Executive Chef Rodrigo Cedeño sharpened his knife skills and his palate across California, picking up technical know-how at Collins College of Hospitality Management before training under chefs at Vu Restaurant and RN74 in San Francisco. Today he lets his know-how blossom and wander in the kitchen of Bijou Restaurant & Bar, blending his French and modern cuisine training with the flavors found in northern California's seasonal organic ingredients. From his pans and cutting boards spring forth a rotating selection of seasonal specialties with distinct flavor profiles, such as butternut squash risotto with brown butter and diver scallops served with blistered grapes. To complement such an aesthetically poignant dining experience, the space itself—designed by DesignPlus's Pia Thomas—remains sleek and focused. The centerpiece is the bar, which glows a dreamy, iridescent amber that's complemented by ring chandeliers and absorbed by Italian leather chairs, a lounge area's plush velvet cushions, and tabletop black holes.