A longtime favorite among cosmopolites looking for a bite near the performing arts district, Absinthe offers a performance of its own. The set: a bustling Parisian brasserie with pressed-tin ceilings and mischievous green fairies spying on red velvet banquettes from mural-coated walls. The actors: well-heeled ladies and business types at lunch; adoring couples and artisanal cocktail enthusiasts by night. Choreography in the kitchen focuses on Mediterranean-French delicacies composed of Californian ingredients. Dishes may include country pâté with kumquat marmalade; potato-crusted Arctic char with Niçoise olive tapenade; and Valrhona chocolate pot de crème. Take home a bit of Absinthe in the restaurant's beloved beverage tome, The Art of the Bar.