MEAN DEANS LOCAL KITCHEN – Restaurant

A scratch kitchen on 26th Street West, run by Chef Dean and his wife Michele, where the cooking is more ambitious than the strip-mall address suggests. The blackened alligator chowder is the signature, but the lobster lasagna, cedar plank salmon, baby back ribs and rosemary fig chicken all have their regulars, and there are hand-cut steaks and a drunken Cuban sandwich for good measure. Save room for the key lime creme brulee. Diners consistently note how much of the menu is made in-house, and how often Dean himself stops by the table. Happy hour daily, three to six.

Cuisine: Restaurant