Evenfall

On the approach—down a dismal stretch of highway, across from a gas station—Evenfall scarcely looks the date-night part. Enter, though, and the picture improves as you discover a space that's cozy but not cramped, dim but not dark. Things get better still with chef Scott Pelletier's seasonal dishes, which are too good not to share; a recent evening saw couples swapping forkfuls of braised Kobe beef cheeks and chestnut ravioli. By the time you're stealing bites of your companion's warm apple strudel, the iffy setting outside feels like a benefit. After all, what's romance without surprise?