Freddy Smalls (CLOSED)

Freddy Smalls sounds like the alias of a Prohibition-era gangster; alas, it is, rather, a neighborhood bar and kitchen, in that order. But what's not in a name is in the space itself—a moderately lit room with a speakeasy vibe amplified by the nearby strip clubs and freeway. For reasons of ambiance and geography, you wouldn't expect to find a menu full of the type of seasonal fare that drives so many farm-to-table restaurants; yet, that is exactly what Bay-Area transplant Charlie Parker has done. Maggie's Farm Greens, for example, is a fantastically simple salad that highlights the season and its herbs, dressed only in an appropriately sunny lemon-almond vinaigrette. Even the fried Brussels sprouts have an improbable lightness to them, and the chicken panzanella is slow-roasted to bring out a juicy tenderness. Clearly, temperance is a virtue here, where measured restraint—freshingly—trumps a heavy hand.