Skip to main contentSited in a striking pink house just south of the Mississippi strip, this destination restaurant garners a near-rabid following, and no mystery why: The physical space—an abandoned, 1910-vintage house saved from demolition, then painstakingly retrofitted with period fixtures and decor—balances equal parts '20s-vintage aesthetic and DIY grit. The vibe is low-key and friendly, with diners sitting nearly elbow-to-elbow in the postage-stamp-sized dining rooms. And then there's the food, a bare-knuckle romp through nearly every cuisine imaginable: Cuban pumpkin rice with coconut-tomato curry, Thai-style flat-iron steak in roll-your-own lettuce wraps, crunchy crab cakes with a Japanese-inspired garnish of cabbage-fennel slaw. Oh, and great burgers. The freewheeling style could easily sink into culinary tourism, but chef Jesse Garcia manages to simultaneously tweak and defy expectations at every turn. (SL)
WWeek 2015