2 Best Restaurants in Phinney Ridge and Greenwood, Seattle

Ethically sourced meats, from steak cuts to gamier dishes such as bison, wild boar, and duck, headline the menu at FlintCreek, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a busy corner of Greenwood. A small-plates section features a cumin-dusted lamb tartare as well as mussels bathed in charred jalapeño-lime butter, while main-dish standouts include a brined pork chop on grits and a hanger steak topped with onion marmalade. The industrial-chic two-story lofted space, which has double-high ceilings and a lovely bar backed with modern yellow tile, is usually lively but not too loud, and the service is reliably solid.

An ode to Khmer heritage and the culinary traditions that Cambodian refugees carried with them to America, this restaurant serves excellent upscale modern cuisine imbued with lessons on history and culture. Bold spice pastes and fragrant herbs fill the plates here, and even carry over to the cocktail menu. The mix of small and large plates makes it easy to stop for an afternoon snack or to sit down to a Cambodian feast amid the owner's family photos and traditional weavings hanging on the walls.