The West Loop's Grocery Bistro takes its name for the simple fact that every item on the menu can be found at your local grocer -- but that doesn't mean you'll eat ordinary fare at this BYO restaurant.

Pas du tout. The French-inspired menu combines gorgeous cuts of meat, fresh seafood and seasonal produce in modern, elegant dishes. To start, a traditional bowl of mussels gets a blissful twist with the addition of Applewood-smoked bacon. Infused with the salty bacon, the white wine and butter sauce bathes the mussels in irresistible yumminess, and makes for an addictive bread-dipping sauce.

The entire menu is meat-friendly. The braised pork cheeks are moist and tender, falling apart in your mouth with pumpkin polenta and roasted granny smith apples. Even the diver scallop with parsnip and apple puree and black kale comes dressed in veal reduction and accompanied by a cute little beef short rib. Vegetarians need not be wary, however, as a few items, including squash agnolotti with spiced pecans and sage butter, are meat-free.

The one grocery item you won't find at Grocery Bistro is booze: The restaurant is BYO. For those who come unprepared, Perman Wine Selections, with friendly service and a wide selection of beer and wine at various price points, can be found right next-door.

Grocery Bistro is trendy and tiny at about 30 seats, so you'll want to make a reservation. If you call at the last minute, expect to be placed at the counter, where you get a front-row seat to all the action in the kitchen, if a slightly less intimate meal. A long communal table seats about 14 and makes for a convivial vibe where complete strangers could end up sharing food and making friends. That's one thing you can't pick up at the grocery store.

Average cost: $21-$30

Centerstage Reviewer: Amanda Nyren