Gabriel Kreuther

Gabriel Kreuther is one of the masters of the vanishing art of “haute cuisine” in the city, and the much-praised fine-dining portion of this elaborate midtown destination has its refined charms. But if you work or live in the vicinity of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street, chances are you’re spending a lot more time in the elegantly appointed, somewhat more modestly priced “lounge” portion of the restaurant. The libations (cocktails and wines) in this elegantly casual space are worth a special trip (the Alsatian whites, the martini), and so are Kreuther’s bar-menu riffs on the great Alsatian comfort dishes of his youth, like tarte flambée (there are numerous varieties), truffled liverwurst, and pots of tripe braised to a happy tenderness in red wine, and served, in the ancient Alpine tradition, with a crunchy gratiné top.