Tucked neatly back in a tree-festooned retail center in Greenhaven, teeny Ravenous Café is a charming word-of-mouth neighborhood establishment. The restaurant is narrow and slightly cramped (there are only 10 tables, plus a small counter area), but fresh flowers adorning the tables and a bright image of a raven projected on to one wall add a festive, cheery vibe to the snug ambience. Ravens also appear on a series of stark prints lining another wall in this quirky restaurant, and intriguing, twiggy light fixtures give one the feeling that a real-live flock of the birds may come in to roost late at night. If you sit at the counter, you may glimpse chef/owner Mark Helms through the curtain which divides the kitchen from the dining room, hard at work on his carefully crafted menu items. An enthusiastic supporter of small local farms, Helms peppers his Mediterranean-inspired menu with gorgeous seasonal produce. I recently enjoyed a stunning lunch at Ravenous Café, which included a knockout orchietta pasta, tossed with fat shrimp, roasted tomatoes, whisper-soft caramelized onions and red chili flakes, blanketed in a layer of crunchy garlic bread crumbs. The sauce was wildly flavorful, with a lingering heat from the chili flakes. A simple grilled chicken and bacon sandwich came on a gorgeous, just-baked roll slathered with basil aioli, and the star component of the sandwich was a thick, juicy slice of perfectly-ripe, fire orange-red heirloom tomato. Another pasta— this one a pappardelle with chunks of roasted chicken, mushrooms, sautéed arugula, and preserved lemon—was earthy and robust, the perfect entrée for a blustery, chilly winter evening. Helms’ food, earnest and very flavorful, is sure to lure me back again very soon. - Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: Like mussels? The restaurant serves them three different ways.

Reservations: Recommended

Payment methods: AmEx, Discover Card, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Beer & wine

Corkage fee: $12

Hours: Tuesday–Friday: Lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dinner 5–9 p.m.
Saturday: Dinner only 5–9 p.m.
Sunday: Dinner only 4–9 p.m.
Closed Monday