Diners are drawn by the innovative, frequently changing menu created by Sezmu’s owners, chef Larry Dunning and his wife, pastry chef Kristi Hoffman. Dunning, who previously chefed in Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, is famously obsessive about ingredient sourcing and meticulously layering textures and flavors. Dunning pairs crisp calamari with pickled vegetables and an emerald pool of Thai basil sauce that, like spearmint, unites intense exhilaration with subtle sweetness. Outer Banks wreck bass, so named because it’s fished from North Carolina shipwrecks, appears atop morels, chopped lobster and a sheaf of grilled asparagus; Meyer lemon vinaigrette sharpens the dish. Peekytoe crab, a moat of chilled corn soup and cilantro sorbet compose, within a savory course, an essay on different kinds of sweetness. Dessert courses are as accomplished as savory ones. Luscious, hollowed Bing cherries are stuffed with mascarpone and smudged with dried pistachio powder. Guinness stout ginger cake and ginger ice cream are substantial but still light.

See more: Central-Downtown restaurants, American regional restaurants, American contemporary restaurants