It's hard to tell who's happiest about this gastropub's long-in-the-works opening: Chef and proprietor Ben Ford or the legions of neighborhood diners flocking to fill up on his fresh, seasonal cuisine.

Under an exposed-beam ceiling, a cozy bar and brick walls complement the wall of glass at the front, which looks out onto tables on the bustling sidewalk, and a lack of wall in the back, where chef Ford's open kitchen churns out a small menu of classy comfort fare. A charcuteries plate can be assembled from a large list of meats, but we began our meal with an inventive steak tartare, served with truffle potato chips and topped with a fried quail egg. We recommend the burger (topped with blue cheese and caramelized onions), the crispy flattened chicken with succotash and a lemon-garlic confit, and the not-too-sweet pear tart with a hint of ginger in the thin crust. The crowd—blue-collar guys stopping in for a beer, thirtysomethings headed to a movie at the new megaplex, younger hoodie-and-non-True-Religion-jeans guys with unfussy gals, elegant professional women catching up, and neighborhood looky-loos of all ages—coalesces in fine Culver City form, without anyone feeling inappropriately dressed. —Lonny Pugh