Los Angeles

Past attempts at self-contained environments haven't fared well, with delicate equilibriums constantly thwarted by carbon dioxide levels, human error, or Stephen Baldwin error. Now, one restaurant aims to go beyond Bio-dome: Tranquility Base, soft-opening Wed.

Headed by a former Friar's Club chef and housed in Downtown's first fully-integrated mixed-use building, TB's a lunch/dinner/late-night spot that'll shift both menu and atmosphere to mirror the natural world, minus the strong stealing appetizers from the weak. The small-plate menu'll please locavores (daily influxes of farmers market goods), while its range'll make put-it-in-my-mouth-ovores exultant: everything from sliders to lobster bisque to Curried Chicken Satay, made from birds that were once free-range, and are now $11. The color scheme will shift for spring/summer/fall/winter; in the interim, an LED lighting system'll illuminate the room with different shades on the half-hour -- like an epileptic-friendly disco.

TB's also got a firepitted outdoor patio offering a full menu and, eventually, hookahs; also coming soon's a brunchtime make-your-own-Bloody bar -- as retaining your own delicate equilibrium requires an AM correction of vodka.