Dexters of Thornton Park   

Thornton Park's cornerstone hangout is a main draw for downtown hipsters, but don't let that discourage you from dropping in on this chic and trendy restaurant/cafe/wine shop. Chrome vinyl stools, terrazzo floors and contemporary art provide the backdrop for diners flocking here to savor the adventurous and inventive dishes devised by restaurateurs Dexter Richardson and Adrian Mann. The jerk chicken salad is a flawless lunchtime meal with chicken marinated in a spicy Caribbean paste and brushed with a chili-garlic oil, then grilled and served over a seven field-green salad with lemon-parsley vinaigrette. The signature pressed duck sandwich is a Mann specialty, but you can choose from more than 29 ingredients, like brie cheese, andouille sausage or cha-cha salsa and build your own sandwich. Meatloaf may be a turnoff to many, but mom never made a wild mushroom meatloaf with vidalia onion demi-glace. The mashed scallion potatoes perfectly complement the dish. Even carnivores will appreciate the eggplant Napoleon -- crispy fried eggplant layered with spinach, ricotta, provolone and parmesan cheeses and baked on a bed of marinara sauce. Round out your dining experience with one of the more than 30 red and white wines, champagnes, ports and sherries available and raise a glass to the good life. For Sunday brunch -- when the menu includes omelettes and waffles -- a mimosa might suffice. Whatever you do, try at least once to snag a spot on the popular streetside terrace fronting trendy Washington Street: It's great people-watching.