dining

The restaurant might have gotten serious about the food, but eating it—in a dining room that looks like Alice in Wonderland’s SoHo loft—is still seriously fun.

With new chef Ryan Kernodle in charge of the food, the kitchen continues to crank out delightfully elaborate dishes that are worth discovering over and over again.

Chef Ryan Nelson’s protein-and-starch–heavy plates leave you writing them into your dying wishes as the last meal you want to partake of on Earth.

Chef Paul Haveck’s ability to interpret otherwise intimidating dishes, like Southern-fried sweetbreads and roasted bone marrow, into table favorites keeps us coming back.

On any weeknight, you might see a family huddling over plates of braised beef cheeks, a mom feeding hummus to her toddler, or a child munching happily on the remnants of her father’s duck wings.

If the farm-to-fork restaurant wanted to coast on the grounds’ pastoral allure, it would probably do just fine. Fortunately, chef Brandon Canfield gives the kitchen the respect it deserves.

The glorious excess of dishes served amid the log walls and votive candelabra of Meridian-Kessler’s showpiece restaurant have a flair for the dramatic. But the flavors steal every scene.

At the Meridian-Kessler location, an intimate, dimly lit, dining room is built around an exposed hearth oven, and the pizza gods shine a heavenly spotlight on executive chef Tyler Herald as he puts on a master class in pizza perfection.

The bric-a-brac–heavy country French decor may want for a makeover, but this date-night and anniversary draw offers the consistent comfort of an old friend’s house.

Showstoppers among the ultra-fresh fish include Maine scallops, striped bass, and grouper. Fresh oysters are a must.

Executive chef Ricky Hatfield’s experimental concoctions—such as wild-boar Wellington, wrapped in mustard greens and a puff pastry—are catching on among a traditionally risk-averse crowd.

Bistro-style dishes like root-vegetable cassoulet baked in its own cast-iron pan, unapologetically heavy Croque Monsieur sandwiches dripping with bechamel, and crepes of both the sweet and savory variety all taste delicious.

The Neapolitan-style pizzas are straightforward, with only five red-sauce varieties, each one garnished with Smoking Goose proteins and hand-pulled mozzarella.

At Room Four, customers may quibble over taco choices—carne asada or rockfish—or opt for a Fischer Farms cheeseburger, a backyard memory revised to succulence by a master who appreciates simple food as much as esoteric fare.

Carlos Salazar’s umami-rich mushroom dumplings, pork-belly steamed buns, and meat-on-meat pig-face hash have raised the culinary bar while channeling the true spirit of Asia’s great street-food snacks.