Striking out on your own is a good way to make a name for yourself, unless there are runners in scoring position, in which case your name is already Franklin Gutierrez. For two chef's striking out on their own together, hit La Bete.

Opened in the old Chez Gaudy space by two gastro-whizzes who met working for Ethan Stowell, and go by superhero-ish nicknames like The Vapor (the former Licorous chef), and The Beastmaster (the former Lark sous), this 40-seater's serving up adventurous takes on not-pretentious eats in an L-shaped space dominated by a massive raw-wood bar fronting an open stainless-steel kitchen, and fitted with reclaimed church pews and other gothic touches, though sadly none of them involve Pete Wentz's eyeliner. Grub features generous "platters" like a whole roasted chicken w/ cauliflower rapini, cipollini & black olive jus; whole fried black bass w/ peas, dried scallops & smoked bacon; and a bone-in ribeye w/ porchini & a farro ragout, but not a faro rag out, since everyone who plays it is too dead to yell at you. Other edibles range from snacks (pork rinds w/pickled shallots), to mains like potato puree/artichoke/pearl onion veal sweetbreads, and Parisian gnocchi w/Dungeness crab & Fines herbs, which, unlike Fiennes' herbs, doesn't explain Strange Days.

If you'd rather drink, you're fun at parties, and there's a list of mostly-outta-Europe red, white, and sparkling wines, plus specialty 'tails like the rye/sloe gin/lemon/honey/absinthe/rosemary Bellevue, and The Seville w/ bubbles, cognac, Campari, house orange bitters & Grand Marnier, which is the closest Franklin Gutierrez is ever going to come to being called the Grand Mariner.

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La Bete's open for dinner from Tues - Sat, is slinging brunch on weekends, and has two daily happy hours. Hit the site for all the deets.