January 13, 2006

Colors is 'a handsome, proud-looking restaurant'

The New York Times' Frank Bruni pays an initial visit to Colors restaurant, a place that's too early to review, yet everyone's rooting for. From his story:

Colors is, in fact, a handsome, proud-looking restaurant, with the ambience of a subdued, glossy brasserie and, on one very long wall, a decorative detail that eclipses all others. It's a softly gleaming map of the world, made with mirrors, paint and fluted glass, continents stretched out horizontally, national borders indistinct.

And it's a metaphor that works in several ways. I couldn't help thinking of it as a hopeful symbol of harmony and unity, a counterpoint to the impulses and enmities behind Sept. 11. It's also a complement to the restaurant's name, which refers to the ethnic diversity of the workers, and to its culinary approach, which is steadfastly international.

Among the appetizers is a salad with chicken and green papaya that nods to Thailand. Spring rolls with shellfish and a tamarind and basil dipping sauce are named for another Asian country - they're called Philippine lobster lumpia. And just a few dishes lower on the menu falls a squash and mushroom risotto with figs and Parmesan: an Italian moment.

January 13, 2006 07:09 PM in Downtown, Foodology

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