"Verdict: Irwin's, the restaurant inside a renovated school, may be easy to get into. But to get access to the chef's counter, it feels like you need a hall pass or a strongly worded letter from your mom. Salvatore's Counter ($180 per person) has four seats, and you can only dine there on Sunday evenings. The 10-course menu features dishes like a house-cured sardine, fennel, and citrus toast and caviar on whitebait fish and potato pancake. You won't struggle to find reservations for Irwin's, but your finger may cramp reloading Salvatore's Counter reservations page for those coveted four seats. They drop the reservations during the first of the month. We suggest setting a reminder or slipping a seat on the end to see if the chef will serve you anyway." - candis mclean