Prix Fixe

Many restaurants promise to change their menus frequently, yet few follow through so wholeheartedly as Prix Fixe: This charming, date-destination of a restaurant offers three choices in each of three courses for $35, and changes its menu every week. Unfortunately, the food is not always as lovable as the concept. Mushroom ravioli packs impressive flavor into each pouch, but arrives in a consommé that's oily and bland; a duck leg is crisp-skinned and tender, but the pasta carbonara is dry. Luckily, the meal can end on a high note, as when you finish with a hunk of blue cheese, one side of which is blow-torched for a crackly, caramelized effect.