Jeremy Fox’s Santa Monica restaurant never ceases to surprise me. His Hungarian-inspired dumplings are pillowy balls of ricotta cheese tossed in a bright Sungold tomato sauce with fresh basil, lots of Parmesan and a sprinkle of fennel pollen. His matzo ball soup, heavy on the dill, is better than my grandmother’s. Why not smear nduja onto fried matzo? The hot, porky funk of the salami paste is the perfect match for the humble cracker, now deep brown and extra savory after a dip in the fryer. The hoshigaki hanging along the pass is massaged by hand every other day to soften the persimmon pulp and bring the sugars to the surface as the fruit dries. Sweet slices of persimmon hung in 2022 are splayed over a yam casserole that tastes like the holidays. Fox’s cooking is playful and wildly creative, capable of delivering comfort and nostalgia in ways you’ve never imagined. At the end of a recent dinner, while we finished off the cookies and cream ice cream fashioned from trimmings of the restaurant’s chocolate cake, a friend turned to me, half dazed, and asked what kind of food we just had. All I could answer was “joy.” — J.H.

2421 MICHIGAN AVE., SANTA MONICA, (310) 3616 l BIRDIEGSLA.COM