Luke O'Neil Won't Return to Gem

For the Metro's Thursty column, Luke O'Neil reviews the newly opened Gem. Despite the setting, "an exceptionally gorgeous, luxe lounge," it's still Boston, so there are some drunk dudes yelling at the TV. The staff remains polite despite a reminder about dress code and there are "literally the most comfortable bar seats I can remember," yet O'Neil won't be back, largely due to the ritzy vibe and $7 Coronas. He's pleased to see cocktails like the Aviation, a Blood and Sand variation and a (hard-shaken) Sazerac at the bar, but he's bummed to see that most people aren't drinking them. "If only great-looking, potentially amazing spaces like this could put some of their money into improving the general public's drinking taste." [Metro]

Globe restaurant critic Devra First reviews not one but two sushi restaurants this week, and doesn't really like either. South Boston's Moko gets but one star and Fuji at Kendall in Cambridge fares little better, earning one and half. At Fuji, "General Gao’s chicken is inedible, all breading around the tiniest nubbin of meat." Inedible and nubbin: not words a restaurant wants to read in its review. Here's another: "Moko’s rice is gummy." Both serve as reminders that "pretty decor doesn’t always mean better food." [BG]

Globe food editor Sheryl Julian reviews Darul Kabab for the latest Cheap Eats column. The Bangladeshi Porter Square restaurant was once a KFC. After that, it was a Banjo’s Roast Beef. The banjos stayed on the walls. In addition to the decor, Darul Kabab's menu likewise has a split identity, corresponding to a generation gap. This "is where birya­ni meets burgers," says Julian, but when she samples a dish called pizza kebab made with naan, she declares "If this is what the kids dine on while their parents eat biryani, it’s no contest who’s better off." [BG]

Crystal of Heart n' Stomach weighs in on the recently opened dwelltime, a Cambridge coffeeshop which debuted last week. But does Cambridge really need another coffeeshop? Yes, she says, noting that dwelltime "sets itself apart in a few ways." Her chief evidence is the space's layout, with its circular bar, distinctive stations for pour over and espresso and "exhibition-style kitchen." And the coffee? "My husband’s pour over was smooth and balanced and my short cap... was rich with just the right amount of cream and acidity." [Hn'S]

BostonZest takes its first trip to Jody Adams' Trade, despite apprehension about the much-discussed high noise levels. Ennobled by positive reviews, they confront their fears, and are rewarded by the "deep, rich flavor profiles" of an eggplant small plate and a lamb flatbread: "both were outstanding." A good sauce overwhelms a plate of head-on shrimp, and "even with an empty room, the music was not to our taste." The review ends with a suggested theme night: quiet. [BostonZest]