We tend to be suspicious of restaurants the size of the mall we haunted in high school. But this glittering Restaurant Row oasis, risen from the ashes of Bliss, has little in common with that mall.

Though "cavernous" is not too strong a word for the main dining room—bordered with a balcony, fireplace, concave waterfalls and a towering glass-enclosed wine case—the tables that line the wall seem on top of each other, and the round tables floating in the center can be difficult to squeeze past with grace. This wasn't a problem, exactly, but it was unexpected. As was the outcome: A surprisingly intimate meal that inspires conversation with adjacent diners. (Our table was bookended by two chatty gay men who loved every bite and a more reserved, funky couple with a music-industry-man-and-pretty-muse look about them. Three of the four wore jeans, though the tables we squeezed past held more dolled-up types.) Kurobuta pork lollipops are so tender no teeth are required, and the ostrich filet on a polenta cake is equally succulent. Steak, salad and seafood options can be paired with sides like truffle-scented French fries. After a trip to the sorta-unisex bathrooms (gender-specific doors lie opposite a shared bay of sinks), dinner can turn into drinks in the lounge, on the balcony, or inside a patio cabana.

Chef Arturo Paz now offers a special "Chef's Choice" menu Fridays and Saturdays from 11pm-2am; no reservations are necessary. Items brought tableside by the chef himself might include oysters with sour apple mignonette, lobster corn dogs with sweet hot mustard, or pulled pork sliders. Paz is inviting chefs to hang out after their shifts, so you might see the force behind your favorite recent meal at the next table. —Lonny Pugh