The five-course dinner prix fixe ($35.50), prepared as always by students of the French Culinary Institute, was competently prepared but somehow lacked confidence; other diners at the table also expressed the thought that many items were "good." For my part, I started with a gaily caparisoned leek-pepper-tomato tartlet, chased by sautéed red snapper with citrus fruits and basil — two pretty faces that had little to say. The comparatively drab Basque-style sautéed chicken (shown) had enough body that given the chance I'd order it again. Following a palate-cleansing salad, a dessert of iced port wine parfait with summer melon and shaved chocolate simply tried too hard, though I appreciated the effort, all the way to the bottom of the glass.
L'Ecole
462 Broadway (at Grand St.)
212-219-3300