There are nearly a dozen essential oils and plant extracts on the menu at chef Daniel Patterson’s innovative eatery. Choose from four- or eleven-course tasting menus with dishes ranging from asparagus with ravigote sauce to breaded pigs' feet medallions stuffed with herbs and fried crisp. A salad of Cognac, grapefruit and tarragon topped with grapefruit mousse, black pepper and ginger arrives with the same aromatic oils to be dabbed on the wrist for a unique interactive experience. A bite-size piece of sautéed bone marrow is topped with California osetra caviar and served with a swirl of beet gelée. Scallop sashimi is dressed with lemon and olive oil, shaved curls of just-ripe avocado, paper-thin radishes, edible flowers and sea salt; refreshing chilled English pea soup cradles a scoop of ricotta sorbet and mint; sautéed sea bream, set atop Korean-style pork belly, is drizzled with litsea cubeba, a lemon-scented oil from China. Desserts don’t quite match the creativity of the menu, but you can’t argue with warm bittersweet chocolate tart or a petite lemon meringue pie. The space is a visual feast, from walnut burl tables and furry Flokati pillows in the lounge to the serene, rectangular dining room with a low wagami paper-appointed ceiling and artist Catherine Wagner’s framed MRIs of fruits and vegetables on the wall. The wine list is short but offers some nice bottles under $40 as well as reserve wines from splendid vintages. Service is attentive though it could flow better. |