1. 1. Quality Meats

   57 W. 58th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-371-7777

   In what has to be a first, the butcher-jacketed crew at this new AvroKO-designed restaurant prepares its steak sauce tableside with a mortar and pestle, like Rosa Mexicano guacamole.

2. 2. Del Posto

   85 Tenth Ave., at 16th St.; 212-497-8090

   At Batali & Co.’s latest, captains in Narciso Rodriguez suits display or dispense everything from bollito misto to zabaglione from custom-built carts or from the elegant serving station smack-dab in the middle of the dining room.

3. 3. Country

   90 Madison Ave., at 29th St.; 212-889-7100

   The refined service at Geoffrey Zakarian’s elegant upstairs dining room extends to dessert’s pithiviers, sliced tableside and customized with your choice of apple-caramel or whiskey sauce.

Related:

• Archive: “Food Features”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Apr 24, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!