Le Perigord

405 East 52nd Street, New York NY 10022 (map); 212-755-6244 ; http://www.leperigord.com/cms/
Service: The classic Continental model
Setting: Despite looking a bit worn, the room is brightened by freshly cut roses at each table
Compare to:Le Cirque, La Grenouille
Cost: Three courses, $32

Le Perigord is remarkable in that it has remained impervious to any food trend that has surfaced in the four decades since it opened its doors. It is unrepentantly traditional, offering classic French cuisine with service to match. The room, which was last renovated at the end of the last century when the famously short ceiling was raised by several feet, seems even older than its years. All about it, the relics of formal dining abound—dessert trolleys and cold buffets, white tablecloths and grand souffles.

The duck is still carved and crisped table-side over open flames by aging waiters in once-prim white jackets. They have worked there for decades, the restaurant aging along with them—both becoming gray and somewhat battered. Longtime owner Georges Brigue will still greet you at the door, his voice now a faint whisper. One wonders if it was the Gitanes. But despite the age there are two things that remain bright and vibrant—the fresh roses on the tables and the food that comes out of the kitchen.

The room might have seen better days, but the standards on the the plate remain intact.

Les petoncles au rizoto—Sea scallops with risotto.

A creamy dollop of risotto comes surrounded by a heap of succulent scallops, redolent with garlic and butter. The little scallops burst with flavor, with the slightly al dente risotto adding a nutiness and textural contrast.

Tarte aux légumes au beurre acidulé—vegetable tart with tangy butter sauce.

The vegetable tart is unexpectedly light and airy, despite the fact that it looks like a dense quiche and comes swimming in a butter sauce. Delicate layers of zucchini and carrot come under a burnished, cheesy canopy, the crust almost croissantlike.

Le boeuf Bourguignon

A rousing rendition of beef Bourguignon, a dish that always tastes far better than it looks, is the perfect bulwark against the impending cold outside. The hearty stew comes strewn with fork tender hunks of beef, buttery potatoes and carrots larded by smoky chunks of pork belly.

Filet d'agneau Barigoule—loin of lamb Barigoule.

Order the lamb medium rare and it will come with a crisp crust and a rosy pink center; scented with harissa, it evokes Morocco and Algeria, a nod to France's colonial past.

But be sure to save room for dessert—served from the pastry trolley, which trundles awkwardly through the dinning room, its contents teetering precariously. Chocolate mousses, berry tarts, and, of course, the floating island are all present and correct.

Here's a secret: Eat lunch on the later side, and you will be the recipient of extremely generous portioning. The freshness and lightness of the desserts indicates that they don't sit around; dinner services require the cart to be restocked so you will likely end up with several desserts on your plate.

Le Perigord really is a gem of a restaurant. While one might expect, given the rather worn nature of its confines and the elderly state of its staff and indeed clientele, that the cuisine might be a tired rendition of traditional themes, it is actually vibrant and flavorful. The execution honors the tradition of French fine dining and the restaurant's history.

Aureole

135 West 42nd Street, New York NY 10036 (map); 212-319-1660;
Service: Top-notch
Setting: A sleek, modern room, and a respite from the bustle of Times Square
Cost: 3-course prix fixe, $34

I learned how to box at the Times Square Gym, which used to be located above a dry cleaners in a condemned building a few doors down from where Aureole now stands. The gym was run by Jimmy Glenn, who also owns Jimmy's Corner—a dive bar on 44th Street which is one of the last places you can still get an honest drink in Midtown. The gym is long gone, losing a battle with developers back in the 1990's who imagined (and then actualized) the towering edifices that replaced it.

Times Square is a lot tamer these days, with Charlie Palmer's Aureole replacing Tad's Steaks as the most expensive meal on the block. Surprisingly, despite enduring some grueling sparring sessions in the ring, by far my toughest opponent in Times Square to date was the piece of pork I ate at Aureole for lunch today.

Things started off well enough. The dining room is modern and sleek, the service effusive, bordering on the doting. It is a relaxing place to dine, away from the hustle and bustle of 42nd Street. Bread service offers a wealth of options in seemingly limitless quantities—though that didn't really make up for the postage stamp-sized portion of Spanish Mackerel escabeche. It was admittedly delicious—the "fishiness" of the oily Mackerel kept in check by the preparation, the sweetness and spice of the accompanying piquillo peppers and a sourness from the celery confit adding balance to the dish. But the portioning was more amuse than appetizer-sized; I worried about the size of the main and wondered if I shouldn't order a cheeseburger on the side. (Aureole reportedly has a very good one, that I have been meaning to try for A Hamburger Today)

And then came the pork strip loin. The serving size was decent enough, obscuring the dollop of Swiss chard beneath. The huge slab of potato gratin that came on the side was more than generous and expertly prepared—creamy and tender. The cinnamon-infused apple cider jus added a spicy, autumnal evocation to the dish, whose flavors were well balanced.

But the pork itself was mercilessly tough. Not dried out, as you might imagine, but tough nonetheless. Which was too bad, considering that I liked the flavors on the plate—the dish was well conceived but poorly executed.

To finish things off, I had the rather dense and sticky steamed chocolate gingerbread which was elevated by the tart port-poached figs and the genius inclusion of clotted cream—the best use of a dairy product, in my estimation.

The extras—a generous (and limitless) selection of breads and some after-dessert cookies add some value, but not quite enough.

Had the pork been the succulent, melt-in-your-mouth experience I had hoped for, I still think that I would be hard-pressed to recommend Aureole for lunch when one can get do better for less money.

Geisha

33 East 61st Street, New York NY 10065 (map); 212-813-1113; geisharestaurant.com
Service: Perfectly satisfactory
Setting: Sleek modern room, vaguely evocative of Japan, I suppose.
Cost: Three courses, $29

Geisha is looking a bit ragged these days. The stitching on my chic leather place mat had a loose thread that I couldn't help twirling around my finger; the table underneath rocked precariously back and forth until my waiter wedged a napkin underneath to steady it. (I am surprised that there isn't a universally employed solution to this problem. I wonder how many napkins are wasted each year trying to steady un-steady tables.)

There is an ambivalence at Geisha that seems to permeate both the service and the food. The room is a sleek modern affair, vaguely evocative of Japan, but one that could be almost anywhere but Japan—Dubai, Las Vegas, an airport somewhere. There is something rather cynical about the lunch menu as well. It offers fairly pedestrian mains—chicken, salmon or vegetable noodles—where similarly priced lunch deals offer far more interesting ingredients. For example, there is some very fine Wagyu beef on the menu, but none of that finds its way on to the lunch menu—not even in the form of the Wagyu fried rice, one of the restaurant's best bites. But the restaurant's supposed strength, sushi, is not represented on the lunch special but for a solitary roll.

A generous half-dozen fried oysters are offered at lunch. I have had them before and greatly enjoyed the crisply fried parcels that come served over a creamy sriracha-infused sauce. Not this time. They were overcooked, the crust saturated with frying oil, the innards somehow arid. The oil tasted a little old, masking the taste of the oysters themselves. A disappointment. If only as much attention had been paid to their preparation as to their presentation.

A nice-sized hunk of Atlantic salmon was redolent with miso and served a perfect-pink medium rare, the exterior exhibiting a pleasing crispness. Best of all, though, were the buttery slivers of Shiitake mushroom stashed under the fish that brought earthy notes to the oceanic dish.

To finish things off, a coconut blanc-manger with chocolate shavings—the cloudlike dessert almost made me forget the debacle of the oysters. The coconut, which can dominate a dish texturally, was finely ground enough that it never interfered with the creaminess and smoothness.

The food at Geisha is generally competent, sometimes delicious (especially if you spring for the Wagyu) but you are paying as much for the scene and decor as what's on the plate. Function, on some level, ceded to form. Those looking for authentic Japanese food, of course, should look elsewhere. And the restrictive nature of the lunch menu, which is confoundedly bereft of sushi but for a single spicy tuna roll, does not offer enough of what Geisha does well.

Bar Stuzzichini

928 Broadway, New York NY 10010 (map); 212-780-510; barstuzzichini.com
Service: Casual and professional
Setting:Comfortable, modern room; lots of wood and tile, illuminated by Edison bulbs
Compare to:Osteria Morini, 'inoteca, Eataly
Cost: Three courses, $19

There was a time when Bar Stuzzichini was the only game in town—at least, in the part of town in which it resides. But since opening just over three years ago, the landscape of Flatiron and Gramcery Italian dining has changed radically. 'intoteca opened over on 3rd Avenue in early 2009, offering an essentially identical concept, and at the higher end both A Voce and SD26 opened at the other end of Madison Square Park. But the most serious challenge has been posed by Eataly, the Mario Batali-helmed juggernaut that landed a few blocks from Bar Stuzzichini. But as a rising tide raises all boats, Bar Stuzzichini should be able to benefit from the increased local interest in Italian cuisine and the spillover from Eataly, which is often packed beyond capacity.

Bar Stuzzichini, at least at lunchtime, offers a more serene dining option than the hustle and bustle of Eataly.

You start things off with two selections from the stuzzichini section of the menu, which is well stocked with meats, crostini and cheeses. Since things are feeling distinctly autumnal in New York these days, I opted for the delicate meatballs pomodoro—tender meaty spheres in a tangy sauce—and a generous wedge of frittata stuffed with potato and redolent with onion. Both were well-executed if not ground breaking, but considering that combined they would cost $12 a la carte they make the $19.95 price point for the full menu seem a bargain proposition.

Unlike a lot of lunch deals that restrict one to a small selection of main course items, lunch at Bar Stuzzichini spans the whole menu—all salads, pastas, sandwiches and primi are available.

A roasted beet salad ($9 a la carte) came with dotted with crunchy pistachio nuts, wedges of tart orange, and salty shards of Pecorino. The beets themselves tended towards the dry side, but the flavor was spot-on.

Heartier appetites will appreciate the quantity of eggplant Parmigiana ($18 a la carte) provided, as well as the vibrant tomato sauce and the charred, crispy edges of the slab, but the layers of eggplant were a tad too oily. I think I might have been disappointed had I paid full price.

For dessert I chose the flaky Sfogliatelle, but gelato and a canoli are also available.

Bar Stuzzichini has struck the perfect price point for the quantity and quality of its fare. If the deal was the $24.07 seen so often for a three-course lunch deal, I think it would be hard to recommend, but given the generous portion and unrestricted menu options it makes its $19.95 a fair price.

La Grenouille

3 East 52nd Street, New York NY 10022; map); 212-752-1495; la-grenouille.com
Service:As good as it gets
Setting: Flowers at every table, all soft pastel colors, like dining in an impressionist painting
Compare to: Le Perigord, Le Cirque
Cost: Two courses, $40; Three courses, $55

There is no restaurant in New York more civilized than La Grenouille. Now in its second generation of family ownership—Charles Masson took over from his father (of the same name) in the mid-1970's—this bastion of classic French cuisine has been around since 1962. It is one of the city's true gems, and a restaurant whose principle currency remains the cooking itself, rather than nostalgia or the patronage of city's elite.

The service is of the timeless continental model, what you might expect to find on the Orient Express—a pleasant respite for those tired of having plates of food thrown at them by T-shirt-clad youths in cramped downtown restaurants, no matter how good the food. La Grenouille offers grand dining, with a deliberate and methodical pacing. And it is expensive: at dinner, a three-course meal will cost you almost $100. But at lunch you can enjoy a similar offering for half that, and even less if you skip dessert.

Les Ris de Veau au Romarinis masterful rendition of sweetbreads, redolent with rosemary the spongy morsels absorbing the jus served alongside, the sweetness matched by the sourness of the parsnip puree and crisps that share the plate.

The endive salad comes stocked with nuggets of Roquefort cheese and slivers of pears, the plate sprinkled with walnuts. It is a salad as classic as the restaurant, and it is fitting that the execution is flawless.

The frogs' legs (Les Cuisses de Grenouilles Sautées Provençale, $12.50 supplement) come perfectly prepared with a crisp, golden crust that gives way to the tender meat, laced with garlic and parsley. Alongside come perfect ellipsoids of boiled potatoes.

Succulent and tender medallions of calf's liver, the cut's gamier impulses tamed by a crisp charring and resulting caramelization, comes served on a pillow of spinach with a tangle of onion dotted with dates and raisins. A syrupy reduction adds sweetness to the earthy liver.

I skipped dessert but a bountiful collection of classics await you should you opt for the three course lunch.

As is customary a plate of candied nuts and selection of petits fours to end the meal.

[Photographs: Nick Solares]

21 Club

21 West 52nd Street, New York NY 10019; map); (212) 582-7200; 21club.com/web/onyc/21_club.jsp
Service: Country club formal
Setting: Dim, clubby, leather and wood punctuated by white table cloths.
Cost: Three courses $24.07

Not many restaurants have a more storied past than 21 Club. It started as a speakeasy in 1930. Located on 52nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, the Club, along with 29 other speakeasies, is the reason the block's now called "Swing Street" (you'll find the commemorative sign with this name on the corner of 52nd and 6th Avenue).

Gossip columnist Walter Winchell was famously banned from 21 and the next day, it was raided after he wrote a scathing column questioning why it appeared to be above the law. The raid led to some modifications such as a secret wine cellar and an elaborate warning system. When the federal government came knocking in 1932, an exhaustive search turned up nothing despite the fact that there were 2,000 cases of liquor stashed in the basement.

These days the secret wine cellar is a private dining room. When prohibition was repealed, the 21 Club went legitimate setting up "21" brands of liquor and establishing itself as a hot spot for politicians, captains of industry, and movie stars alike. Not much has changed since. In 1950, 21 started serving its famous hamburger and it arguably became the birthplace of the term "power lunch." According to Forbes "more deals are done at 21 than on the stock market floor."

As you would expect, the price of dining here is not cheap. The burger for example, $30. But go at lunch and for $5 less than that, you can get a three-courses prix fixe meal.

Start things off with meaty cubes of cured steelhead salmon tossed with chunks of watermelon, mizuna, radish—it's doused in a tart citrus dressing. The flesh of the salmon is buttery, though a touch too fishy on its own; but with the supporting ingredients, it's nicely balanced. The acidity from the dressing cutting the richness of the salmon and mirroring the sweetness of the watermelon.

A main course of smoked pork belly comes in a generous slab, glazed with a honey vinegar and set atop yet more pork (the pulled kind), sugary disks of sweet potatoes, corn, and roasted poblano peppers. It's an imposing dish but not quite as heavy as it looks—the pork is cooked until it falls into tender ribbons with light fork pressure. It has a hearty, sweet character but the skin isn't crisp and crunchy and the pulled pork underneath seems more of an afterthought, and an unnecessary one at that.

And finally, a rich crème brûlée dotted with vanilla beans under a crisp, lacquered crust, and served alongside a wonderful candied ginger shortbread. The richness of the cream and eggs is balanced by the vanilla and crust sweetness—it's a great version of crème brûlée.

You will eat well at lunchtime at 21 Club, and for a fair price if you order a la carte. The cuisine might not scale the lofty heights of the city's finest eateries, but to be fair, it's better than it probably needs to be.

[Photographs: Nick Solares]

Resto

111 East 29th Street New York, NY 10016; map); 212- 685-5585; http://www.restonyc.com/default.asp
Service: Friendly and knowledgeable
Setting:The room is rather austere, but that is the point. The focus is on the food and the incredibly complex drink menu.
Price: Three courses for $24.07

Resto is a perfect neighborhood restaurant in a neighborhood that not that many people live in. If it was located in Greenwich Village or Soho it would be packed at lunch, with crowds spilling out on to the side walks. But secluded as it is on a quiet street at the bottom tip of midtown, it manages to prosper because it is so good. It is the perfect place to stop in for a drink and some porky bar snacks, or alternatively a full blown nose to tail dining experience with a group of friends in one of Chef Bobby Hellen's large format meals. You will always eat well at Resto and at lunch you can get some of the menu's most compelling items for a very friendly price.

A rocket salad comes well stocked with snap peas, hazelnuts, and the inspired addition of pickled blueberries—a little sweet, a little tart. It's doused in a fine herb vinaigrette. It speaks well of Hellen that he turns out such excellent, carefully prepared vegetable dishes when his focus is on the heftier courses that follow.

Speaking of heavier fare, the Bitterballen are irresistible. Tender, battered balls come loosely packed with beef and butter and fried to a perfect crisp. You will want to dunk them liberally in the whole grain mustard aioli. The kitchen at Resto is particularly adept at frying balls (more on that later).

Any restaurant that draws on Belgium for inspiration better get moules frites right, and Resto does. A heaping portion of mussels comes bathing in a Dijon broth laced with Parmesan and larded with salty morsels of house cured bacon.

As good as the mussels are, they are eclipsed by the fries, which I believe are some of the best around. These thick planks of spud have a dense, crunchy, golden crust that yields to a fluffy, buttery inner core.

You can get better moules frites in Belgium, but I doubt that there is a burger on the whole continent of Europe that will compare favorably to the one served at Resto. The burger is the creation of Ryan Skeen, who has had about fifteen jobs since his time at Resto. The inclusion of pork fat in the beef cheek and hanger steak blend may mean this isn't a hamburger in the very strictest sense, but I'll gladly eat it anyway.

The pork component rules out serving the burger rare or even medium rare, but the blend is still juicy and moist, with a nice char on the outside. The generic white bun from Rockland Bakery is absolutely perfect, pillowy soft with a golden dome. Topped with a molten blanket of Gruyere, red onions and pickles, the sandwich has a pleasing synergy. Too bad it only comes with a wimpy salad.

Finish things off with a crunchy liege waffle served with vanilla crème fraiche and chocolate sauce on the side.

The restaurant's proclivity for frying balls, this time in the form of beignets, pays dividends at the table. You may have a hard time choosing between the caramel, chocolate, and berry compote dipping sauces.

Asia de Cuba

237 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016; map); 212-726-7755; chinagrillmgt.com
Service: Friendly and professional
Setting: A sleek, modern room, the soundtrack of Latin rhythms adding a tropical flavor
Cost: Three courses, $29

I was a bit worried when my lunch partner canceled our lunch date at Asia de Cuba at the last minute today. And not because I would have to dine alone—that is something I often end up doing when seeking out lunch deals. Rather, I was worried because the premise of the menu at Asia de Cuba is described as a "sharing-style concept". Indeed, the lunch prix fixe menu states that the meal cost $29 per guest, but then makes no concession to the single diner. Two guests get to choose two appetizers (from a list of five) followed by a single entree to share. There are provisions for three and four or more diners noted but none for one.

Fear not, while you will only get a single app choice, you can still go ahead and enjoy the lunch special. In fact, perhaps because the restaurant is geared towards larger parties (the menu mentions that the prix fixe is portioned according to party size) there doesn't seem to be a plating model for one. Thus I received portions that where staggeringly large. And fortunately, quantity did not diminish quality.

Beef dumplings came two ways—fried (really more of an empanada than a traditional dumpling) and served with a tangy plum sauce, or steamed and submerged in an earthy mango ponzu broth. Both dumplings made a compelling case for their respective cooking forms (fried to a perfect crisp, steamed to a pillowy tenderness) and allowed the richness of the beef to come through.

Less successful, by virtue of execution rather than design, was the Cuban BBQ chicken. It came served over a brick of Thai sticky rice with an avocado fruit salsa (read: guacamole) and an aromatic tamarind sauce. The flavors were all nicely balanced—sweetness countered by spice, the vivid flavor of the avocado by the tamarind sauce. And the chicken was ethereally tender, the breast as succulent as the thigh; a mean feat. But unfortunately, the whole dish was rather tepid, and the chicken skin was as tender as the inner flesh—no hint of crispiness to be found.

To close things out, a massive slab of flaky coconut layer cake doused in a warm chocolate sauce and served alongside a generous scoop of creamy coconut ice cream. The dish is appropriately named: coconut invasion.

The minor problem with the chicken aside, the lunch deal at Asia de Cuba offers a good slice of the full experience at a fraction of the cost. I recommend you go with two or more people to properly experience the concept—unless you are really hungry in which case going solo will give you a huge amount of food for relatively little money.

Shun Lee Palace

155 East 55th St, New York NY 10022; (map); 212-371-8844; shunleepalace.lanteck.net
Service: Tuxedo-clad servers dote on you as if you're on the Orient Express
Setting: Those stuck in a 1980's time-warp might find the room majestic, but these days it is more likely to be considered a bit gaudy.
Compare to: Chin Chin, Mr K, Chinatown Brasserie
Cost: 3 courses for $24.07

Shun Lee Palace will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, marking four decades of serving food that was once avant garde and influential but these days has gracefully aged to become classic. Shun Lee Palace is something of a New York institution, having helped to popularize a number of now-familiar dishes such as orange beef.

The restaurant is perhaps as well known for its white glove service—the pomp and ceremony of a meal there would not be out of place on the Orient Express—as the justifiably pricey food. But the lunch prix fixe offers a pretty good value: two courses and dessert from a generous selection of dishes from the restaurant's main menu for under $25.

Start things off with some juicy pork dumplings...

...or instead, try some of the finest Chinese-style pork ribs you could hope to have. Meaty truncheons of pork come glazed with a sweet duck sauce. The exterior is crispy, the innards deliciously moist.

Orange beef, a dish that some say was created at Shun Lee Palace, is among the lunch offerings. I have never had a finer example of the dish—tangy and sweet—the beef is tender and succulent beneath the crunchy batter, quite unlike the leathery strips that often plague other versions. The sticky, syrupy sauce, littered with orange peel and peppers, oozes into the nooks and crannies of the fried beef, infusing it with flavor.

But you could also opt for the Pork Szechuan, which features equally tender strips of pork and snow peas bathed in a brown, aromatic sauce.

Finish things off with a generous wedge of pineapple or an even more generous cup of Häagen-Dazs, and fortune cookie or two, of course.

Shun Lee Palace might not have the glitz and glam of a trendy downtown fusion spot, or the gritty charm of a basement restaurant in Chinatown. But it's a charming New York institution to cherish, and a lunch deal worth putting on your list.

"One doesn't necessarily expect that the $45 and $70 menus would be indistinguishable, but that is in fact my experience."

Le Bernardin

787 Seventh Avenue, New York NY 10019; map); 212-554-1515; le-bernardin.com
Service: Exceptional
Setting: A warm, inviting room, perhaps without the majesty of some dining rooms, but eminently comfortable
Compare to:Jean Georges, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Per Se
Cost: Prix Fixe lunch $70, City Harvest Menu $45
Note: Jackets required

Le Bernardin is remarkable for having held four New York Times stars since the beginning of the restaurant's time in the city. An astonishing 24 years; the next closest rival, Jean Georges, has held four stars "only" since 1997. But Le Bernardin was actually founded in Paris, France, in 1972, crossing the ocean to the new world in 1986 with Chef Gilbert Le Coze and his sister Maguy at the helm, and garnering four stars only three months into the opening—apparently preceded by its reputation. When Mr. Le Coze died in 1994, Eric Ripert took over the as head chef, and the star rating was confirmed twice more under his stewardship.

The key to the restaurant's success lies in part because it has been able to reinvent itself several times over while still maintaining the standards of excellence required of a four star establishment. (Le Bernardin also has three Michelin stars.) Thus the restaurant that Bryan Miller reviewed back in 1996 for the Times was not the same restaurant that Ruth Reichl reviewed a decade later, nor the one that Frank Bruni reviewed a decade after that. I don't doubt that if Sam Sifton, the current Times critic, ends up reviewing Le Bernardin, the outcome will be the same. At least, if my recent lunch there was any indication.

Lunch at Le Berndardin typically costs $70 for a three-course prix fixe, if you disregard the chef's tasting menus (which climb into the hundreds;) the luxury additions available with the prix fixe menu—caviar and Wagyu beef, for example—can get stratospherically expensive. Now, $70 is not a trifling amount, especially for lunch, even for world-class cuisine. But if you are willing to give up all choice and opt for the City Harvest menu, you will pay only $45 for three course (with $5 going to City Harvest)—and you will dine magnificently. One expects the execution to be the same between the lowliest of lunch deals and the chef's tasting menus, and indeed, that is the case here. But one doesn't necessarily expect that the $45 and $70 menus would be indistinguishable from each other—and yet, that was in fact my experience.

To prove my point, I am going to present you two meals without revealing which cost more. Both came with the same amuse—a smoky, creamy salmon and mayonnaise spread spiked with chives. Here is the first meal:

Delicate slivers of organic salmon came marinated in extra virgin olive oil with red onion, tangy morsels of grapefruit, and sprigs of cilantro. A wonderfully composed dish—the salmon firm but supple, the flavors of citrus and cilantro balancing the richness of the fish and olive oil.

Sauteed cod—a crispy, golden crust ceding to a flaky inner flesh—was perfectly executed in traditional Continental style, but it came on a bed of "Peking duck": green papaya salad surrounded by a broth moat redolent with ginger and cardamom evocative of points far further East.

To finish things off, a dark chocolate, caramel, and peanut tart, the richness of the tart itself brightened by a lemon puree and an unexpectedly effervescent praline citrus sorbet.

And the other meal?

Charred tentacles of octopus, meaty and succulent, come blanketed in a heady fermented black bean and pear sauce, with an ink and miso vinaigrette and purple basil.

Baked skate wrapped around a langoustine, accompanied by charred shitake mushrooms in an intensely flavored brown butter and dashi-flavored broth. The skate was moist and buttery, tasting more like lobster than the langoustine, mirroring the richness of the broth.

A spongy, milky tres leches cake came with roasted white chocolate, bananas, lemon and coconut sorbet, a wonderful mix of creaminess and tartness.

I would happily pay $70 for either meal—this is world-class cooking, and the dishes are inventive, challenging, even; but they satisfy the soul as well, staying true to the fish itself but bringing in a world of flavors and influences to the table.

It happens that the first meal cost $45, and the second, $70.

Eleven Madison Park

11 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10010; map); 212-889-0905; elevenmadisonpark.com
Service: Faultless, friendly, and accommodating
Setting: Airy, elegant half of the Met Life Building lobby with well-spaced tables
Compare to: Gramercy Tavern, Jean-Georges
Must Haves: Menu changes daily
Cost: $56, three courses; $74, four courses; wine pairings, $48/$58

"I want my old menu back," groused the gentleman under his breath as the waiter whisked away the bread course he had just tuned down. He was obviously a regular—the waitstaff all recognized him, asked him how he had been. They lauded the new menu against his protestations, using words like "creative" and "fascinating" to punctuate the radical change.

Eleven Madison Park's beloved $28, two-course lunch menu that our own Ed Levine raved about just under year ago is no more, replaced with a far pricier and more elaborate $56 three-course lunch that purports to be a tasting menu, but is really more of a prix fixe. Now in place of a familiar menu with a list of ingredients, didactic descriptions, and the names of purveyors, one is presented a square piece of paper with a matrix of primary ingredients.

Guinea Fowl, Pork, Squab, Beef

Chevre, Plum, Chestnut, Chocolate

I wondered if I would be required to circle my choices on the menu, to be handed to the kitchen in lieu of a ticket. According to the New York Times, the decidedly nontraditional menu is intended to foster a discourse between the diner and the kitchen. You pick the ingredient that interests you and your waiter will give you a more detailed description, although even then, the provenance of the ingredients is not revealed. The kitchen wants you to trust that they will pick the best available, which sort of makes sense. Do we care the brand of paint that Picasso used?

The new vision at Eleven Madison Park will take some getting used to—it is a conceit that requires more interaction, and changes the dynamic of ordering. But after, that the meal follows a traditional path, although one with more pomp and ceremony than before. The menu changes daily but regardless of what you order, whether fish or foul or four-legged protein, the extras are all the same.

The plump and cheesy gougéres remain on the menu, a familiarity that does not last long.

Next up, an heirloom tomato "tea" spiked with lemon thyme that comes skewered on raffia and accompanied by a Parmesan crisp. It was a flavorful brew, more savory than sweet.

An amuse of a goat cheese lollipop and a beet marshmallow rolled in red wine vinegar is a deconstructed beet salad of sorts.

The bread really is a course unto itself. Two miniature loaves—a baguette and an olive bread redolent with rosemary—are served with two large coins of butter, one made of goats' milk, the other from cow.

A first course of a foie gras mille-feuille comes served with sour aumeboshi plum and bitter almonds. I am not sure I agree with Anthony Bourdain when he called foie gras "one of the ten most important flavors in gastronomy," but this dish uses the liver in the perfect manner. It is not served in a huge lobes, but rather used in sparing amounts, its intense richness balanced by the other ingredients, rather than dominating them.

The main course of pork employs both loin and belly; it comes roasted with cherries, onion, mustard, and a rich jus that is served tableside, the waiter mindfully drizzling it on one's plate. It appears to be a similar dish to the one Ed Levine so enjoyed last year, but where as he found the loin to be a "comfortable pink," I found mine disappointingly cooked through and rather tough, to boot. The pork belly was wonderful, however: salty and succulent.

Dessert was a deconstructed vacherin stocked with enough nuts to last a a Madison Square Park squirrel through the winter: hazelnuts and pistachios, with chestnut and chocolate gelato, the plate dotted with grapes, raisins, and miniature meringues.

And finally, a caramel apple lollipop and sesame brittle.

There might not be a better indicator of a rebounding economy—not to mention Chef Daniel Humm's and general manager William Guidara's ambition—than the scrubbing of the bargain Eleven Madison Park lunch menu. Consumer confidence seems to be up, especially in the Madison Square Park area, where Eataly recently opened to much fanfare. And it seems that the time has come for Eleven Madison Park to operate on a level more appropriate to its four New York Times Stars, with a longer, more demanding, and pricier menu. In the words of Oliver Strand of the New York Times, Eleven Madison Park has transformed from an "overachieving neighborhood restaurant into one of the world's standard bearers of fine dining"—taking its place alongside Per Se, Daniel, Jean Georges, and Le Bernardin.

Ultimately it wasn't the price increase that so disappointed my neighbor at lunch. It was the the lack of familiarity, the disconcerting, albeit daring new menu, that caused him a "great sense of loss". But where something was lost, something extraordinary was gained.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 First Avenue, New York NY 10003; map); momofuku.com
Service: Downtown casual
Compare to:Momofuku Ssam Bar, Ma Peche
Cost: Lunch Prix Fixe: 3 courses, $30

While Momofuku Noodle Bar has typically been the most accessible of David Chang's restaurants, at least in terms of price, the recent increase from $20 to $30 on the lunch menu is bound to raise some eyebrows. While I think that the cost is actually justified, because of the quality of the ingredients at play, those looking for the most bang for the caloric buck will need to look towards the noodles and pork buns. But with the new-found freedom in sourcing, the kitchen under Kevin Pemoulie is turning out dishes that are more refined and more luxurious than the comfort staples the noodle bar is known for. (The menu changes daily so the meal I enjoyed will probably not be what you get if you go.)

An amuse of Benton's ham with peach put my mouth into gear with tiny doses of salt, savory, sweetness and tartness.

While Momofuku is best known for the pork buns, these days you don't know what you will find stuffed in to the familiar puffy pockets. Recently I have some filled with shrimp as well as some with thick pieces of country ham. Today the lunch menu had fried oysters which sounded tantalizing, and tasted so, too; they came lightly fried, doused in a jalapeño mayo, and served with delicate slivers of pickled celery and shredded Romaine lettuce. They were delightful, but frankly, each bun needed double the amount of oysters, and not just to justify the price increase. The two provided got lost in a sea of bun.

The roasted hanger steak came expertly prepared—a thick mahogany crust had plenty of crunch to contrast with the buttery, juicy inner flesh. The dish was completed by a medley of roasted fingerlings, eggplant, and heirloom tomatoes served over a tangy kimchi puree.

You get a choice of desserts. Either the soft-serve—the flavors this week are strawberry and sweet pea, seen cavorting together in a twist....

....or an order of cake truffles like the chocolate chip ones pictured above.

The new price increase does seem a bit steep, considering it has risen by $10, but I think that the price is reflected in the quality of the ingredients, not to mention the execution. One can still eat cheaply at Noodle Bar—but the new lunch menu offers something a bit more sophisticated and a bit more adventurous.

Barbounia

250 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003 (map); 212-995-0242; barbounia.com
Service: Polite and courteous
Setting: Loud, even at lunch
Cost: $24 for three courses

Be careful what you wish for. As I sat waiting for some food, any food at all to materialize at my table at Barbounia, the rain fell from the sky with unexpected force, especially for late August. I was a refugee from that rain, and frankly, only sitting there because of it. Sure, I had walked past Barbounia dozens of times since it opened five years ago. The place is usually hopping and boisterously loud—but I had always imagined that the cocktails were the reason for going. The back of the lengthy bar butts up against 20th Street, and at night, the light from the restaurant floods through the bottle-lined windows, casting shadows on the pavement that looks like a mystical, celestial wine cellar.

The food is described as "Mediterranean," which is a term that is almost as generic as "Asian," and just as devalued. So I had overlooked the restaurant, seeing it as a destination for cocktailers and brunchers, more than gourmands and voluptuaries.

But there I was, sitting, waiting, having ordered a $24 prix fixe lunch and wondering if it came with bread. Boy, did it. A loaf that was obviously fresh baked was deposited at my table. It was longer than a good-sized steak knife.

I couldn't believe the size of the calamari order, either, a heaping portion set in a bright red bowl. Little pots of a tomato-pepper sauce and a garlic-infused aioli came along with it—the Mediterranean answer to cocktail and tartar sauce. It was easily enough for two people. And while one might not expect such quantity to yield quality, the rings of squid were crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender within—no hint of greasiness nor rubberiness anywhere.

Things didn't let up on the Souvlaki main course either: two massive skewers of hanger steak came with the order, again enough for two people. And again, quantity did not indicate poor quality—the hunks of beef had a nice external char and came close to the rare that I ordered. The beef was tender and flavorful, although the accompanying Italian eggplant was mushy and the lemon potatoes tasted more like meat juice than anything else.

The overly generous portion sizing carried through dessert as well, although here the quality/quantity balance act tipped in favor of the latter. The honey date, almond and rice crispy brittle was sugary and crunchy and right on. The shredded Halva that lay over the dish like a bird's nest was also good, but the "milk" ice cream was simply awful—watery, sticky, and overly sweet, it was no better than a budget supermarket's. I would have gladly settled for half the amount of a decent ice cream.

While the level of cooking might not be as high as most of the places I visit for this column, it was surprisingly competent, considering the portion sizes offered. The meal was enough for two people, making it a real value proposition.

Devi

8 East 18th Street, New York NY 10003; map); 212-691-1300; devinyc.com
Service: Solid
Setting: A pleasant room with the feel of an Eastern caravan
Compare to:Tamarind, Tabla
Cost:3 courses, $24.07

When I moved here from the United Kingdom many years ago, I have to admit that, despite the wonder of almost all of the food that I ate in New York, I was somewhat disappointed by the Indian fare here. Sure, there was the thriving Indian restaurant scene of 6th Street, but the places were all low-priced carbon copies of each other, focusing bang for the buck rather than spice and flavor. While England back then had a terrible culinary reputation, no one could deny that it had some of the finest Indian cuisine outside of India. Of course this was long before Tabla, Tamarind, and, more recently, Devi opened their doors, elevating Indian cuisine. I have found excellent deals at Tamarind and Tabla at lunch; I wondered how Devi would measure up.

The complimentary poppadoms were excellent—crispy and spicy. The naan, on the other hand was rather dense, and had an awful lot of butter on it.

Things got off swimmingly with the seafood and crab croquettes. A crisp, perfectly cooked crust gave way to a flaky, tender inner core. The pickled-green-chile mayo added creaminess and heat to the proceedings.

The $24 price wasn't quite justified by the Tandoor-grilled lamb chops. I was asked how I wanted them cooked and I ordered them rare. It was a mistake—the two chops were so slim that the naan bread that accompanied the dish was thicker. The kitchen got the internal temperature right, but at the cost of an unappealing gray exterior with nary a hint of char. Frankly, they were just far too small although the supporting cast of pear chutney and curry leaf potatoes were both tasty.

But the Indian ice cream with candied pistachio in a hibiscus scented citrus soup made for a sweet ending to the meal.

In and of itself, the $24.07 deal is fair for the food one gets at Devi, although I would not recommend the lamb chops. But Devi does not compare favorably to the Indian lunch deals available at Tamarind and Tabla—which offer slightly more refined execution and larger portions for the exact same price.

Gotham Bar & Grill

12 East 12th Street, New York NY 10003; map); 212-620-4020; gothambarandgrill.com
Service: Excellent
Setting: A spacious well-lit room makes you forget you are downtown
Cost: 3 Courses, $31

Imagine a kitchen with Tom Valenti, David Walzog, Bill Telepan, Wylie Dufresne, and Tom Colicchio. Putting aside the notion of too many chefs ruining the broth it sounds like a culinary dream team. They haven't actually all worked together at once—but at one time or another, they have all passed through the Gotham Bar & Grill under executive chef Alfred Portale.

These days, the chef de cuisine is Jason Hall, and the Greenmarket still figures prominently on the menu. At lunch there is a regular three-course $31 prix fixe, and a $27 two-course Greenmarket menu. (You can add a dessert for $4, but it won't be from the Greenmarket.) In retrospect, I should have probably gone for the latter—but instead, I was swayed by the allure of a hanger steak and opted for the regular, non locavore-approved option.

Things started off well with a wild striped bass ceviche.

Meaty chunks of bass were perfectly pickled and came with kirby cucumber, a puree of avocado, and wisps of Delfino cilantro in a tangy cantaloupe-habanero broth. The dish was well balanced between tartness and sweetness and the fish had a perfect texture—flaky and firm in all the right places.

But I was not happy with my hanger steak—which, despite some excellent crispy fingerling potatoes and a red wine Bordelaise sauce that would be the envy of most any steakhouse, was rather overcooked. I am generally a big fan of hanger steak, but this one left me cold; it was too hot, with a mushy texture, almost like liver. The onion piperade clashed with the Bordelaise sauce—ike a border skirmish on the Pyrenees.

A sour cream "mousse" with mixed berries turned out to be a deconstructed cheesecake of sorts. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it was a delicious and sort of made me forget about the steak. Not a bad way to close the meal at all.

I should note that the service was excellent and that the room is beautifully lit during the day, with large picture windows allowing the sun's rays to flood in. Had the steak been of better quality, and excusing the onions, I think that the $31 would have been a more than fair price—but as it was, I was a little disappointed.