Café Condesa (CLOSED)

It took remarkable vision to turn a cell-phone store the size of a closet into an adorable neighborhood restaurant. The spot seems twice as big as it really is, thanks to the intelligent use of exposed brick and sultry lighting. The owners—three partners who worked at nearby French Roast—have developed an ambitious Latin-inflected dinner menu. The kitchen is clearly not afraid of butter and spices: The handmade crab ravioli, a great starter, was swimming in both. The priciest dish on the menu, the rack of lamb topped with chimichurri, came with mashed potatoes so luscious they might as well have been butter—and it costs just $18.25.