Charry, charry night

The arctic char at Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge ($22) is a low-rise structure with high-rise flavors. The dish comes with sunchokes and fresh fava beans. Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes, are the root of a sunflower, and chef Will Gilson wanted them in his menu. "They have this deep, nutty, earthy flavor to them," he says. "And it's a vegetable we can consistently get from local farms." Gilson shreds the sunchokes with potatoes and forms them into a rosti-style fried cake. The crispy cake rests on a bed of melting sauteed leeks and fresh favas, and is topped with delicately flavored pale pink arctic char. For a crisp, golden skin, the chef sears the fish on one side only, then sprinkles it with chives and lemony red sumac, a Mediterranean spice. The whole ensemble is surrounded with charmoula, a sauce of pureed cilantro, citrus, and olive oil. The light, tangy flavors are refreshing. Garden at the Cellar, 991 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-230-5880, www.gardenatthecellar.com.