Best of Boston

Certain allowances should be made for island restaurants, as it’s not easy for offshore chefs to get the most au courant ingredients or experienced staff. But Détente’s Kevin and Suzanna Crowell show no evidence of such handicaps. Their diminutive dark-wood dining room is the backdrop for the best flavor pairings in town, such as seared sea scallops with verbena-yellow tomato jam and roasted sable fish with potato gratin. The 12 apps and entrées, not to mention the sumptuous dessert list (Nutella pot de créme!), are as sophisticated as any mainland lineup.