Telepan
Long before the word locavore was invented, Bill Telepan could tell you which farmers grew the best tomatoes, and in a time when few chefs had heard of heritage pork, he was already serving it. He has always relied on unusual ingredients, like the lemony-tasting wild spinach known as lamb’s quarters, and the hardier, more assertive nettles, to give dishes like his ethereal ravioli such a distinctive flavor. Using what’s in the markets seems so natural to him that the menu doesn’t even bother to mention that it changes with the seasons. And although he’s worked with some of the world’s great chefs (Alain Chapel, Gilbert Le Coze, Daniel Boulud), the restaurant is as low-key as Telepan himself. The menu is personal, and the room is homey but hardly chic; the people who show up are there for the wonderful food, the exciting wine list (many of the wines come from co-owner Jimmy Nicholas’s own cellar), and the chance to have dinner in a comfortable place where you can have a conversation without raising your voice. (Source: BlackBoardEats.com)