We arrived at db at 5:30 a few Friday's ago. The greeting was friendly and we were seated promplty in the mostly empty room. It gradually filled, but there were empty tables when we left. We let the waiter know that we had to be out at 7:30 for a Bway show. They were very courteous and reminded us towards the completion of the meal that they had our schedule in mind. The service throughout our meal was genuinely warm and professional. I ordered from the prix-fixe menu, starting with the guinea hen terrine with foie gras and housemade pickled vegetables. My wife ordered a la carte, beginning with the tomato gazpacho with avocado and ruby red shrimp. We found the gazpacho to be underflavoured. Unless some chilantro was included in the spoonfull of soup, the flavor was underwhelming. I loved the pickled vegetables that came with the terrine. They were bursting with flavour and firmly textured. The terrine itself was a disappointment. Nice texture, little taste. Of course, my wife had to order the db burger--sirloin burger, filled with braised short ribs, foie gras and black truffle, served on a parmesan bun with pommes soufflees. Now, I know that everyone raves about this burger. The honest truth is that, that evening, it was simply unmemorable. For whatever reason, it was-- BORING. When the two gentlemen at the adjoining table both ordered the burgers and then asked for salt and pepper to be brought to the table, I rolled my eyes. But the fact is, the burgers needed condiments of some sort to give them flavor. My main was the sauteed striped bass with artichoke, bacon, tomato water emulsion. The presentation was lovely. A nice piece of fish in a broth that was a spring green color with a few small red tomatoes in it. The broth looked so appetizing that I reached for a spoonful before tasting the fish. Disappointment. Underflavored again. The fish itself was fine. For dessert, we shared the tarte du jour, a lemon tart. Although the lemon filling was nice, the pastry was tough. The thing resisted our forks and glided across the plate like a hockey puck. In conclusion, I won't say that the emperor has no clothes. It's just that, at that particular time on that particular day, the food was disappointing. This was suprising in the extreme. One has to ponder the question--what's going on in the kitchen?