Joule

Korean meets French meets American in Wallingford. Husband-and-wife team Seif Chirchi and Rachel Yang, both classically trained chefs who've worked under Alain Ducasse, opened Joule in 2007. Inside the petite restaurant, decor includes Asian-inflected wallpaper and basic square tables. The smart menu choice is a seven-dish, family-style dinner. Diners serve themselves from platters holding the likes of rib eye bedecked with charred wintergreen or kabocha rice grits with chanterelles. A succinct drink list offers sakes, wines, plus herbacious cocktails, such as the Aperol-prosecco-orange-and-Thai-basil spritzer.