Ouest

You might begin Ouest's classy pre-6:30 prix fixe dinner ($34) with a salad; I've always been enthralled by the soup of the day.

Above, butternut squash soup encircled parmesan custard thatched with chili threads; another time, a subtle cream of mushroom soup also offered the flavors of asparagus, green beans, truffle oil, sorrel, and sour cream. Grilled free range chicken (below), buttressed by pureed potatoes and roast vegetables, was a moist and tender main course; on a previous visit, hanger steak au jus, partnered with creamy polenta, greens, red onion, and shaved cheese, was well-marinated, peppery, and juicy enough to warrant being served in a shallow bowl.

For dessert, I always find myself returning to the crème fraiche panna cotta, whose buttermilky base is submerged in a very tart passion fruit nectar, but I'm curious just how dense the "dense chocolate cake" can possibly be.

Ouest
2315 Broadway (83rd-84th Sts.)
212-580-8700
www.OuestNY.com