Chef Don Dickman takes in the whole Mediterranean, pairing homemade cider mustard with Spanish sausages, lending a jolt to lamb chops with Moroccan spice rub, and countering treviso's pleasant bitterness with ripe avocado in a delicate salad. Nothing is overstated; it's gourmet without letting on and just the thing for the bohemian terrain.

 

Best Wine Bar, August 2011

 

Today's wine bars can get carried away with the bells and whistles: brews for your beer-drinking buddy or a DJ spinning discs. Barbrix has a worldly yet affordable selection that's served in a converted house, and the square bar makes it easier to visit with the folks around you. While the Mediterranean menu and an exceptional iPod play-list hit the spot, theSilverLake hang excels at the basics: fine vino in an easy setting. And we thought nothing could coax us away from Lou.