Lil’ Gem

Lil’ Gem’s setting helps it live up to its name: warm and chummy, with cushioned banquettes, low lighting and a welcoming staff. Chef Melissa O’Donnell expresses her passion for Lebanese food through smoky eggplant babaganoush and flatbread with figs, pickled plums and goat cheese. While there’s lamb shawarma and rib-eye steak, vegans will find raw sunflower falafel and several other vegetable-centric medleys. The intimate bar is a good perch for cocktails, meze and observing the cooks in motion.