This gem is true to its name. Executive chef Steven Zobel’s menu is full of confident balancing acts in which no ingredient is superfluous. Pumpkin wontons, a seasonal dish, make sweet, chewy counterpoints to the herbed Parmesan broth and white-truffle oil in which they are served. On the permanent menu, you’ll find pan-seared sea scallops with porcino mushrooms in foie gras butter. Coriander-crusted Australian rack of lamb yields wonderful flavors and juices, which Zobel takes to another level with port-soaked, foie gras–stuffed prunes. The remarkable desserts, such as profiteroles in butterscotch sauce, are irresistible; the Pavlova, a meringue shell filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit, is as light and
airy as the legendary dancer’s form.