Compere Lapin Hits All The Right Notes; O'Brien's Grille is OK For The Westbank

This week, Helen Freund tackles the hot new Caribbean-Italian Warehouse District restaurant Compere Lapin: "The menu reads like an autobiography of Compton's kitchen life. There are French techniques honed during her formative years and a dedication to simple, quality ingredients that is unmistakably Italian, but it's also a testament to the flavors of the Caribbean — a nod to her upbringing in St. Lucia. The combinations are evident in delicately pickled mango wedges accompanying lip-numbing hot fried chicken, in golden-fried conch croquettes paired with tart pineapple tartar sauce, and in curried goat stew served with plantain gnocchi." [Gambit]

T-Fitz masters the compusult this week by awarding O'Brien's Grille the title of "probably the best restaurant on the West Bank... currently at low ebb in its restaurant population." Aside from the fact that one has to specially request their steak be served in the "distinctive local style, with sizzling butter," (and negative Hipness Points) O'Brien's gets props for being a decent steakhouse with "polished and imaginative" appetizers and a tasty sirloin strip. Apparently the height of the windows adds a "speakeasy vibe." Unsure if that's a complement, insult, or both. [City Business, subscription required]