avec

This nationally acclaimed small-plates spot looks like a sauna, has communal seating, doesn’t take reservations and is loud as hell. But it remains the must-eat spot for foodies in the know. Chef Erling Wu-Bower mostly sticks to the Mediterranean formula that original chef Koren Grieveson put into place (and has wisely held on to her most famous dishes, such as the chorizo-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates and the taleggio-filled foccacia). Is his food a little more involved—a little less simple—than the avec of the past? Sure. But despite the extra elements in his intoxicating squid-ink pasta dishes, or the layered flavors in his salumi plates, Wu-Bower's food is still pure, delicious avec.