Intense, intelligent energy infusing the exquisite seasonal menu and impeccable service at the zebra-striped Monday Club Bar and pink-flourished Soiree Room.

Like an elegantly demented take on ''Alice in Wonderland,'' the restaurant's Monday Club Bar is all odd angles and colorful touches, while the upstairs Soiree Room is a vision in pink, outfitted with a mirrored ceiling. Fireplaces are everywhere, as are colorful, knowledgeable waiters. Options abound: The Soiree Room serves pricier, contemporary dishes (farm vegetables and tiny ricotta gnocchi dressed with cardamom wine broth, shitake mushrooms and mint), while the Monday Club Bar features a more affordable menu of smaller, offbeat items (beet chitarra with crisp short rib and candied ginger). It's an injustice to skip dessert, especially the signature milk chocolate pecan turtles.

Photo by Christine Liu