THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Quince

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Quince Restaurant Review:

In the former premises of the defunct restaurant Raphael, chef-owner Morgan Jacobson pays homage to his mentor---the famous Quilted Giraffe’s Barry Wine---by serving a version of Wine’s signature dish, an hors d’oeuvre of golden osetra caviar-filled purses. Quince takes itself very seriously with its tuxedoed waitstaff, elegant flower arrangements, creamy taper candles and formal furnishings that adorn butter-colored narrow space. In this overly formal environment, Jacobson pares down the options to two prix-fixe menus and within this framework, we find the choices are limited. The food is restrained with the occasional exotica. Better dishes include the four large shrimp accompanied by a fragrant ginger sauce, lightly fried eggplant and jasmine rice or peppery black sea bass served with a slightly sweet beet juice reduction. Among the desserts, the passion fruit sorbet in the dacquoise is very tart and intensely flavored (though the accompanying almond meringue is a bit dry); the apple-cardamom sorbet refreshes with an original touch. Servers are professional and well versed on the menu and the small, but well-chosen wine list contains some hidden bargains that the sommelier can help you to discover.