Alexander Argirov, a native of Sofia, Bulgaria, has been working in restaurants nearly his whole life. "I started doing this when I was 15,” he said. “My dad put me to wash dishes in our family restaurant."

He and his business partners had wanted to open a place in the neighborhood for three years, observing that Hyde Park needed “something with a little more finesse, a little more elegance.” Argirov categorizes Ascione Bistro "an elevated neighborhood restaurant.” He’s right: Ascione is relaxed, yet intimate; expensive, but worth guaranteeing a spot in your restaurant budget.