"Everything about this micro-venue is as contained and humble as chef Gautham Iyer himself, whose South Indian dishes feature brilliant, vibrant, and often ferociously fiery flavors. Cooking alone from 6 a.m. every morning (including an hour spent kneading dough for the utterly unmissable samosas), he makes every dish from scratch each day. Seek out delicious dosas and rotis while sweet, spicy rasam, a broth of tamarind juice and tomato, will clear the head, literally and metaphorically. Every lunch at Iyer’s should finish with the mango kulfi. [$]" - Joe McNamee