The New York Times still hasn't tapped a permanent replacement for departed restaurant critic Sam Sifton, but Eric Asimov, who doled out two stars to Manhattan's Salinas on Tuesday, will be filling until they do. It doesn't mean a satisfying end to the foodie guessing game, but at least they won't  have to forego reviews like they (pretty much) did last week. As The Times points out in Diner's Journal, Asimov filled in for William Grimes in 2002 when the then-critic took some leave. Asimov is currently The Times's wine critic, but he's also the creator of the paper's $25 and Under restaurant reviews, which he wrote from 1992 until 2004. As recession-hit tipplers, we look forward to hearing about cheap restaurants with great wine under Asimov's watch.

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Adam Martin