Fodor's Expert Review Downtown

This urban bistro brings a touch of New York into the heart of El Centro. Warehouse meets Zen in the informal yet sophisticated dining room, which has cement floors, exposed air ducts, dim light from dangling light bulbs, red velvet cushions, and a chicle tree enclosed in glass. Lack of detail on the chalkboard menu might deliver a pleasant surprise: the nondescript mac-and-cheese or steak-frites are both rather gourmet. The goat-cheese pizza and duck pâté with red onion marmalade are excellent starters—follow with a lamb burger topped with tzatziki. This is a great place to grab a hearty breakfast since all the sausages, breads and marmalades are made in-house. You can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen; there's also a lounge area with relaxing music and powerful martinis.