A basic spring salad, which elsewhere would be a tousled jumble of strawberries and greens, is arranged so the berry segments form a rough eight-pointed star around spritely baby spinach leaves, touched with just the right amount of dark cherry vinaigrette and seeded withpistachios.

A stew of shrimp, scallops, Portuguese sausage and clams is made riveting by a zesty tomato sauce propped up by fennel and smoked pepper.

The burger is flat-out fantastic, thanks to ground chuck Rodriguez sources from a Wagyu rancher in Oregon.

The steak, for example, is a convincing battle cry on behalf of meat and potatoes. The plate’s only concession to fashion is an accompanying cluster of trendy cauliflower blooms, softened, buttered and—lest eyelids droop at the sight of so much white—interspersed with neatly trimmed slivers of sweet red pepper. A loop-handled crock burbles with a thickly-cheesed, hand-cut potatoes au gratin that resembles the aEœbeforeaE image in healthy cooking magazines that purge recipes of calories and fat. Broiler-crisped around the edges, the gratin has a sharp, rich flavor that plays off the centerpiece bow tie of beef. The remarkably juicy steak wears an ankle-deep crust of black pepper that Rodriguez would surely call her aEœflair.aE It’s terrific.

For dessert, there’s a spectacular brownie made with Mexican chocolate, posed in a pool of almond dulce de leche and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. The sophisticated brownie was a special when I tried it a month ago, but it’s still lingering on the menu. Rodriguez says customers would kill her if she rescinded it.

Although she wasn’t formally trained, Rodriguez grew up cooking in her family’s restaurants in Guadalajara, where she was born, and, later, Miami, where her siblings were chefs. She says she forged her aEœfresh, local, simpleaE philosophy under her mother’s tutelage. aEœI usually take what I grew up with and make a little twist,aE Rodriguez says.

aEœEvery one of my dishes, I feel like it’s a work of art,aE Rodriguez says. aEœI don’t even know how to explain it, I have to make it look pretty.aE

The kitchen’s insistent emphasis on shapes and hues could make a Cubist out of the most visually-stunted Pimienta customer—and a well-fed Cubist at that.

While she previously held the executive chef post at Cactus, Pimienta is the first restaurant that Rodriguez considers her own. Rodriguez and Hector Auffant opened the restaurant as Peppercorn Bistro in 2010. It’s since been bought by Adriana Monroy, who this January re-opened it with the same menu, the same chef and new name. aEœMy style is the same,aE Rodriguez affirms.

Server, Jacob making the most delicious margarita ever!

Made with cilantro and house made margarita mix.