It’s not every fine dining experience that you'll pull your napkin and cutlery out of a denim pocket, settle into a leather-covered director’s chair and select your meal from a paper menu attached to a clipboard. But Chef's Station is far from ordinary.

Nestled directly below the Davis Street L tracks (though you can’t hear a peep through the restaurant’s thick, concrete walls), this Zagat-rated American bistro offers a decidedly quirky atmosphere. Among the decor mumbo-jumbo you'll find old photographs, offbeat art, lights fashioned from copper plates and other peculiar odds and ends.

Much like Chef's Station's interior stylings, the menu features a smorgasbord of fine dining staples with innovative twists. Its infamous foie gras comes with a mini guava creme brulee and cardamom-pomegranate sauce, and the exceedingly popular meatloaf is served with tomato bordelaise—a ritzy response to the classic family dinner. Other options like seafood stew and roasted leg of lamb round out the menu; entrees cost between $20-$25.

The most exciting part of this unpredictable little bistro, though, is the always-rotating tasting menu. A $45 fee will buy you seven courses, mostly pulled from the menu; pay $20 extra for wine pairings.

Average cost: $21-$30

Centerstage Reviewer: Emily Browne