And in the kitchen, new chef Andrew Kirschner is crafting superb dishes off a brand-new menu, including a soup of Jerusalem artichokes and chestnuts ($8); smoked duck breast with foie gras, roasted apples and polenta ($24); seared Arctic char with a cauliflower puree, caviar and asparagus ($23); and the tenderest lamb loin imaginable with a cakelike rendition of minted chestnut couscous topped with eggplant caviar ($24).

Harvest Festival: October--showcases autumn s bountiful harvest, including pumpkins, winter squashes, carrots, fall greens, sweet potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes.

Today, manufacturers either synthesize fructans biochemically or isolate them from plants such as chicory and Jerusalem artichokes.