Dining Guide

Carpenters Hall

Guests and locals alike are checking out the casual, rather minimalist dining room of the new Carpenter Hotel for happy hour and then staying for a bite to eat. The menu comes courtesy of Grae Nonas, one of the chefs who cofounded Olamaie, back in 2014. The menu is decidedly eclectic Texas-y, with assorted international influences. It’s well stocked with small dishes like non–pinto bean dip with sesame crackers and an excellent wedge of caramelized-onion pie (great sesame-seed-studded crust). More-serious options run to a nice red snapper filet with crispy skin sided by a fennel salad with Castelvetrano olives (we wished for a few more) and a properly medium-rare but slightly chewy steak with decent fries and a salad of interesting mixed greens sided by creamy horseradish sauce. The unfussy chocolate mousse with Chantilly cream and chopped pecans hit the right comfort notes. The apple hand pie is begging to be sampled. P.S. The lot behind the hotel is for both hotel and restaurant guests.