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Zoe Feigenbaum (whom you might know from Bravo's Chef Academy, or from her previous gig at the National) serves an eclectic, sometimes Southern, sometimes Mediterranean-leaning menu in sleek mid-century surroundings. A chartreuse upholstered mod-style banquette lines one wall, and chairs are reproductions of mid-century pieces. On the walls, photographer Sarah Ball's work depicts the overgrown vines and sagging porches of the deep South. Some of Feigenbaum's dishes lean in that direction as well, particularly at brunch, where a crisp slab of fried chicken gets a slathering of marmalade before being served between buttery biscuits, and not-overdone shrimp nestle with bacon and a pair of sunny-side-up eggs over Anson Mills grits. At dinner, bucatini with uni is a standout, with the creamy urchin sauce coating each hollow strand like an Alfredo, its richness tempered by a generous grinding of pepper. Octopus is shockingly toothsome, not the usual rubbery stuff, with a winning labne-harissa garnish. Whole wild Dorade also gets this perfect-cooking treatment; it's simple and satisfying, even topped with a handful of very thyme-y pickled grapes. For dessert, don't miss the creamy lemon posset in a graham-cracker crust. — Jenny Miller

Octopus with green olives, harissa and labne, $12; bucatini with cracked black pepper and uni, $24; Whole Grilled Wild Dorade, $26; lemon posset tart, $8 

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