Skip to main contentThis eastside eatery doesn't just pack people into its diminutive space, it stacks the walls with canned fruits and vegetables, props the bar with a wine rack of over 80 bottles, and tops said bar with domes of sweetly dressed desserts. For nearly five years, the exposed kitchen has been turning out farm-fresh (from chef-owner John Taboada's weekly farm share) small plates such as purple potato pancakes loaded with onions, seared-duck arugula-blackberry salad, and locally caught sturgeon with sautéed saffron-laced zucchini. One of the enduring novelties at Navarre is the ability to check off the items you want (choosing small or large) from the daily changing menu on your table. Gracious servers always make sure you don't over- or under-order. That way they make sure you save room for dessert, like the popular red velvet cake. (LC)
Signature dish: Farm-fresh radishes with slabs of salt-flecked butter.
Standouts: The gilded mirror o' specials frames treats like housemade gravlax and spicy lamb sausage.
Regrets: Open kitchen + crowded house = a need for better ventilation.
WWeek 2015