Yvonne's, City Streets, Armando's Pizza: Reviewed

Yvonne's is the place to be, according to The Boston Globe's Devra First. Original touches from the restaurant's predecessor, Locke-Ober, remain, and the place draws a crowd with its atmosphere and sharable dishes.

The flavors of Yvonne's pumpkin hummus "work well together," First said, and the accompanying dips and toppings for the chicken and quinoa meatballs invigorate the dish. First said the stacked shrimp were perfectly cooked and the grilled octopus was "light and bright."

On the larger side, sharable entrees include the grilled "viper" chop, which First said was excellent with its "spicy, compelling Korean sauce on the side." She praised the "skilled and hospitable bartenders" and the "well-informed servers," noting: "Yvonne's is the rare establishment that succeeds in bridging the divides between bar, restaurant, and club."

Comfort food reigns at City Streets Restaurant in Waltham, according to the Globe's Ellen Bhang, who found the 100-seat restaurant packed on a recent Thursday night. The style of food — "pub-grub and American comfort" — is the same as the former location of City Streets, but the new place comes with a bigger kitchen space.

Assorted appetizers are shareable plates, and a French onion soup "offers a savory, warming starter," Bhang said.

The restaurant's mac and cheese is made with Gruyere and white cheddar, and "you can tell a great deal of care goes into making" it, she said, also noting that the steak fries, though made from frozen spuds, are crispy and take top spot over the "City Strings" julienned sweet potato fries.

The pizza at Armando's in Cambridge is "among the best," as Marc Hurwitz wrote in Dig Boston. The storefront for Armando's Pizza & Subs is tiny and unassuming, but once inside, customers find two types of pizza to enjoy: "a terrific foldable New York-style thin-crust pie" and a Sicilian-style pizza covered in cheese, comparable in amount to Galleria Umberto in the North End.

Hurwitz likened the thin-crust to Santarpio's but said the Armando's pie is "not quite as heavy on the sauce...and the crust here has a bit more of a crunch to it."

The pizza place flies under the radar, but Hurwitz said: "if you like pizza (and who doesn't), definitely check out this little jewel of a place."