'Destination Delicatessen' & More in This Week's Reviews

Greater Boston now has "a destination delicatessen," writes MC Slim JB in a glowing review of Moody's Delicatessen & Provisions for The Improper Bostonian. The Waltham shop, which includes space for wholesale production, offers "a breathtaking range of cold cuts, pâtés, sausages and other pickled, cured, smoked and/or fermented foodstuffs," not to mention the sandwiches. There's the "absolutely sublime rendition" of a corned beef sandwich, for example, or the banh mi, "the goateed-Spock version of the light, veggie-centric Vietnamese original." Prices can be "occasionally eye-popping" but partly explained by high production costs and careful sourcing. [TIB]

For the Globe, Kara Baskin gives a "Quick Bite" overview of the new il Casale Cucina Campana + Bar in Lexington. She finds the place "jam-packed on a sunny weekday evening" and enjoys the "witty repartee" of Joanne, "a vivacious bartender." Bocconcini di San Giuseppe, a dessert of cream-filled fritters and cherries, "is a signature." [BG]

Devra First files a double review in the Globe for siblings AK Bistro (Franklin) and Artistry on the Green (Lexington), granting each restaurant two stars out of four ("good.") There are various hiccups at each, "but they are run with professionalism, decorated with good taste, and staffed by serious chefs." One highlight is Artistry on the Green's "excellent" roasted duck breast, which is "everything it should be." [BG]

Zagat's Scott Kearnan provides a "Cheat Sheet" on Trophy Room, which recently opened in the South End, and finds an "open and welcoming" vibe ("literally") with plenty of "fresh air and natural light," thanks to giant retractable windows. He's "drunk in love with drunken mussels," which come in a "heaping bowl," but honey-bourbon steak tips arrive "very well done - by well-done standards." While there are some "early service kinks," it's shaping up to be "a compelling package at a price point that invites frequent visits." [Zagat]