East Side Showroom is the posterchild for the East Sixth wave of twee fetishism and geeked-out rusticity. Its handmade details are breathtaking, beginning with the front-and-center bar, a simple shelving unit filled with backlit bottles of colorful liquid that reminds us of a fin de siècle apothecary. A looming brass contraption is equal parts submarine periscope and upside-down milking jugs, and is, ingeniously, used as the tap system for beer. Edgy art adorns the walls, and chairs are framed by whimsical rebar shapes. Shabby upholstery in red, green, and black stripes might appear in a Tim Burton film set in Montmartre.

Few tables will seat more than four, but the night is better spent in small groups. For one thing, the artisanal cocktails are painstakingly made, so when one of your party is finishing her drink, you might just be getting yours. On busier nights, getting served can be an absolute fiasco, and when you do finally get served, you might get served. It seems everyone in town has a story about how rude the bartender is. It helps to look like Zooey Deschanel and/or give a respectable order. Dirty martinis will get you ignored, and while we disagree with the extreme (not to mention unhelpful) response, we find the ethic a relief in this vodka-Red Bull age.

That ethic extends to details like ice (slow-melting) and glassware (correct). Small-batch spirits and a variety of salts and bitters are used; ingredients are muddled, never pulverized; and egg whites are thoroughly frothed. Beers, refreshingly, are served at the proper temperature and in their ideal glasses, and the changing lineup has included La Fin du Monde and Duchesse de Borgogne. Less praiseworthy is the wine list, which at press time was still being treated like the idiot stepchild.

The menu also frequently changes, and a chalkboard lists not only a soup of the day (such as a delicious chilled cucumber-cantaloupe soup with shrimp), but also a daily gratin, charcuterie item, and dessert. As many ingredients come from local farms, the prices can get up there, but dishes don’t often disappoint. A richly Bourboned chicken liver mousse has made us swoon, as has a tomato and sausage gratin. Lamb burgers are wonderfully seasoned, cooked just right, and served with a creamy chèvre; salads are lightly dressed and full of intriguing flavors. Curried grits, which on one visit graced a third of the menu, are a bit aggressive, and pork belly has come tough (an impressive feat for belly), but for the most part, we have enjoyed the deftly made food, the happy décor, and the winning sister-owners, who often wait on tables, smoothing over the rough patches until all you see is an earnest desire for excellence.

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