as our group of six debated on whether to go with the tasting menu or order a la carte, serguei, the maitre 'd and owner, quietly listened in and offered a few suggestions. we decided to go with the tasting menu and it proved to be an exceptional experience. rather than bring in the same dishes for everyone, serguei tailored each person's course based on what he had heard during our initial discussions. that meant one person got the gnocchi they had eyed, another the steak tartare and someone else the escargots.