Homewood

Chef Matt McCallister’s new joint was supposed to be a more casual, less ambitious spot with comforting food. It is definitely more casual, and the food is delicious without requiring diners to sneakily Google obscure ingredients or cooking techniques. But McCallister is McCallister, which means this kitchen is still ultra-creative. Homewood makes its own pastas, fish sauce, hot sauce, cured meats and breads, grows a lot of its own produce and pairs everything with natural or organic wines, chosen because they go well with food, rather than because they are famous. Pastry chef Maggie Huff is quite simply the city’s best, and she excels when she’s working with local, seasonal fruit.

Top pick: It’s hard to say because the menu changes almost constantly, but almost any pasta is a reliable bet, as are raw preparations of seafood or beef. The brunch is formidable, too.

The downside: Your favorite dishes will almost certainly be gone the next time you visit.

Fun fact: For the first few months of the pandemic, the restaurant actively helped out local farmers by acting as a clearinghouse for fresh produce and eggs. It was a win-win situation: Farmers who suddenly lost all their restaurant contracts were able to sell their wares directly to diners.