Bar Gobo

Scrunched into a bare-bones space scarcely more ostentatious than the humble root vegetable whose name it bears, the appeal here is more than skin-deep. At first glance, an air of insouciance seems only fitting for a wine bar with pours exclusively from hip natural producers, but the friendly service will quickly allay any fear of snobbery. The best surprise is the cooking, emerging from a tiny corner kitchenette tucked behind the bar and offering an impressive degree of polish in a slim three-course prix fixe—utilizing local, seasonal ingredients, of course. Whether wild nettle tortelli or roasted halibut with fiddlehead ferns, expect clear, hearty flavors; add-ons like rosemary focaccia with burrata and a lightly smoky apple onion butter are similarly pleasing.