Food Easy St. Brasserie

The Scene
Unless you arrive at opening time, the crowd creates a definite buzz. Tables are close together, and efficient waitstaff moves quickly to ensure that every diner's need is satisfied. Subdued colors and dark wood are reminiscent of a French brasserie, with handsome light fixtures and subtle jazz adding upscale touches.

The Food
Rich hors d'oeuvres--a wild mushroom crepe with black truffle, terrine de fois gras, or black mussels steamed with garlic and Riesling--set the stage for Chef Neville King's specialties. Simple dishes like roasted salmon and cassoulet of white beans are what the chef does best--preferable to small, unremarkable filet mignon. While the menu includes a variety of grilled items, as well as braised lamb shanks, and shrimp and scallop pasta, vegetarians have to cobble a meal together from appetizers, salads and side dishes. For dessert, choose the tarte Tatin--sticky with caramel sauce and served hot with ice cream--and a French press of aromatic coffee.
- CitySearch

Nice atmosphere and our cozy seats in corner booth made it a nice place to spend a snowy afternoon. Lunch was good (and not especially "French")--my husband had a burger with blue cheese and I had grilled vegetables on pita bread, which was billed as a "small plate." I might have been happy with something a bit more substantial, but was it one of only a few vegetarian options. Service was great up until the moment that the shift changed and our very attentive waiter suddenly went missing and his replacement took a little while to figure out we belonged to him. Beyond that glitch, though, it was an enjoyable lunch. 
- TripAdvisor