Hidden spot worth searching out

The newest venture from the team behind Victory Sandwich Bar has a decidedly swank-retro feel — like the hip basement you’d have if you could hop into a DeLorean and jump back to the swinging ’60s. Barkeep Paul Calvert could be mixing the best drinks in the city right now. His Splendid Splinter — a tart and sweet blend of High West double rye, casoni 1814, lime and Calvert’s homemade liquid Cracker Jack — is so good I’d be hard pressed to order anything else.

Chefs Melissa Allen and Josh Sample have crafted a tight yet dense menu of refined small dishes that defy classification. The stunning beet salad encircles a medallion of goat cheese topped with crumbles of hazelnut and rye. A cup of pickles comes as a lightly brined mix of everything from okra to wedges of super-ripe Georgia peaches and black cherries. Sumptuous braised short rib has so much flavor packed into each mouthful that the small portion is welcome. Make sure to slip a piece of smoked peach onto your fork with the beef — the sum is certainly greater than its parts.

Jon Watson