THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Spike & Charlie's Restaurant & Wine Bar

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Spike & Charlie's Restaurant & Wine Bar Restaurant Review:

The mothership of the Gjerde brothers burgeoning culinary empire may not seem quite as chic now that it has spawned its own best competition in restaurants like Atlantic and Joy America Café. And it does rely more on theater- and concert-goers to drum up a crowd. But it still holds its own at the table. This is the Gjerde's seat of contemporary American cooking, yet with homespun appeal. Meals here are intriguing, but not taxing on palate or wallet. The kitchen's careful layering of flavors turns even simple dishes, like a braised veal breast sliced over perciatelli tossed with a vibrant salsa verde, into something memorable. Most dishes, like the bacon-wrapped rabbit loin over spinach with horseradish cream, add up to far more than the obvious sum of their parts. The menu offers light fare in the form of individual pizzas---roasted squash and ricotta with crimini mushrooms; duck sausage with spicy plum sauce---along with a small, well balanced roster of appetizers and entrées. The wine list features unusual offerings from small vintners around the world.