Author: Rachel Willen

Rue Noir

July 17, 2013

A retro-chic steakhouse conjures 1930s France.

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Sette

May 2, 2013

Filippo Russo, a native Sicilian, cooked in Switzerland before emigrating to the U.S. and opening his highly regarded Somerville restaurant, Da Filippo's. His son, Allan, born in Switzerland, began his training at Da Filippo's at age 10. In 2009, Allan opened Sette, his own Italian restaurant in Bernardsville. He and his wife, Loredana, won a Civic Beautification Award for Sette this year. Reviewer Rachel Willen writes, "Like its opera soundtrack, Sette hits some spectacular high notes, but not consistently."

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Circa

April 2, 2013

"We wanted it to look and feel like it had been here forever, to fit in with the historic look of downtown High Bridge," Rudy Alvarez, general manager of Circa, told reviewer Rachel Willen over the phone, after her visits. He was referring mainly to the restaurant's decor, but also to its embrace of comfort food. Read Willens's assessment of how well Circa carries out its stated mission.

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Pumpkin Gingerbread Cheesecake by chef Rachel Willen, Chopped winner and head of the mobile cooking school FoodFixKitchen.com in Lebanon

Seen in: Eat & Drink, Recipe Box