Season's eatings

Photo: Cinzia Reale-Castello

Telepan 72 W 69th St at Columbus Ave (212-580-4300). Subway: B, C, to 72nd St; 1 to 66th St–Lincoln Ctr. Mon, Tue 5–11pm; Wed, Thu 11:30am–2:30pm, 5–11pm; Fri 11:30am–2:30pm, 5pm–midnight; Sat 11am–2:30pm, 5pm–midnight; Sun 11am–2:30pm, 5–10:30pm. Average main course: $28.

Unlikely as it sounds, Bill Telepan has created a menu never before seen on the Upper West Side. It marries two very appealing elements—local, seasonal ingredients and diner-centric customizability—in a sea of European–influenced dishes. Like some Italian chefs, he offers three essential columns of food: appetizers, mid-courses (including pastas) and entrées. But here, diners can pay $55 for four courses or $65 for five courses—combining any dishes they like. One waiter swore that if I designed a meal of five entrées, he’d bring it.

Even more refreshing, consensus at the table is not required; each person picks his own path, and the whole need not participate for even one person to play. Sommelier Aaron Von Rock, who created the city’s largest half-bottle selection at the now-defunct Bar Demi, can pair each dish with one of 20 unusual wines by the glass if you like, too.

Of course, democratic dining doesn’t mean much if the food doesn’t sing. Chef Telepan made a name for himself at the midtown power-lunch spot JUdson Grill, which was replaced by Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain last year. Here, he’s gone out on a limb, mixing high-end ingredients with low-end recipes and vice versa. The results are refreshing.

For example, he marries monkfish to kielbasa, short ribs to borscht dumplings, and black truffles to the world’s most precious pierogis (Telepan has a Hungarian heritage). He also uses the simple egg to great effect. In one dish, a gooey poached egg runs over a bed of earthy hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, salty frisée and crispy croutons. In another, he places a whole coddled egg over scrapple (pork meatloaf), creating an elegant, greaseless version of a culinary joke.

Big-ticket items litter the menu, but they are more often accents than main attractions. Lobster butter and flecks make the braised halibut’s pearly meat taste almost lobsterlike. And bits of seared foie gras and a foie gras custard give a duck breast liverlike richness. Whether high or low, the quality of Telepan’s ingredients is exceptional. I’d gladly eat the sweet baby Nantucket scallops unadorned, but he dunks them in a sour, pungent garlic sauce. My favorite dish, “lobster Bolognese,” pairs bright, tart, chopped tomatoes and tarragon with the lobster’s candy-like tail meat.

Not every dish is a risk or a revelation. The roasted rack of lamb tasted like the kind of solid meat-and-potatoes dish I vaguely remember from JUdson Grill. But I couldn’t find a clunker in the bunch. Even the desserts play with some seasonal ingredients: The wine-friendly cheese plate offers four different options that will change regularly, and the killer carrot-cake sundae features cream-cheese ice cream and sugar-sweet Day-Glo carrot shavings.

Meals need not be heady affairs. Yes, they could run three hours, but the vibe is casual, and the good-natured, knowledgeable servers don’t rush anyone. If you have trouble landing a reservation—I did—you can always dine at the semicircular bar that connects Telepan’s dull dining rooms, which are painted green and white with a few wall hangings. lt feels like a friend’s apartment—filled with a bunch of Upper West Side moms and dads—only this friend can cook.