The review shows that the author is a master of English, but just because he writes scathingly about Blakes, it does not mean it's a bad restaurant or one to walk by. Instead it exposes the author's own elitist and simple-minded worldview. 

I don't believe the author has a grudge against the restaurant like some think. It's his perceptions of the seeming incompatibility of the restaurateur's "global" aspirations with the grungy setup that seems to have turned him off. From the author's haute cuisine perspective, Blake's is a lame duck because it's built into a garage, there's Blake branded stuff everywhere, and one of the sophisticated recipes comes off as a cliche to him, all of these conflict with his prejudices about haute cuisine.

95% of G&M readers probably aren't haute cuisine diners and could care less that Blake's falls short in its reach for sophistication and open-mindedness in its offerings. Which is why I find reviews like this utterly useless.