Gourmet Diner & La Cigale: Epic Bill of Fare v. Old School French

Lee Klein reviews two restaurants: Gourmet Diner and La Cigale, about which he writes "The former has been described as not being what it used to be, while the latter has thus far generated decent word of mouth." As for Gourmet Diner, "A big difference between Gourmet and other diners is that here you can start your meal with an appetizer of escargots prepared in textbook fashion." Comparing the two he says, "Cigale's concise listing of old-school French favorites, bolstered by a few nightly specials, is preferable to Gourmet's epic bill of fare in terms of keeping food fresher and affording the chef an opportunity to meticulously concentrate on select dishes," but because Cigale's original chef is no longer there, "the main focus of the current kitchen crew with regard to our niçoise salad was apparently looking for the can opener." [MNT]