Steady as M. Wells Goes

When Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis opened M. Wells in Long Island City, Queens in 2010, they did so without a long-term lease. Longevity wasn't an option, but the married couple opened anyway because they lived across the street and had faith in their community. When news began to spread that the diner was actually closing, the public became curious to see the couple's next move. There was talk of a steak house and catamaran in LIC, but M. Wells Dinette, their cafeteria-style restaurant at MoMA PS1, came first. Just as Sam Sifton awarded M. Wells two stars in April last year, Pete Wells gives M. Wells Dinette two stars today.

The lunch only, schoolhouse dinette pays homage to the building's former identity as a school. As far as what's going on in the kitchen, Wells has this to say, "A native of Quebec, Mr. Dufour learned his blithe disregard for moderation while cooking at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, where he was also the pastry chef and an owner. Most of the time, his celebration of the unbridled joy of eating like a lumberjack is so convincing that I’d be prepared to split cordwood all day just to earn the right to pull up a chair."

There are a few misses at M. Wells Dinette, but nothing Dufour's otherwise sturdy repertoire and pastry chef Bethany Costello's deft touch with seasonal fruits can't make up for.