Down a flight of stairs off Penn Quarter’s E St., Cedar restaurant mirrors a woodsy atmosphere, just like its name. Executive chef Aaron McCloud is tasked with coming up with outdoorsy dishes — read fish, game, and “forest forage” such as mushrooms and berries — that reflect a natural and rural setting but have a contemporary spin. Looks like McCloud is up to the task.

A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., McCloud worked in restaurants starting in his early teens, but back then, he didn’t cook, he played the violin. “I had gigs in restaurants,” he said, “and I was in a professional orchestra. One of the gigs was playing at the Gandy Dancer restaurant in Ann Arbor.”