Week in Reviews for Josh's Deli and Buns & Buns

"Josh Marcus' little deli that could is refreshingly un-trendy. The food he's putting out is some of the very best of its kind," writes food critic Evan Benn, who, utterly won over by the restaurant, gives Josh's Deli a three-and-a-half star review. The only item that didn't impress Benn was a "clunker of a dish" lobster croquette, otherwise, he raves enthusiastically about everything mentioned.

Thick, crispy-on-the-outside, pillowy-on-the-inside latkes come unadorned or, on a recent Sunday, topped with house-cured, pastrami-spiced tuna, pickled onion and grated truffle. A thinner zucchini version features a dollop of tzatziki and bubbles of salmon roe for a bright, briny pop. Sorry, Mom, I'm going to Josh's for Hanukkah this year.

Calling the matzo ball soup "soul-nourishing," the eggs "cooked beyond reproach," and the Jewban sandwich "an epiphany," Benn arrives at the conclusion that "by breathing new life into classic comforts, Josh's Deli is doing everything right." [Miami.com]

Short Order Food critic Zachary Fagenson takes a thorough look into the recently opened Buns & Buns, and how it came to be. He writes:

Owner Alexandre Zibi, along with [Reuven] Sugarman, who was most recently executive chef at Richard Sandoval's Toro Toro at the InterContinental Miami, spent three weeks early last year traveling the world in search of inspiration, recipes, and techniques. Stopping in London, Istanbul, Bangkok, and Hong Kong, they wandered through markets, ate at pita stands in the Grand Bazaar, and visited pad thai stalls in rat-infested back alleys.

Though he seems to enjoy many of the dishes, Fagenson thinks they lean toward the heavier side. Like most of Buns & Buns' offerings," he writes of the spinach poofs, "it's a fat-on-fat dish that's decadent but screams for acid or anything fresh and snappy to cut the heaviness. Though advises that "closer attention must be paid to execution and balance," he also notes: "Buns & Buns' dedication is obvious. Lengthy, costly travels and several significant menu changes in the eatery's first months show the team wants to offer a fair-priced menu with a world of flavors created through bold combinations of homemade ingredients." [SO]
· 3.5 stars for unorthodox Josh's Deli in Surfside [Miami.com]
· Buns & Buns: Balance Could Lift Heavy, Rich Dishes [SO]
[Photo Courtesy of Buns & Buns]