Upper crust

Lynx (Arts District)

RESTAURANTS • First Word

The Skinny: Chef Josh Skenes, notably of Saison and Angler, has returned with Lynx. After testing his mettle for a pizza and cocktails concept at since-shuttered Leopardo, Skenes is giving it another shot, though this time on a smaller, arguably more focused scale.

The Vibe: From the outside, a simple neon sign proclaiming “BAR” distinguishes Lynx from the Tatsu Ramen with which it shares a handsome brick exterior (and interior). The interior combines modernist curves with warm wood, and halos of billowing, charred crust atop beautiful stainless steel pedestals, all wrapped in a lightly devilish red glow.

The Food: Pizzas that seem to defy gravity, with a structural integrity to make the Stahl House jealous. The bottom crust is almost impossibly thin and crisp, but manages to hold strong under a variety of toppings, such as embered anchovies perfumed with barbecue smoke or a mountain of mushrooms shaved paper thin and draped in 30-month Parmigiano, before stretching to a cloud of puffed, chewy, tangy edge crust inches high. Dessert is soft serve — vanilla with either honeycomb or a pool of fresh peach pulp and floral lime syrup — and almost disconcertingly creamy. Get it.

The Drink: Adventurous, sharp cocktails are as much of a draw as the pizza. Glasses are chilled with liquid nitrogen to order, and most of the cocktail menu can be made non-alcoholic. The Kyoho Grape Sour is a blast of concentrated grape flavor and eye-watering acidity, while the Banana Stand (“barbecued banana peel stirred with banana rum”) is savory with a silky body. Attentive bartenders will also make custom cocktails on request.

The Verdict: Everything here feels pushed to the limit: avant-garde cocktails made with an arsenal of equipment that’d be at home in a lab, pizza crust that moves from thin and crackling to towering and chewy, with bombastic flavors pushing hard through umami, richness, and spice. The atmosphere is a touch unresolved, a neo-retro pizza parlor full of reflective surfaces, a den-like cocktail bar grounded by wooden slats, an informal spot trying hard to impress. Confused contrasts notwithstanding, something fun is happening here. –Oliver Erteman

→ Lynx (Arts District) • 427 S Hewitt St • Wed-Sat 6-10p • Reserve.