Métier's spare and sleek dining space may be best described as one part living room and two parts art gallery, and a window to the kitchen gives a taste of what is to come. The space is elegant and the service echoes the sophistication with an attentive eye. Chef Eric Ziebold plies his "metier" in an ambitious tasting that pulls global flavors in inspired ways. A riff on cassoulet, for instance, unveils flageolet bean purée with a pork jowl croquette and Santa Barbara uni. The crowning flourish is a sorbet made from aji dulce peppers grown at the restaurant's garden in Virgnia. A satin-smooth, double fermented chocolate ganache with toasted fennel-crème anglaise is as stunning as it is ingenious.