Fattoushy Salad 

“I love fattoush. I wanted to have a salad that was fattoush-adjacent and hit on some of the flavors of that region. We do a za’atar vinaigrette, dried tart cherries for a little sweetness, finely shaved pickled red onion, and Persian cucumbers and chopped lettuce for crunch. It’s like a great chopped salad with some Levant-region influence. A lot of the play is between the bracing quality of the red onion, the creamy-tangy-saltiness of the feta, and the sweetness of the cherries. We also add fried pita and creamy chickpeas, and it becomes a textural journey.”

Artichoke Fritto

“This is our runaway hit — three fat marinated artichoke hearts, on the stem, fried up until they’re golden and crisp. They almost look like fried tulips. We serve them with a Calabrian chile-infused aioli and a little lemon wedge for brightness. They’re decadent and meaty. If you’re a vegetarian, they’re a great starter.”

Yuzu Deviled Eggs

“I’m from Wisconsin, and the idea of a deviled egg, to me, is so Midwestern. It’s a very retro little comfort food bite. The egg yolk gets blended with a little yuzu vinaigrette, Dijon mustard, yuzu kosho, and Kewpie mayo, of course. I love using yuzu, I think it’s the queen of citrus, and yuzu kosho is such an incredible secret-weapon ingredient that packs saltiness, heat, and brightness. It’s a perfect foil to the richness of the egg yolk.”

Chicken Liver Mousse

“I love chicken liver mousse, but I think liver in general can be a bit polarizing for people. If you like chicken liver, this is a great one. It’s a classic, French-style mousse that’s spreadable and creamy. It comes with crostini, cultured butter, prune mostarda, and cornichon. My favorite menu hack is: Order the mousse but don’t eat all of it, then order the burger, and spread that saved bit of mousse on the burger. [Ed note: you’re welcome.]”

The Burger

“I wanted to make a perfect, simple burger. We use a sesame brioche bun from Bakers Kneaded, one of our great local Highland Park vendors. The burger is a six-ounce patty made from a chuck-brisket blend. It’s not a smash burger; it’s just the right size. It gets topped with a Parmesan-peppercorn cheese sauce, crispy fried shallots, and a prune mostarda. I do some recipe development for The California Prune Board (aka Big Prune), and that was a condiment I created for them years ago that’s found its way on a few different dishes at Highly Likely. It’s sweet, sour, edgy, and good with anything that’s kind of fatty, because it can cut through it.”

Erin Mosbaugh is a food and travel writer who has worked in kitchens in New York and L.A. and co-created the James Beard Award-winning food site First We Feast. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok; follow Resy, too.