No. 9 Park a "Work in Progress" and Other Reviews

"No. 9 Park feels like it's in search of a new identity," says Boston Magazine's Corby Kummer, but it's "not there yet." Now in its fifteenth year, Barbara Lynch's former flagship (that mantle now belongs to Menton, says Kummer), has a new chef de cuisine in the form of "house-grown talent" Scott Jones. Meals are still "memorably good" and the restaurant "still turns out superlative pasta," but it is a "work in progress" until Jones "comes into focus as a chef who owns the menu." Kummer clearly looks forward to that future as he calls Jones's banishment of sous-vide cooking "refreshing" and hails future plans that will "let [Jones] work with guests to tailor menus that will suit both them and him" as his "best idea." [BG]

Though persistent problems with their pizza ovens have prevented her from trying any of their pizza, Devra First reviews Nebo and grants two of four possible stars. The newly relocated Greenway restaurant "is in flux," and there are many "dishes here in need of attention," the Globe reviewer says. One example: a "winning" zucchini lasagna doesn't have enough salt and was once "served still cold at the center." The absent pizza? The restaurant tells First it will be available "by the end of the week," a declaration some guests have told Eater they first heard more than a month ago. [BG]

Bibim, a Korean spot that has opened in the location of the former Color in Allston, gets a very favorable writeup in the Globe's Cheap Eats column. Editor Sheryl Julian says the mother and son team behind it "redefine what a mom and pop restaurant can be." Julian praises the lack of Americanization on the menu and recommends kimchee pancakes that are "filled with spectacularly spicy fermented cabbage." A "homey dish" called bundae or "army stew" — which includes Vienna sausage, Spam, and ramen — "is what you would eat if you lived in Korea," according to an expert guest of Julian's. [BG]

Allan Rodriguez's second restaurant, El Centro Dos in Brookline, receives a positive review in the Improper. Among Donna Garlough's recommendations from the "pages-long" menu are sopes: a "corn dough tartlet" served in a cast-iron skillet under lettuce and cheese. "The sharp contrast between the cool toppings and ... sweet corn fritter make it one of the ... stars." Unlike the South End original, this location has a full liquor license, but it "seems a shame" that the drink list is "relatively simple." [Improper]

"Execution has been sloppy" at Chestnut Hill's Shake Shack, says blogger PigTrip. Citing inconsistency and a lack of proper searing, he finds that the burgers are still "good to very good, but short of the greatness" found at the New York and Connecticut locations. The shakes are "nothing I'd call special," but the custards are "very special" with "extraordinary flavors, smooth-as-silk consistency and a richness that easily trumps ice cream." [Pigtrip]