photography by Vanessa Gavalya
In our debates to the death regarding each category, one restaurant kept showing up: Rise No. 1. Why? Everything about this charming, authentic French restaurant is meant to contribute to a five-sensory experience. Even the bathroom is darling. Owner Hedda Dowd designed the space, and, luckily, she’s willing to share. Everything in the restaurant is for sale: the silver, linens, even the chair you’re sitting on. And feel free to borrow one of the books in the library, as long as you replace it with one of your own.