Rabbit House

Small studio apartments in Japan are notoriously known as “rabbit hutches,” miniscule living spaces that would be much easier to swallow with a shot of sake. Yoshiko Sakuma (Maialino, Narcissa) makes good on that upgrade with this 14-seat wine-and-sake operation, sparsely decorated with white oak butcher-top tables, porcelain-tile floors and pendant light fixtures. Beverages extend from European and domestic wines (Spanish syrah, Californian cabernet sauvignon) to Japanese sake (a rough-filetered Dassai 50 Junmai Daiginjo Nigori, a red sparkling Kitaya Ai No Hime Beni) and beers (Orion lager, Echigo Stout). Eclectic, culture-crossing small plates follow suit: a tako taco (tako means "octopus" in Japanese) with chickpeas and nori sauce; “fake sushi” with prosciutto, cream cheese and wild rice; and artichoke dip flavored with miso and green tea and served with house-fried tortilla chips.