THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Abe & Arthur's

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Abe & Arthur's Restaurant Review:

The rub with many a hangar-like Meatpacking District restaurant is that the food doesn't have to be that good. Indeed, most people come for the scene or the people-watching. But here, the food is a pleasant surprise. This tri-level spot, last occupied by pioneering nightclub Lotus, has a kitchen overseen by Franklin Becker. He turns out a globe-spanning menu of crowd-pleasers---even for the set that doesn't eat. There are plenty of twists on the expected, not least among them the salad with "exploding" blue cheese croutons and a selection of steaks that includes the ability to add foie gras and puff pastry (a Wellington Royale, giving it a Pulp Fiction-style moniker). There are misfires as well: the risotto was a bit gluey and the branzino was fresh but didn't have much going for it beyond a squirt of lemon and olive oil, which didn't seem to fit with the rest of the menu's adventurous dishes. Still, because of the low expectations, Becker is playing with house money and has come up with a winner.