Hours: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday; Friday lunch service, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; closed Monday.

Prices: Appetizers, $9-$15; entrees, $25-$28; desserts, $7-$9.

Wheels: Free lot or street; wheelchair accessible.

Try: Selection of pate, soup, salade Lyonnaise, roast breast of duck, grilled escolar, fallen chocolate souffle, mascarpone cheesecake.

In a bite: Michael is fine dining without fussiness and approachable without being the least bit intimidating. The cuisine, which is artfully conceived, leans in the direction of French, but is bolstered by more than a few ideas that are contemporary American. The dining room is wide open (a sheer curtain divider breaks up the room on one end) with booths on one side, tables (covered with crisp white cloths) down the center and toward the curtained windows in front. Plush carpeting keeps the noise level low and ideal for polite conversation. A small service bar in one corner just outside the kitchen door. Service is top-drawer in every way. The wine list offers a range that goes from reasonably priced to reserve expensive. Not good for children. Reservations are suggested.