Le Coucou

Fans of the uncluttered, traditional style that Daniel Rose cultivated during his time in Paris (he comes to the big city by way of Paris and his hometown Chicago) might be slightly taken aback by the baroque grandeur of this downtown dining room, which the restaurateur Stephan Starr and his designers have fitted with all the trimmings, including a state-of-the-art open kitchen populated by toque-wearing cooks, wagon-wheel-size chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling, and a series of long, plush banquettes. But there’s no quibbling with the elevated examples of traditional “cuisine bourgeoise” on the menu, like quenelle de brochet poured with bubbling lobster sauce, slivers of veal tongue dabbed with caviar and crème fraîche, and that old rustic delicacy tout le lapin (“all of the rabbit”), which Rose and his army of cooks prepare three equally impressive ways: as an elegant, gourmet roulade; roasted with mustard sauce; and bubbled in a meat-and-vegetable stock, which tastes, when you close your eyes, like the essence of classic French country cooking.