"Verjus is back, and it’s just as excellent as it was before it closed in 2020. This candle-lit Jackson Square wine bar—from the Cotogna and Quince team—will inevitably transform “just one glass” of after-work wine or a pre-date night drink into a long, relaxed dinner over duck confit with creamy lentils, a silky Boursin omelette, and bread with slabs of fancy imported butter you’ll want to smuggle home. Just make sure to end any meal here with the custardy pain perdu topped with vanilla ice cream. Online reservations are rare, so try your luck by walking in at 5pm when the kitchen opens. You can always hang out at the bar with a glass or two of low-intervention wine while you wait." - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong