Naha

Description:

• Chef Carrie Nahabedian (who used her nickname for the restaurant's name) did time at four-star hotels in California before returning to her hometown, and a West Coast influence is clear in her wine list and use of seasonal ingredients. But she adds Mediterranean flavors to the mix, including dishes that reflect her Armenian heritage.

  Dishes at Naha combine diverse flavors without getting fussy. The duck liver with roasted preserved quince is a delightfully rich starter, and tartare of ahi tuna topped with caviar comes garnished with a colorful mix of diced vegetables. Entrees are hearty: veal rib-eye with oven-cured tomatoes and cipollini onions; sirloin steak with a goat cheese gratin; and hot smoked salmon with lentils, cabbage, and caramelized onions. The dessert menu features combinations of mini-dishes, most with some kind of fruit (such as a tarte of walnuts and maple syrup served with pear slices and walnut ice cream, or the sundae of raisin ice cream, roasted apples, butterscotch, streusel and star anise shortbread cookies).

  A front lounge offers a special menu of meze (Mediterranean "small dishes"), including flatbread with tomatoes, goat cheese, and artichokes; lamb kabobs; and feta cheese phyllo triangles made from the chef's mother's recipe. At lunchtime, Naha's hamburger is so renowned and in demand, the restaurant sometimes runs out of them.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Eat Out Magazine

•  Award-winning Restaurant 2008

CitySearch

•  Mediterranean Food 2007

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2009
•  Highly Recommended 2010