Govind Armstrong is ex L.A., being a Puck protégé, with a successful Miami spot. His New York restaurant works and it doesn't work. What works is he's trying (without arrogance); it shows and we like that. What doesn't work is sometimes this restaurant doesn't quite hit all the right notes. It's in the back of the Cooper Square, almost jammed in, as though it were an after- thought to the hotel's purpose, resulting in some good tables and other diners oddly stuck at an L shaped bar, bifurcated by tree-ish poles. Some dishes are super: a skate with saffron broth and a sunchoke and kumquat duck. But others don't quite work, such as a grilled chicken served with a short rib hash that would have been a better complement were it a green veggie hash. Various items on the Salt Bar menu, such as the scallops or mortadella, are all interesting, if heavy on the (what else) salt, but much like the L shaped bar, a bit baffling to navigate. That is, the diner is uncertain how to sit here, how to have audible dinner conversation, and which items to order to make a rational, sequential meal. But if a bit of confusion is okay with you, the frills, such as a wine list that's pleasant and a superb ending of desserts (think, chocolate cake and a lovely coffee parfait), are touches well- executed enough that you will leave satiated.

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