[WESTSIDE STORY] On summer evenings, this sleek wood dining room fills quickly with well-heeled Ladd's Addition residents in search of a west side-style snack and an artisanal cocktail. Bar Avignon turned 6 this summer, and a recent weekend evening leaves little doubt it has fully come into its own as a neighborhood date-night staple. Originally imagined as a casual wine lounge by co-owner Randy Goodman, wine director of former mainstay Wildwood, Bar Avignon is decidedly part New American restaurant, part watering hole for those who prefer their lemon drops with house-infused lavender honey. The menu lists a handful of entrees (chicken, salmon) but mostly features the kind of trendy small plates (scallop crudo, rillettes) designed for sharing over a selection from the multitudinous wine list, which is also available to go at a 25 percent discount. Try a couple glasses of cava over a plate of wine-cured coppa with grilled apricots and you might actually forget you're on the east side altogether. KAT MERCK.
The roast chicken, served with a corn-studded seasonal panzanella ($22), is plenty for two.
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WWeek 2015