I confess that I was a bit worried during The Coolinary's first few months in business. An upstairs location, even with an elevator, is risky business. Plus, the fact the space has failed too many times to count was another factor. So I kept my ear to the ground and waited until a few tweaks (and consistent hours!) were in place.

And last week, when I was invited to a new seasonal menu tasting at the restaurant, I was just plain happy that I showed up.

The space has a cool, downtown vibe that you might find in Denver or other big cities, with little nooks and small, step-up corners that big city diners adore. And while the large menu can be intimidating, I can vouch for the quality of the food and will be making a second visit soon.

There are creative options like vegan sweet potato risotto with curry-orange vinaigrette, and grilled zucchini with feta and olives. And there's also the must-have option of braised beef short ribs and lamb osso bucco. There are also some Hungarian dishes, like chicken paprikash with homemade spaetzle. And there are plenty of creative cocktails, as well. Oh, and it would be a crime if you didn't order the Hungarian Dobos torte with chocolate buttercream and caramel. 

The quality of the food no doubt comes from the passion of both the owner and chef. The restaurant's early glitches are clearly fixed, and I'm sure this conscientious team will continue to create and evolve. This second-floor makeover definitely deserves some praise.