Modern Cafe

Rating:

Because he labors in such modest surroundings, chef Phillip Becht doesn’t have the high profile that he might enjoy elsewhere, an oversight for one of the city’s culinary luminaries.Under Becht’s nearly seven-year tutelage, the Modern has never been better. Becht subtly nudges the boundaries of his tightly focused menu in engaging new directions without putting a dent in the Modern’s likable aversion to formality or its hugely appealing blue-collar diner roots. The kitchen has no pretense when it comes to its limited technical prowess. Instead, the cooking avoids obvious razzle-dazzle in favor of a visceral integrity.