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. But I love the molded noodle cake that comes with it. Alexander has put together a sweet little wine list, featuring his favorites, which range from sturdy Rhones and Italian reds to Santa Maria Valley Pinots. Desserts aren't as strong as the rest of the menu.