Prime rib of pork from the rotisserie is as thick as a brick, a formidable piece of meat with a handsome caramelized crust. The kitchen gets in trouble, though, with the flashier dishes. The seafood platter is a towering structure of raw oysters, clams, steamed mussels, chilled shrimp and half an overcooked crab. With the exception of the prime oysters, none of it has much flavor. The extensive wine list ranges over all of California, not just Napa Valley, and it seems to range all over the page, too.
Desserts are a strong suit.
Meyer lemon mousse brulee has the texture of a cloud and comes with a lacy cookie filled with blood orange sorbet. On the last night, we decide to linger near the fire for a while, but the only seat left is a child-sized chair. Just then a flock of couples in black tie streams into the lobby and alights on the remaining sofas. They look impossibly exotic among all the sweatshirts and jeans, like actors let loose from a Cole Porter play.