Egg in a Jar Takes The Cake at West Bridge

STUFF restaurant critic MC Slim JB assess the new West Bridge in Kendall Square, "a terrific independent effort doing original, French-leaning, locally sourced New American cuisine." Slim dubs the craft-cocktail program "first-rate" thanks to concoctions like the Wheelwright, "a superb aperitif made with fino sherry, Dolin bianco, Galliano liqueur (which lends a radioactive yellow tint)." The food's not bad, either. A dish of dandelion greens, duck confit and gooseberries is "a minor symphony," but the winner is, surprisingly, an item called "egg in a jar." The combination of poached duck egg with pomme purée, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and crisp chicken skin is "slightly absurd in its faint echoes of baby food" but "Maybe infantilization is the point: this dish can make you coo like a contented newborn." [STUFF]

For the Phoenix, Robert Nadeau reviews Tonic in JP, giving it two stars. Readers also learn Mrs. Nadeau was once asked 'How did a cupcake like you end up with an unmade bed like him [Mr. Nadeau]?' That being said, the Unmade Bed thinks Tonic is "brilliant" but "erratic." There are "visually arresting dishes" like a beet salad "presented like a scorpion roll" but the parsnip chowder is "just hot milk filled with tiny cubes of parsnip that have no flavor." Nadeau's favorite item: "hearty double pork chop ($18) with some molasses glaze and sweet-potato fries." [BP]

Globe food editor Sheryl Julian just adores the new Otto in Coolidge Corner. Her requests for "Girlie beer" are nailed on multiple occasions, causing her to marvel at the staff: "Who trained these folks? Because whoever did, well, I’d like to give you a list of restaurants that need you." The salad is surprisingly good given the emphasis on pizza, and the pizza is generally very good: "roasted tomato, ricotta, and basil ($21 and $12) is divine, the rich red fruit perfect with warm ricotta." [BG]

Richard Chudy's Man Food column on Chowder tackles the new, to-go lunch option at Hungry Mother known as "Backdoor BBQ." This is stripped down dining: the only option is a "North Carolina-style, cole slaw-topped pulled pork sandwich" served on a slices from "a homemade Pullman loaf," to which you can choose to add a bag of Wachusett Chips, a can of RC Cola, or one of the "over-sized house-made triple chocolate chip cookies." It works: "The real surprise is the balance and abundance of flavors that are packed into such a seemingly simple sandwich. " [Chowder]

The Globe's Short Orders section also weighs in on Hungry Mother's Back Door BBQ, noting the long line and observing that "The interplay between smoke and brine makes this a standout." As a result, "You could inhale this sandwich." With the rise of Southern cooking and barbecue, a growing preference for comfort food over haute cuisine, and a trend in non-traditional meals from full-scale restaurants (i.e. pop-ups), it seems chef Barry Maiden has found a cozy niche. [BG]