When dining at a bistro, one generally doesn’t expect to be presented with an amuse bouche – that tiny precursor to a meal sometimes offered at fine-dining establishments – or the less-frequently offered mignardise, a gratis sweet at the end of a meal. But Pound the Hill likes to shake up diners’ expectations. Chef Jonathan Taub, whose background cooking at Art & Soul and The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, was brought in partly for his ability to put spins on classic dishes from around the globe, such as coq au vin stuffed into dumplings or Cuban chicharrones complemented with pickled celery root. Starters like the mushroom tarts with Boursin cheese on puff pastry and golden, fried croquettes filled with chicken, cheese and prosciutto are as enjoyable to look at as they are to eat. Entrees of eggplant topped with flavorful diced veggies all floating in a bowl of bright basil broth, as well as the seared diver scallops enhanced by citrus fruits and a frisee salad, are light and elegant. Heartier appetites may want to load up on the appetizers since entrees don’t come in hulking portions. (They are larger than tapas, but smaller than your typical entrée.) Plus, there are no side dishes, but that might just leave you with more room to try one of their amazing desserts, like the espresso-drowned caramel brownie sundae or the grilled pound cake with macerated berries and whipped cream. Pound the Hill may be a fine dining restaurant wrapped in a bistro. But whatever the case, it’s surely a tasty one.