With Wolfgang Puck showing up in a different incarnation at every hotel in town these days (or so it seems), his original creation might get lost in the shuffle. Certainly, it's no longer what it used to be -- the only foodie game in town -- and you get the feeling that it was so far ahead of the pack for so long that it has gotten a bit complacent. Which is not to say that Spago is not worth the expense -- it just means that others have caught up with, and in some cases surpassed, it.

When Nomi Malone, Elizabeth Berkley's character in the film Showgirls, came to eat at the cafe, she peevishly said that she didn't "know what any of this stuff is." She must not get out much: The cafe menu features such familiar items as meatloaf and pizza, although glamorized versions -- this isn't Country Kitchen, and so this pizza features smoked salmon, not to mention crème fraîche. It sounds like an unholy hybrid of Italian and deli, but it's sublime. It's not on the menu, so be sure to ask for this "Jewish pizza." Other cafe specialties include Puck's signature Chinese chicken salad and a superb mesquite-fried salmon served with a tangy toss of soba noodles and cashews in a coconut-sesame-chile paste vinaigrette nuanced with lime juice and Szechuan mustard. The inside menu changes seasonally, but the signature dish is a Chinese-style duck, moist but with a perfectly crispy skin. It's about as good as duck gets, served with a doughy, steamed bun and Chinese vegetables. Desserts range from fresh-fruit sorbets in surprising flavors (cantaloupe, honeydew), to a luscious brownie topped with homemade chocolate, whipped cream, and ice cream. The wine list is impressive, but the house wine was a disappointment and possibly not worth the cost.