Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) -- BLT Steak. BLT Fish. BLT Prime. BLT Burger. BLT Market. BLT Fish Shack. BLT Steak DC. BLT Steak San Juan. Whew.

Which one is new? BLT Market.

It's the latest in chef Laurent Tourondel's chain of upscale restaurants. It's in the Ritz-Carlton on Manhattan's Central Park South. It's ``deeply devoted to seasonal produce.''

The quote is from BLT Living, a quarterly magazine on how to live life the BLT Way. As a faithful reader, I also know that it's important to send my mother to a Mario Badescu day spa (page 10) and that CNBC host Donny Deutsch visits BLT Steak once every three weeks (page 16).

No word yet on BLT Synagogue, BLT Church or BLT North Korea.

This BLT Bull might prompt you to avoid BLT Market altogether. That would be a mistake. An early visit showed it could be one of Tourondel's best.

BLT Market serves only composed dishes, departing from the chain's meat-house-style concept of constructing your entrees: Pick a steak. Pick a sauce. Pick a side. Order lobster by the pound. Order fish by the pound. Build-a-burger. Add fries.

At BLT Market, you simply point at an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. Remember when dining was always this easy?

Take care to dress appropriately. This is the Ritz, mind you, where one-night stays start at around $600, minibars are stocked with Opus One and starry-eyed couples consult with the hotel's own gemologist.

Little Black Dress

But the BLT scene isn't uptown elegance. It's downtown casual. Jeans -- good jeans -- are appropriate. That's what M. Night Shyamalan appeared to be wearing from my vantage point. A slinky black dress held all of Tara Reid in place.

The bright space looks like a market: wooden tables, wooden floors, wooden chairs. Is that rosemary cologne your husband is wearing? No. The herb grows from a little pot on your table.

The Ritz has a spa. It charges $275 for the Silver Rain facial. BLT charges $30 for a kaffir lime facial. A server brings a cast-iron pot. It's filled with seared cod, curried eggplant and that splendid lime. The lid is removed. Inhale steam. Eat. Repeat. Rinse with white-peach Manhattan.

Tuna sashimi lies atop tuna confit: slick, savory, salty. Seared scallops got a bit of tang from pickled ramps, a hint of sweet from summer corn. Cold tomato soup must have spent time in a particle accelerator; it was scientifically silky.

Langoustine risotto -- creamy and al dente -- was deeply redolent of the sea. Lamb loin -- perfectly rare -- had that signature lamb funk.

Our four-course dinner for two, including a $39 bottle of cabernet franc, two cocktails and a 10 percent inaugural discount, cost $243.

BLT Market is at 50 Central Park South, Manhattan. Information: +1-212-521-6125 or http://bltmarket.com.

$1,000 Cocktails

Order a cocktail at BLT Market. It costs about $12. Order a cocktail at the bar in the lobby. It costs $20.

The bar belongs to the Ritz-Carlton, not to Tourondel. Don't think for a minute that the Ritz has gone BLT Casual.

The libations there are different. The food is different. The name is different: Star Lounge. It doggedly carries on the underwhelming tradition of hotel-lobby dining and the underrated tradition of hotel-lobby drinking.

Let's start with the ``1K.'' It's a drink that costs 1K: a bottle of Dom Perignon rose champagne, to which you add Louis XIII Cognac, Grand Marnier and gold leaf. It's served in Baccarat champagne glasses.

You get to keep the glasses.

Regal Manhattan

Try the Manhattan; it's among the best I've encountered. Norman Bukofzer, one of New York's legendary bartenders, made it himself on Thursday. Sweet vermouth softens but doesn't overpower the astringent bourbon. Orange bitters marry the ingredients with a gentle citrus kick.

Take the regal drink and sit on one of the regal thrones. Some are high-backed chairs. Others are low sofas. I preferred the stately patterned-fabric seats.

The ambience is Central Park opulence. The wood is dark. The lighting is dim. The ceiling is high. Sit next to the Steinway. The suave pianist chats with you while he plays.

Hungry? Try BLT Market. At Star Lounge, our $25 tuna tartare was a block of bland red cubes; BLT has a superior version for $18. Shrimp cocktail? That's $25 at Star Lounge, too. My first crustacean was as tough as jerky. The rest were edible if unremarkable.

My $40 Kobe short rib came with a Christofle knife.

You don't get to keep the knife.

It was tender and beefy but not nearly as good as cheaper versions around town. Sliders -- $25 -- were woefully underseasoned.

Was that Yoko Ono dining at BLT?

``If I knew, I wouldn't tell you,'' said a discreet waiter at Star Lounge. If I ever have an affair, it will be at the Ritz.

Dinner for two, including two cocktails each, cost us $210.

Star Lounge is at 50 Central Park South, Manhattan. Information: +1-212-308-9100.

(Ryan Sutton is a writer for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 28, 2007 00:12 EDT