OTOM Restaurant

The Scene
Hip confines with yellow brick, bright stripes, surprisingly comfortable orange plastic chairs and mesh scrims separating the bar from the dining room serve up din with your dinner. White tablecloths, clever purse hooks, no salt and pepper and prices that sneak up on you telegraph semi-fine dining expectations.

The Food
Limited new American offerings are more accessible than Moto's chemistry experiments. It's a peculiar mix, but individual dishes work. A juicy burger trio (beef or turkey) brings blue cheese/microgreens, bacon/cheddar and mushroom/Swiss toppings. Heaping arugula salad is studded with shreds of cured beef and matchsticks of tart green apple. Lightly breaded merluzzo (Spanish cod) is flaky and moist, with a smear of stone-ground grits and a few smoky lardons. Bland mac & cheese is chunky with andouille and thankfully light on the advertised anise.

Hits: Funky modern dining is casual with refinements--and something for every palate.
Misses: Noise levels verge on deafening, and wines by the glass and straightforward desserts such as strawberry shortcake and brownies, though satisfying, are marked up too high.