Ellē

This indie hot spot with a retro-chic décor and cool staff has many things going for it. First, there’s the team, who’ve already struck gold on the dining scene. Then there’s the setting, inside the former Heller’s Bakery, which was a local institution. Finally, there’s the menu starring contemporary dishes with a focus on fermentation.The café offering sandwiches and pastries by day is beloved, but it's at dinner when this kitchen truly comes to life, turning out quirky food with enticing flavor profiles. Beautiful orange carrots dusted with shio-koji is coupled with rye miso for a crowning kickoff; then Nashville hot duck matched with a buttermilk biscuit is all heart and soul. Desserts, like the Thai iced tea-tres leches, are bona fide works of art.