If the décor somewhat resembles a paler version of Tiffany’s robin’s-egg blue-and-brown palette, it’s no wonder: what is here is no less delicate. Cacao reminds us of a French dress shop more than a patisserie or café; it’s elegant and simple, with colorful presentations assembled atop minimalist furnishings, which you can well imagine are fussed over and straightened after every pawing from curious customers.

The lovely, personable owners will answer questions without being the least bit condescending, and have garnered quite… [More]

Call us persnickety, but we’re always encouraged when a Middle Eastern restaurant doesn’t refer to itself “Mediterranean,” which is a nebulous and often inaccurate cuisine type. It usually refers to the dishes of lands once covered by the southern penumbra of the Ottoman Empire, but it can technically include cuisines that are now totally distinct, like Moroccan, Italian, and Greek.

What these misleadingly named eateries are usually referring to is a menu much like the one at Nicholas, a mostly Lebanese… [More]