Telepan

At first, I didn't recognize the french-fry holder for what it was.

Those onion rings (see them better for yourself by clicking on the photo) were exceptionally airy; the shoestring fries that spilled over the top were nearly as good. The burger patty itself was well-charred (as you would have noticed from a single whiff) and well-salted, but the flame-broiled beef was a tad less juicy than you might hope from medium rare; the sesame-seeded bun was toasty and firm; garnishes included not only lettuce, tomato, and onion but also beets and (reportedly house-made) pickles. This burger (from the three-course, $24.07 Restaurant Week lunch prix fixe) I ordered bare; on a return visit, perhaps at the bar, I'd take up the offer of bacon and cheese, and wash it down with a pint of Victory Prima Pils.

Also shown below (from my Restaurant Week lunch): a poached egg and frisée salad with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms; steamed chocolate cake, black-and-white malted ice cream, and malted chocolate cream. Previously, from an a la carte lunch: house-smoked brook trout ($12.50) atop black radish sour cream and a warm, smooth buckwheat-potato blini; monkfish "paprikas" ($25) with cabbage-wrapped barley and ground kielbasa; and a quince granita parfait ($9), paired with (and eventually topped by) a small glass of prosecco.

Telepan
72 West 69th St. (near Columbus Ave.)
212-580-4300
www.Telepan-NY.com