Animal

There’s no signage above the door or on the windows, and there’s nothing on the walls except for beige panels. You just have to know where you are – and most do. Chef and co-owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are well-known operators these days but their first hit was this Fairfax spot in 2008. They’ve been drumming up crowds citywide ever since. Though scoring a reservation is fairly easy these days, the kitchen continues to impress with bold, worldly cooking. Chicken liver toast studded with chives, hamachi tostada with Thai vinaigrette, roasted bone marrow with chimichurri – these familiar highlights continue to shine bright. No meal is complete without a lush, triumphant square of tres leches that will best any other version you’ve had.