Seared rare venison

(Erik Jacobs for the Boston Globe)

With its gauzy surroundings and cocktails named the Rosebud and the Pink Lady, the bar at Rialto could make any visitor feel glamorous, even if you're just sipping sparkling water and killing time. And that's before you look at the menu. Having one of everything is not an option, and you're faced with choices from salad with seared porcini and fresh bacon to Jerusalem artichoke soup or roasted quail with farro. It could take all night to narrow things down.

A venison entree ($32) is seared and served rare; at this temperature, the lean New Zealand meat is tender with a deep, clean flavor. Chef and owner Jody Adams serves the juniper-marinated meat with chestnuts, chanterelle mushrooms, braised cipollini onions, and sweet-and-sour chutney of quince, pears, and dried fruits. The dish is earthy and layered. It looks, smells, and tastes like fall. With it drink a tumbler of Primitivo wine, listen to the bartenders expound on the rigors of making classic cocktails, eavesdrop on others' conversations, and sink into the soft bubble of fine food and hospitality. Not a bad way to kill time. Rialto, 1 Bennett St. in the Charles Hotel, Cambridge, 617-661-5050. rialto-restaurant.com. - LEIGH BELANGER