Talula

When Talula opened in June 2003, its culinary style could have been labeled "cutting-edge comfort food" (chef/owners Frank Randazzo and Andrea Curto-Randazzo call it "creative American cuisine"). Influences remain the same -- some dishes based on Asian ingredients, others invoking the Mediterranean or American Southwest. Most entrées run $25 to $29, or about $10 less than at other elite eateries around town. Still, most steaks cost $36 to $48, and appetizers are pricey too, so the final bill does tend to get lofty.