Take the spring rolls. They are unconventionally stuffed with duck confit and leeks and complemented by a ginger-plum sauce and Laura Chenel's distinguished domestic goat cheese. It's hard to sort out all the ethnic influences here, but it works, and that's what raises his cooking above that of many equally adventurous but not equally distinguished competitors. Carolina head-on shrimp are served in a sherried cream sauce that could be right out of a 1940s Southern kitchen but is brought up to date by shiitake mushrooms, a sprinkling of fresh thyme, and crisp points of puff pastry instead of the traditional toast. House-cured gravlax is paired with cucumber salad and sensational potato pancakes, all brought together by a drizzle of lemon oil.
Main courses offer a similar mixture of the homey and the exotic.
Grilled flank steak is raised above the ordinary with sensational Gorgonzola mashed potatoes, which may also be ordered as a side dish. It's a dramatically good dish, a successful marriage of the American grill and the sushi bar. Desserts are a letdown after such appetizer and main-course successes. There's a fairly long martini list and a fairly short wine list, both pricey. Service is enthusiastic and well-informed.