Getting to Chickadee—a spot tucked into the Innovation and Design Building at the farthest reaches of the Seaport—always feels like a bit of journey. Good thing it’s 100 percent worth the trek. Opened by No. 9 Park veterans chef John daSilva and beverage director Ted Kilpatrick, the “New England born, Mediterranean inspired” menu is full of showstoppers. Bold flavors, bright contrast, and impeccable technique come together in every bite and sip. If Samin Nosrat and Thomas Keller had a baby (and were Yankee bred) it might look a lot like Chickadee.

Take the Grilled Carrot Salad, for example: It’s a humble name for a knockout dish of sweet, earthy, spiced roasted carrots on a bed of impossibly creamy green avocado hummus, topped with silky ribbons of the fresh root, dressed with a bracing vinaigrette. Or the Smoked Sea Trout Dip, which is topped with a buttery foam, fresh horseradish, snappy pickled mustard seeds, and a mess of herbs you scoop up with toasty salt and vinegar rye chips. And don’t miss the Squid Ink Fusilli—with perfectly crisp breadcrumbs, sweet tomatoes, and porky sopressata.

Exacting standards are evident in every delicate cocktail glass, too. Try The Pelican Brief, a light springy blend of vodka, fennel, caraway, lemon, and egg white—it will win over even the licorice-averse despite tasting like the Platonic ideal of a black jelly bean. Speaking of sweets, the excellent brunch menu boasts Homemade Donuts (try the heavenly halva caramel version) and decadent Brioche French Toast with fresh blueberries, feather-light whipped ricotta, and walnut praline.

The restaurant’s website describes their namesake—also Massachusetts’s state bird—as “innately industrious, curious, and social creatures: they are creative opportunity seekers.” The same could be said of Chickadee’s patrons: folks who don’t mind venturing off the beaten path for the caliber of restaurant they’ve been searching for.