Fodor's Expert Review Laurel

Reservations at Laurel are typically a tough get, given its cozy 22-seat dining room and chef-owner’s Nicholas Elmi’s sterling reputation. But dinner at this intimate, candlelit hideaway is worth the effort for fans of the Top Chef season 11 winner’s elegant, intelligent French-American food, presented in six- or nine-course tasting formats five nights a week. In the Valley, Elmi’s attached wine bar and cocktail lounge, offers small plates and a place to hang before or after a Laurel reservation.