Profile

Brothers Mike and Michel Issa recast their bi-level bar Mitchell’s as a Southwestern restaurant called Piquant. The main floor offers a lounge with a full bar, the dining room is upstairs, and the 30-seat patio rests out back. The duo spared the bare-brick space from loud on-theme accents (though you might spy a potted cactus in our slideshow) — brighter colors pop up in the food. Chef David Sharp hails from West Texas, with stops at Iguana and Mustang Grill in Manhattan along the way, and he likes everything big: The menu spans tacos (with homemade tortillas), sliders (bison and crabcake), four types of ceviches, two kinds of chili, and a slew of entrées. And plates themselves are higher than a Dallas cheerleader’s blowout. — Alexandra Vallis