Balise is 'A Welcome Addition to the Neighborhood'

This week Gambit's Helen Freund takes on Balise, the new CBD hot spot from La Petite Grocery chef Justin Devillier: Though "less elegant" than its Uptown sibling, "The restaurant's attention to detail touches everything from small shared plates to a list of expertly crafted cocktails." Menu standouts include venison tartare "topped with buttery rye breadcrumbs" in place of crostini and baked rigatoni with "a dark, velvety ragout of beef cheeks;" for bar snacks, opt for pickled quail eggs and "blistered shishito peppers [that] are topped with rich, bacon breadcrumbs and soft cream cheese." A caveat: "Although friendly, service can be a bit harried and could use some finesse."

Overall, Freund says "Balise appears poised to usher in a new breed of restaurants," seeming to echo Ian McNulty's recent sentiment that Devillier's new spot "answers the growing expectation that high-aiming, compulsively interesting cuisine should be available on more casual terms."