Caviar Russe

The imported stuff is offered by the mother-of-pearl spoonful (sevruga $6; golden osetra $18; beluga $30) or in portions of 50 to 500 grams (priced from $60 to $250), with traditional blini, toast or potatoes. The noncaviar part of the menu reveals strong French influences; witness such delicious, balanced entrées as crisp-skinned duck confit with moist meat atop foie gras (part of the $65 tasting menu); and seared red snapper in a light sauce over delicate Maine crabmeat, sprinkled with a generous portion of thinly sliced morels. Lunch, a $20 prix fixe, is a relative bargain, even if you add the splendid Jewel of Russia vodka—clean, bracing, and served almost frozen in an icy glass ($11).