Troquet is excellent. The wine list is extensive, full of unique and hard-to-find bottles with excellent pricing (comparing with similar restaurants). The chef worked at Veritas in NYC before Troquet. The food is excellent. I've been there numerous times with never an off dish. It's probably THE wine friendliest restaurant in town, with dishes and wines matched with forethought. The owner is knowledgeable, honest and accessible. He offers a great cheese course, cheeses sourced from Formaggio's, and serves them at their ripe best. My husband and I coincidently were at Excelsior Friday night. He had the foie gras "steak" appetizer. $25, small piece of liver, not particularly creative, just okay per his experienced foie gras palate. I had the butternut squash soup - smooth, creamy, with creme fraiche garnish, nicely done except for a sweetness that wasn't the squash, and wasn't perfect for me. (I tend to not mix sweet with my savouries.) Husband had duck for main course, and he said it was excellent. Perfectly cooked, well spiced. Lydia Shire is putting a large number of elements on the plate, which tend to confuse rather than enhance the main dish. I had a PEFECTLY cooked pigeon, charred crust on the outside, meltingly rare on the inside. Polenta side was good (I ignored the vegetable garnishes). The reduction sauce was too salty. We shared dessert: lemon mousseline. Forgettable texture, lemon not intense enough, crust under the lemon was puzzling....was it really graham based? Why was it there? Wine service was excellent. They did not have the bottle I ordered. The wine guy (actually the Gen Manager) suggested a less expensive wine that fit exactly what I was looking for. Minus points for trying to double charge us for the bottle when the check came. I think Troquet does it better at this point. Summer Shack: good old New England food, nicely done, simple, informal, somewhat expensive. I can justify the expense based on good ingredients, treated well. The place is convenient. You can stop by for beer and raw bar, or take the kids there, or meet friends, and not worry that they show up 15 minutes late (no rezzies for small parties, not sure about larger parties). I'm sure it is becoming entouristed, but not to the detriment of the experience. Laurie