The dining room at Pantry Restaurant feels like a home kitchen; that is, if home kitchens typically had walls made of rolling pins and muffin tins. As the main restaurant of The VERVE-Crowne Plaza Hotel, the eatery takes quaint Americana and puts it through a spin cycle, ending up with silverware dangling like chandeliers. The same approach to Americana can be said of the cuisine. There's a traditional bacon cheeseburger, but also a bacon burger with a patty made of scallops. There's a 10 oz. aged striploin, but also grilled salmon with risotto verde and preserve lemon crema. If you can't decide what to order, maybe the dining room's TVs will provide serendipitous direction. They run episodes of cooking shows such as Julia Child's The French Chef, Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals, and Graham Kerr's The Galloping Gourmet, all of which might inspire a craving for a particular dish or a desire to remodel your kitchen into a TV set.

If you're in search of lighter bites and lower lighting, a trip to the nearby Violet Thorn has you covered. Catering to the hotel's lounge clientele, the bar's kitchen staff puts the focus on shareable small plates and flatbreads; favorites include wild boar ribs, duck wings, and mussels simmered in a cast iron skillet. These eats pair well with the bar's extensive cocktail menu, where bartenders put inventive spins on favorites such as the Rusty Nail (served here with a hint of peach and a splash of ginger beer) or the Margarita (given a Russian accent thanks to the addition of vodka). The lounge's chic surroundings heighten each bite and sip, with set pieces including a water wall, fireplace, and media wall adding to the visual appeal.