The Flying Fig offers mostly traditional fare but seemingly tries to push the envelop by adding an extra element or seasoning to most dishes and obviously the chef and her staff are topnotch because they make it work.
The same goes for the bartenders as their signature cocktails all have like five or six ingredients. I have to admit I couldn't identify each ingredient with the drinks we had but they worked well together. One heads-up, if you order an Old-Fashioned there, like Jeannene did, you better have your big boy pants on because the rye whiskey is front and center. (The bartender referred to it as a Pre-Prohibition drink in which the alcohol was the star compared to immediately post Prohibition in which poor quality liquor led to more oranges and cherries being added to mask the taste.)
As an appetizer we had the artisanal cheeseboard ($14), which was quite respectable with four different cheeses -- a blue cheese, a creamy goat cheese dripping with honey, and two other firm white cheeses that I missed the names of but each offered a slightly funky taste. We usually praise meat and cheese plates based on the additional items and this one would rank high thanks to a fantastic apple butter which paired well with every cheese.
For main courses, I went with the Tagliatelle Bolognese ($22) and I found the pasta perfectly made and the dollop of minted ricotta to be a nice touch though I found the beef/pork ragout to be lacking in savoriness though Jeannene disagreed. She had the Stuffed Acorn Squash ($26) and raved about it and I enjoyed the scoop of very creamy farro and mushroom risotto she let me try.
This place continues to be a shining star in an increasingly competitive W. 25th St. area.