Ada's Food + Wine

Of all Chef James Trees’ restaurants, Ada’s is the most experimental and free-form, sometimes feeling more like a workshop than a fixed concept. And while that occasionally means that something you truly loved be removed from the equation, it also means that you’ll always find something exciting and new.

Most recently, Chef Jackson Stamper (a veteran of NYC’s Employees Only) seems to be moving away from the Spanish tapas that once dominated the menu, in favor of unexpected comfort food. The latter range from tagliatelle with wild boar ragu, and Moroccan braised lamb shoulder with mascarpone polenta, to an old fashioned double smash burger with all the fixins (Mick’s Royale With Cheese) that's one of the best in town. Have no fear, however. They continue to offer a great meat and cheese board, and their legendary gambas al ajillo (renamed as garlic & chile shrimp).

For something really different, try the English pea panna cotta with kaluga caviar. And to wash it down, look to veteran sommelier Kat Thomas’ list of lesser-known, and reasonably priced, wines.