Standard Order

But it's with the red meat dishes that the kitchen's live-fire acumen comes to the fore. The grilled filet mignon is tender, buttery, and deeply flavorful, running with juicy essence, culinarily enhanced with grilled shiitake, oyster, and field mushrooms and, soaking it all in, a pile of creamy mashed potatoes ribboned with earthy celery root. The braised short ribs made me very happy: The meat, richly informed by the dish's Chianti-reduction sauce, falls off the bone in great, deep-pink, satisfyingly fat-ribboned chunks while pungent braised cabbage, perfectly bright-tender carrots, and splendidly absorbent potato dumplings offer varying aspects and contrasts.

The streusel mango crisp made for a rather unsatisfying dessert: bland, lukewarm, and barely emboldened by the macadamia brittle ice cream resting on top. But the profiteroles are not only nice and phyllolike in texture, their hot-fudge sauce is dark and dreamy and the house-made caramel ice cream contained within is as dense and buttery as a good gelato.

The hundred-item wine list features several interesting selections from around the world, including 20 by the taste or glass, from St. Supery's sauvignon blanc to Louis Roederer's 1994 Cristal champagne, with Halpert's Napa Valley neighbors most prominently represented. After dinner you can compare a selection of three ports, sherries, or dessert wines of your choice in 1-ounce samples, a fine and interesting concept. Or on that special occasion, order up a snifter of de Fussigny Tres Vielle cognac for $60. It might not go with your hot dog, but the bay is looking mighty pretty.