrange and rearrange in a game of diner’s Tetris.” The mini-dishes are “tempting,” but tasting them all at once will give you a “stomach ache.” [Globe]
• Mat Schaffer joins the chorus of supporters heralding Brookline’s The Abbey, where “big-flavored, in-your-face cooking makes for good eating.” Meanwhile, the drinks roster is “accessible, affordable and smart.” But be forewarned: There’s a “no-desserts” policy. [Herald]
• Blue Stove is an OK place to take a break from the Burlington Mall, but it’s not a dining destination. Kathleen Burge finds the ahi stack with ponzu and crisp wontons “oversalted”; lump crab cakes with remoulade are “uninspiring.” But, hey, the Diet Coke is delivered in a carafe! [Globe]
• Alexandra Hall becomes peeved when Ten Tables JP offers to dollop her dreamy burger with an unwanted egg. Though she’s generally “rather a fan of eggs,” one shouldn’t have them foisted onto every dish, particularly when it makes “zero culinary sense.” She believes that “Boston chefs are more judicious than to blindly follow a national trend,” as our city’s made a name for itself as “stubborn” and “independent.” [Boston]
• Lindsay Crudele finds “paradise by the dashboard light” (but no meatloaf) at Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese food truck. Mac & Chorizo is a “slovenly sandwich” that induces sleep; a grilled cheesecake sandwich is slathered with something “creamy and delicious.” [Phoenix]
