Now this is what I’m talking about! I’ve been meaning to eat here for years as Andrea and Trisha know. Just never made it in the past (didn’t have a reservation in time or just cancelled due to other commitments), but I finally made it. Went for the Degustation menu of course with the middle priced wine pairing. This is what I expect from a haute cuisine dining experience. The venue was elegant, service was fantastic (without getting as intrusively hovering as Le Cirque) and the food and wine (all French) were all very tasty and meticulously prepared.

By comparison, Le Cirque is a bit by the numbers and dated (although still excellent) and this was definitely at another level. The presentation of even just the butter and bread cart (not to mention the individual dishes of course) were fantastic. My favorite wine pairing was the Bordeaux with the wagyu and the least was the burgundy with the trio of dishes including seared foie gras and another of seared cod…an impossible pairing to do both justice IMO (the wine was delicious but just not optionally paired for my tastes). I was very fortunate to be seated next to another individual diner…a retired mathematician (decked out in a white silk jacket and bow tie… The rest of the diners were a mix of dressy to casual) from Colorado who was also here for DefCon. We had a fantastic time talking about food, wine, travels and life and the meal was far richer for the conversation. I can heartily recommend this place if you have the coin.