Cru   

24 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-529-1700
www.cru-nyc.com

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Shea Gallante, winner of Food+Wine's Best New Chef 2005, honed his skills as chef de cuisine at Bouley until his more avant-garde impulses needed to bear fruit, prompting him to open Cru. Taking a page from Spain's brilliant scientist/experimental chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli, Gallante works some weird science of his own on dishes like foie gras with onion ice cream and wild European turbot with evaporated red wine jus. The wine list matches the intensity of the food: Wine director and sommelier Robert Bohr, who curates owner Roy Welland's private cellars, created a big-deal wine list -- more vast even than the one he managed at Babbo -- emphasizing Burgundy, Rhone Valley and Piedmont regions. Located in the old Washington Park building, Cru's more casual, larger front room is dedicated to wine and food pairings, while the dining room, with its intimate wooden banquettes, serves a more extensive menu, including a chef's tasting menu.