Fine dining in a simple setting

BETTER HALF

Overall rating: 3 of 5 stars

Food: upscale new American with global influences (particularly Latin)

Service: casual and friendly

Best dishes: seared yellowfin, strawberry gazpacho, grilled romaine, Costa Rican truffles

Vegetarian selections: salads, pasta

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Price range: $$$

Credit cards: all major credit cards

Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5:30-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Children: not the best place for kids

Parking: a small shared lot and street parking; carpool if you can

Reservations: yes, suggested

Wheelchair access: yes

Smoking: no

Noise level: moderate

Patio: no

Takeout: no

Address, phone: 349 14th St., Atlanta. 404-695-4547.

Website: www.betterhalfatl.com

Better Half, the new supper-club-turned-restaurant funded by a Kickstarter community funding campaign, is one of our city’s newest casual fine dining spots. You’ll find the kitchen on full display right in the dining room, the absence of a liquor license (but it’s coming), and a place where the best seats are at the bar.

While Better Half doesn’t adhere to formal dining traditions or ostentation, the kitchen performs with the exceptional skill and efficiency of one that does. With such artistry and precision, the food coming out of this kitchen could only be considered fine.

Vibrant colors and contrasts mark chef/owner Zach Meloy’s artistic plating style, with items like the pork belly served alongside small cylindrical sopes placed catty-corner and filled with plugs of brilliant orange carrot puree. Consider items like the seared yellowfin tuna paired with cow-pea-and-bacon stew and diagonal squares of sweet onion flan melting into the swirl like pats of butter.

The restaurant’s parting gift is a tin of cajetas de coco (Costa Rican milk truffles). I’d buy these homey caramel-coconut treasures by the case.