The next time you’ve got a group up for dinner at Gjelina, try a more adventurous meal a few steps away at The Tasting Kitchen.

The young chef and his visibly excited staff have re-energized the former AK space (it's still got a lot of the DWR-style decor), with an ambitious farm-to-table concept: A mixed menu of bold Spanish, Moroccan, Italian and French dishes that changes daily.

The place is busy: Prepare to get a drink at the bar, even if you come on time for your reservation. Once you're seated, servers will expertly guide you through the Mad Libs-style menu with refreshingly candid suggestions. Ingredients are sourced based on the chef's journeys to three local markets, but you can't go wrong by ordering several ambitious apps for sharing.

The food is generous and powerfully simple. Toast overflows with ricotta cheese. A bed of butter lettuce holds Halibut cut into a crab-like texture. An entire pig is used for everything from the skin to the stuffing in spicy homemade sausage. 
 
A carefully curated, reasonably priced drink menu features up-and-coming wines to far-flung aperitifs. They’ll make concoctions to match up with special dishes, too, including whiskey with orange bitters.
 
As for dessert, ask your server: You’ll get a surprisingly frank answer.