Part of the new Delaney, a boutique hotel, Delaney’s Tavern is more than a drinking spot. The food, under the direction of chef Anthony Albino, is innovative and expertly executed. The crab beignets and shrimp, scallops & grits (with purple grits) are favorites.

It’s big and modern and offers so much more than sushi, although the sushi is some of the best of what it does, especially the deftly executed nigirizushi. Dragonfly also features robata grilling, a popular cooking method in Japan but still fairly uncommon in the U.S. A robata grill uses special charcoal that heats to one thousand degrees (oh, how I wish I could do that on my Weber). The intense heat sears the skewered meats that are leaned against it, which results in tender, juicy bites. We tried the chicken, and it was impressively tender. We also tried the braised short ribs, served with pickled carrots, shiitake and tamago. They weren’t the most tender short ribs I’ve had — and a bit difficult to pick apart with chopsticks — but the flavor was very nice.

There’s more to the name here than just a play on a historical figure. John Montagu, the 11th Earl of Sandwich, is involved in the business, although the project was started by his son Orlando, who is not in line to inherit the title. There’s another Earl involved: Robert Earl, founder of Planet Hollywood. Legend has it, of course, that it was the fourth Earl of Sandwich who came up with the idea of slapping meat between some bread. The usual story is that he was a gambler and didn’t want to put down his cards, but Lord Sandwich, the current one, told me over sherries in the House of Parliament a few years ago, that his ancestor was also a womanizer and it may have been a lady in his other hand. Whatever, the sandwiches here are very good and impressively thick. You may actually need both hands. The 4th Earl would not approve.

This latest addition to the Darden collection of premium brands is sometimes said to be the seafood equivalent of that company’s Capital Grille steakhouses. But that’s not exactly right because Eddie V’s, which does indeed to excellent seafood, also does a pretty good steak. In fact, Eddie V’s serves prime beef while Capital Grille serves USDA choice. The atmosphere is elegant, like an old-timey Manhattan supper club. It’s pricy, though, so be prepared to pay dearly for the quality.

This is more of a bar with food than a restaurant that serves a good drink. But it has a terrific outdoor space (larger and more comfortable than the indoor area) that is drawing a college-aged crowd on balmy nights.t’s mostly noshables, and there isn’t anything over $13 — in fact, most items are under $10. The menu, which was developed by the chef at Kres, although the two restaurants are owned by different entities, features soups and salads; flatbreads (to compete with Urban Flats, I suppose); pastas for the people who must have their carbs; and sliders and folds, the former being tiny burgers and the latter being wrap sandwiches. I chose the choice burger, which got me three of the little gut bombs, as we used to call the White Castle sliders. They were dense patties on Lilliputian sized buns, served with shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a small sweet pickle. The burgers were topped with cheese and they were pretty good.

A recent addition to the area’s only art movie house, Eden is an outdoor venue next to the theater. The menu is an odd mix but features some Austrian specialties. If you’re up for a splurge, ask for a shot of pre-Prohibition bourbon.

Eola General is a combination of a market, or general store, if you will, and a cafe, though neither is done to category fulfillment. The market does have some staples — I noticed some milk and butter in one of the refrigerated cases creating a wall across from the sandwich counter (over which hang upside down bouquets of flowers, for some reason). But I don’t think shoppers would be able to do all of their everyday marketing here.

Not sure there’s enough on the prepared foods side to eat here every day, either. The menu is a modicum of items, mainly sandwiches.

The name doesn’t exactly exude culinary confidence or creativity. Such a name tells me the owners are more interested in a drinking clientele so any food served would be secondary. But when I found myself in the area looking for a place to eat after my destination restaurant was unexpectedly closed, I decided to give it a try.

I liked it very much.

It is unique among the downtown businesses – it’s a quiet place with a classy feel that puts the emphasis on good wine. It’s a terrific meeting space or neighborhood hangout without the manic music or big crowds you might find in some the neighboring restaurants and bars. It’s just what downtown needed.

The menu here is 100 percent vegan. On a recent visit I ordered a cup of spinach and portobello soup and the ironically named healthy trio for starters. The healthy trio was a reference to three dips: hummus, tomato-mango salsa and a tapenade made with black and green olives. They were served with slightly toasted bread that had big hunks of seeds and grains embedded, plus thick blue corn tortilla chips. It was all pretty tasty. Ethos is across from Ivanhoe Lake and has a large covered patio with perhaps more seating than inside. Indoors the walls are covered with works by local artists, and beyond the ordering counter the room wraps around for additional inside seating.