I'd order all of these again, and have. Specials are often more elaborate, and sometimes overambitious. On one night there's a fascinating pur e of asparagus gently perfumed with vanilla bean and garnished with slender asparagus tips. Another night, the special is a velvety avocado and melon puree that grows on me with every bite, served in a '50s-looking glass bowl on a triangular plate. Snowy, sweet seared scallops are served with diced potatoes and clams in an herb-flecked broth.
Main courses run to the comforting and hearty.
The most popular is the half-chicken smeared with pesto and roasted until the pesto turns a rich dark brown. It's served with freshly mashed potatoes and caramelized onions. Pastas tend to be in the California-cuisine vein, overly rich and laden with ingredients. They're good if you like your noodles thick and chewy, drenched in sauce, dusky wild mushrooms and shredded lamb shank. Pistachio-crusted halibut is kind of a bore, and that week's filet de boeuf is somewhat odd, swathed in lobster sauce.