Hungry Mother

When Rachel Miller Munzer and Alon Munzer ran Rachel's Kitchen in Bay Village, they made everyone feel at home. If you'd been there once, they knew your face. Twice, they knew your order. Now they've partnered with chef Barry Maiden and former Sel de la Terre manager John Kessen to open Hungry Mother, a not-quite-as-small marvel of a restaurant that expertly brings together Southern dishes and French technique. The restaurant is refined, in a hip, vintage-jacket-and-mint-julep way, but it's also comfortable. The hosts still make everyone feel at home. Maiden's food, too, is refined yet comfortable. His skills are straight out of the kitchens of L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre, and Lumiere, where he's worked. But his menu is straight out of Virginia, where he's from. It's a heartfelt salute to peanuts and sorghum, cornmeal and grits. There are no throwaway dishes here. (Boston Globe)