Alchemy, Gloucester

America's food has come a long way in the last few decades, and the menu at Alchemy is printed proof. Vegetarian-friendly and made with ingredients sourced from local farms, the restaurant's new American cuisine marries the flavors of an ever-shrinking globe with the familiar preparations and traditions of the United States. In the kitchen, the chefs are selective about the ingredients they use in each brunch and dinner dish. They meld these hormone- and antibiotic-free meats into entrees such as spit-roasted duck and burgers topped with bacon-tomato jam and Vermont cheddar cheese. They also work with fresh seafood, turning the latest catches from Gloucester's shores into dishes including seared scallops served alongside a mild parsnip puree. Meals unfold within the warm, inviting dining rooms, whose wooden accents pair wells with a rotating selection of artwork from local artisans.