About a month after new chef David Bazirgan's menu debuted at Fifth Floor, The Bauer Oracle comes out with this rhapsodic reading. He describes the menu in the main dining room as "a beautifully executed progression of dishes, with one foot in tradition and the other balancing on the cutting edge." A thyme-scented consomme "has those seemingly contradictory rustic and refined elements that only those cooking at the highest level can achieve;" "five second courses are all brilliantly executed" and all seven main courses show a "seamless blendings of elements." Service is "generally smooth and efficient, though it can sometimes lag a bit in the bar." Then a prediction: "if raw cooking talent is a draw, Bazirgan should bring back the magic. Once people try his food, they'll return." 3.5 stars [Chron]
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