Fodor's Expert Review Avli

In an herb-filled multitiered courtyard that leads to a barrel-vaulted dining room, some of the finest food for miles is skillfully prepared. Refined, distinguished dishes are its calling card; sophisticated but true to their traditional roots. Seafood-stuffed zucchini flowers are dressed with a dill emulsion and edible leaves and blooms from the garden, grouper is paired with sea urchin roe, greens, and a lemon cream, and tender goat, straight from the hillside, is served with artichokes three ways. The foams, flicks, and smears that so often blight this level of dining are refreshingly absent. The focus is on the ingredients, the majority of them local and organic, artfully transformed into a cooking of rare sophistication. Reservations are a good idea in summer.