Searching for the Shape of Things to Come

Word that Alain Ducasse would be opening a restaurant in Washington in September -- Adour at the St. Regis (923 16th St. NW) -- sent us straight to New York. The superstar French chef has a similarly named dining room in Manhattan, after all, and it was designed by the same person, David Rockwell, who will be dressing the Washington property. How might the original, which launched in January, determine the offshoot?

From the moment you enter Adour Alain Ducasse (2 E. 55th St.; 212-710-2277), wine is a theme that plays over and over again. At the small bar, see-through golden globes suspended by thin bronze wires appear to float like champagne bubbles. Inside the sumptuous main dining room, diners sink into plush, plum-colored chairs and gaze at walls fronted with a glass screen etched with grape-leaf patterns. Decanting stations dress up the four corners.

The food, from executive chef Tony Esnault, is designed to take advantage of the restaurant's rich, and richly priced, wine collection. What I experienced was both beautiful and true-tasting, but nothing I felt I hadn't tasted before. A first course of see-through ravioli came with a faint crunch from its filling of zucchini, a mild mouthful enhanced by a vegetable broth ignited with preserved lemon. Cod had a lush texture from its poaching in olive oil; velvety strips of red and yellow peppers and a sail of crisp prosciutto added vivid color and crunch, respectively. Everything was technically correct, but I couldn't help but think the dishes got a boost from their gilded backdrop. And I couldn't help but wish for a bit more soul in my three-course, $180-a-head dinner.

A chef for the Washington Adour has yet to be announced. Here's hoping his or her food lives up to the room, and vice versa.

Entrees, $32-$49.