RJ Yoakum, the new chef at Georgie, has done the impossible: taken over a well-regarded restaurant from Michelin-starred Los Angeles chef Curtis Stone (who split from the owners earlier this year) and made it better.

This is elevated dining, with dim lighting, buttery leather seats and seasoned operators, including Edward Goemans, who seems to recognize returning guests immediately (yet instinctively knows when to pretend he doesn’t). Instead of Stone’s focus on beef, Yoakum’s New American menu takes cues from whatever ingredients the chef likes most at the moment.

Right now, it’s pink snapper uplifted with ripples of Meyer lemon and ginger, but next month it could be roasted duck enriched with mushrooms and wildflower honey. Oh, and don’t skip the complimentary housemade bread and tangy butter. Like almost everything else from the kitchen at Georgie, they’re worth every indulgent calorie.