Liquid Art House, Noor Mediterranean Grill, and More Get Reviewed

In the new issue of The Improper Bostonian, MC Slim JB gives a fairly glowing review of Liquid Art House, noting, though, that it is "probably too esoteric and pricey for most middlebrow patrons." It's aimed more at "aesthetes who can appreciate and afford its determinedly modern, exquisitely wrought creations," which include "modernist-leaning, exquisitely plated food" from executive chef Rachel Klein as well as "mad scientist creations" and "more sedate French-inspired classics" from "brilliant pastry chef" Giselle Miller. (A dark cocoa-nib chocolate soufflé with peppermint anglaise is what Slim "imagine[s] is what Girl Scout Thin Mints taste like in heaven.") Other favorites include the "fabulous crisp-skinned" duck confit and the "extraordinary" rotisserie Green Circle half-chicken. [TIB]

For the Globe, Devra First heads out to Providence and touches on Birch, Ken's Ramen, North Bakery, Wurst Kitchen, The Grange, and Salted Slate. Highlights include the "lovely and strange" compositions at Birch, including a combination of corn, squid, horseradish, and cherry blossoms, "a contrast of flavors and textures so novel it almost makes you laugh when you take the first bite"; "modern" vegetarian food at The Grange (which seems to have been "decorated by hobbits with excellent design sense"); and the ramen at Ken's Ramen, which features "broth so thick and rich it seems to have its own life essence." [BG]

For the Globe's "Cheap Eats" column, Sheryl Julian visits Somerville's Noor Mediterranean Grill and finds that the food "could be going onto tables at a much fancier spot." Co-owner Arsen Karageozian is an alum of the luxurious Hotel InterContinental in Beirut. Try the saj filled with falafel, an "extraordinary packet": "crisp, golden balls, flecked with lots of parsley...nestled on the bread with a creamy tahini sauce and long, deliciously sour pickles." [BG]

It's not so much a review as a highlighting of dishes to try, but Zagat recommends eight dishes at Wink & Nod, which has a new culinary program helmed by Bread and Salt Hospitality. The tomato consomme, for example, is "a four-way win" (but get it while you can, because tomato season is ending.) Also, there's a "show stopping" andouille sausage, a "luscious as butter" monkfish brandade, and a "superb" peaches and corn dessert. [Zagat]