Les Zygomates

Happy-hour drinks, dinner dates, late-night cocktail sessions — all are equally good reasons to come to Les Zygomates, a perfect combination of wine bar, bistro, and jazz club. Its ambiance is wonderfully French, though (thank God) there are no overt Paris references or antiques from the City of Light. Even better, the quaffs are affordable and the food superb. There may be a finer frisée aux lardons salad elsewhere in town, but we have yet to find it. RUNNER-UP Silvertone