Handle

You can tell a lot about a restaurant by its most basic salad. At Handle, it’s one with just kale, pine nuts, and cheese, but it’s so perfectly dressed and seasoned that you leave thinking about the leafy greens for days. All the options on the daily-changing menu follow a similar approach. Great ingredients at the core, and some dishes shine thanks to creative executions, like the dukkah-spiced fried chicken with red pepper cream and a tangy cauliflower appetizer topped with a sweet chili glaze and Sriracha vinaigrette. It all comes together at a dinner-only, laid-back restaurant decorated with marble countertops, green booths, and pops of soft pink.