Virginia’s Darling

It’s forever cherry blossom time in the small dining room, where a canopy of dogwood flowers dress the ceiling and a pink neon sign behind the bar trumpets the name of the place. Chef-owner Nicole Jones says she cooks “what I’d do if I had friends over,” which means a crumble of lamb, feta cheese and mint affixed to the side of their bowl with tahini, and sole meunière that brings to mind a top French restaurant.

The all-female service staff is friendly and efficient. “I tell them to treat guests like revered family members,” says Jones — and they do, reminding me that hospitality is as much a reason to pick a restaurant as what’s on the menu, recently updated to include a spinach salad made springy with peas and asparagus as well as strawberries and cashews, and cavatelli adorned with lemon ricotta and arugula pesto. The wine list is a celebration of female producers, which is great, but I’d appreciate more selections for under triple digits, pricing that seems at odds with the cozy small-plates theme.