Warlord

The word is out on Warlord, where eager diners line up before it's even open to snag a seat at this first-come, first-serve spot. Chefs Emily Kraszyk, John Lupton, and Trevor Fleming cook over a live-fire grill in an open kitchen, and the most desirable seats are at the chefs' counter. Settle in to feast on the likes of foie gras ganache with grilled hearth bread accompanied by salty-sweet honey butter, whipped foie, and rhubarb dressed with a beetroot reduction. Lacquered, dry-aged duck rests above the grill for a slower cook, but the tender meat is worth the extra time. Even dessert hits the flames, with butter cake grilled to a nicely crisp exterior before being topped with butterscotch amazake cream.