Pascal Oudin's

Pots of herbs sit on each table, making PASCAL'S ON PONCE hard to resist. The food is every bit as appealing. Pascal Oudin likes to put his own contemporary twist on classic French food, but he never lets his ego get in the way. Everything here is good, from rich lobster bisque to a satisfying magret of duck, sharpened with vinegar and served over turnips. Pascal Oudin's cooking is the personality of his eponymous restaurant: subtle and engaging. The dining area is small but tables are well spaced; service is polished and the cooking is the best of what, 20 years after its creation, is still called "new" French because too many people still think a starched toque means thick sauces. Oudin's cooking is new in the sense it is unlike any other in town -- discrete spices, the freshest of ingredients, the most sublime of pairings. Go for the airy crab cake (he uses shrimp mousse as the flavorful binder), delectable lobster salad with salmon, the duck terrine and the lobster risotto among starters. For main courses, don't miss the excellent veal loin with mushroom ravioli, a meltingly tender rack of lamb with mustard and the sublime poached sole. The attractive wine list has a large number of reasonably priced bottles to attract both the novice and lifelong wine lover.