Wisteria

Wisteria Restaurant Review:

Since 2001, Wisteria has delighted the neighbors with its warmly lit interior enclosed between brick walls, with a comfortable noise level that enhances the casual dining experience. The food is a mix of Mediterranean-now-become-American dishes (notable calamari) with Southern touches (bourbon-molasses barbecued lamb ribs). Still at the helm, chef/owner Jason Hill, ably aided by executive chef Walker Brown, has simplified the presentations and tweaked the flavors, raising the bar substantially. Start with the crab bisque, a preparation so thick and rich it would do as a sauce on poached eggs. While much of the inspiration is Southern, Hill occasionally picks up tastes from other traditions. Ricotta gnocchi with veal and beef meatballs and a vodka tomato sauce is a dish with clear Italian roots; the sauce relies more on tomato than on vodka for its heft, and the gnocchi are light as air. Dessert are small items that may be ordered in singles or in multiples; try the salted caramel take on s'mores, the ideal sweet morsel after such a rich dinner. The wine list offers numerous unusual choices by the glass at good prices. There is also a reserve list.