Two words: truffle popcorn. The signature bar snack exemplifies the mix of sophistication and comfort enjoyed by guests at this bi-level New American restaurant and bar in the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia. Step through the ornate, beaux-arts entrance of this renovated historic building and you’ll find a buzzing first floor, where a majestic, walnut slab bar is backed by a casual lounge and an open kitchen. Eclectic local drawings add color and cheer to the walls, as do sculptures and paintings that greet you as you make your way up the spiral staircase to the main dining room. Two rows of back-to-back banquettes feature just a dozen or so tables, and though they are all relatively close, the cork-clad ceiling does a lot to muffle extraneous chatter. A protégé of American fine-dining pioneer Charlie Trotter, executive chef Guillermo Tellez (who in the 1990s was the first-ever winner of the James Beard Award for achievement for Hispanic chefs) shows the same respect for ingredients that his mentor popularized. Local seasonal produce and sustainable meats and seafood make up the globally-influenced menu, which features a range of small and large plates. Light and crispy calamari is set off by a trio of dipping sauces, including tangy garlic mayo and spicy tomato jam. Lobster bisque is poured tableside over an artful composition of lightly sautéed vegetables, bite-size chunks of knuckle meat and a poached quail egg. Heartier fare includes the chicken confit, shreds of richly stewed dark meat sitting atop a cheddar biscuit; and lamb short ribs, served Korean style with a sweet-and-sour glaze beside shreds of zippy kimchi. After an exploration of the many different flavors and styles on the menu, a trio of house-made sorbets makes for a bright and refreshing finish.