The Tonic is a New York cure for what ails you-a downtown hotspot so cool, you begin to shed the frenetic burn of workaday Gotham madness the moment you walk in the door. If the lovely space doesn't help you to relax, you will most certainly be restored to yourself by chef Chris Gesualdi's inventive cuisine and Stéphane Motir's classically inspired desserts.

Gesualdi is a firm believer in diversity: his cooking at The Tonic is meant to evoke the wide range of cultures and backgrounds that give the city its energy and power. He brings a serious New York culinary résumé to his latest gig. A CIA alum, Gesualdi landed his first New York City job in Thomas Keller's famed kitchens at La Reserve. He subsequently worked the stoves at Aurora, Le Bernardin, Rafael, and Rakel. In 1991, Gesualdi took over the ranges at Montrachet. On his watch, The New York Times gave the restaurant three stars. But by 1998, Gesualdi was ready for new challenges. At Tonic, he has expanded his culinary horizons to delicious effect.

The regulars know to leave room for Stéphane Motir's imaginative desserts, including such signature items as buttermilk panna cotta with strawberry consommé and candied kumquats, and crunchy roasted-pear napoleon with Kirsch mousseline. Motir trained in his native France, then worked at Le Meridien Hotel in London and in Newport Beach, California. He came to The Tonic from a stint as head pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Manhattan. When he's not whipping up soufflés and sabayon for diners at The Tonic, he's passing on his art to students at The French Culinary Institute.

City life getting you down? This month, we've got just the pick-me-up you're looking for: the inimitable tonic of Gesualdi's delectable food capped by Motir's incredible desserts.