Revisited: Talula's Garden, Washington Square

A splendid revisit under current chef Sean McPaul showed a kitchen now in the groove with Talula's seasonal mission. From the exquisitely composed tuna crudo to tortelloni stuffed with braised oxtails, leg of lamb with squash and olives, and duck with chestnuts and Madeira sauce, these plates hum with a sensibility that prizes harmonious flavors over precious compositions - and are ultimately more memorable. Talula's will need greater consistency with the entrees (the lobster pot pie and bluefish were merely good) and cocktails (never quite right) before it can be considered a Four Bell contender. But that is within its potential.

Reviewed with Two Bells on July 24, 2011; revisited and upgraded in December 2011.