Wine Kitchen

Wine Kitchen owners Greg Faucette and Jason Limburg combined their fine dining pedigrees—they’ve worked at the likes of Per Se and Bar Tartine— with a devotion to simple, flavorful dishes; the result is the sort of laid-back, yet refined, neighborhood spot that’s perfect for meeting friends over a glass of vino. (The menu is helpfully annotated with wine pairings for each dish, so the even least experienced among us can play sommelier.) Must-try dishes include big eye tuna crudo on a bed of fluffy quinoa, and a chiptole bread pudding with honeydew, cucumber and heirloom tomatoes that’s a true a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that winning combination. If you aren’t sold yet, consider this bonus: while Monday is a closed day for many restaurants, Wine Kitchen is not only open, but offers half-off all bottles.