Verbena (CLOSED)

If you want to experience farm-to-table dining at the micro level, Verbena is your place. Capitalizing on huge success at Gather restaurant with partners Eric Fenster and Ari Derfel in Berkeley, chef Sean Baker culls the best and freshest selections from local gardens to elevate vegetables to an art form: green beans and mariposa plums with cherry charmoula, black walnut yogurt and black olive honey; seared and aged squash with green tomato and vadouvan nasturtium-flower sauce. The decor is earthy-chic, with a cocktail bar and nightly omnivore offerings that might include meatballs braised in black mole, or smoked duck wings in plum hot sauce. If you want to dig deeper into the menu, ask for the Source Book, where every ingredient used at the restaurant—down to the salt—is traced back to its origins.