Finding a chef who is ruggedly determined to be unconventional and who can make sense out of an overstocked miniature kitchen is rather refreshing. Executive chef Justin Bittner at Bar Pilar is so unconventional he would probably just shrug, say “whatever,” and wear sandals and cutoffs to work in mid-January. You’ll find that his small-plates menu fits his persona perfectly: bold flavors, quirky pairings, such as roasted pork shoulder with a garlic trencher; grilled octopus with arbequina olive oil; and a killer chicken liver pate with grilled bread. For a real peek into the inner workings of Bittner’s persona, however, ask nicely for a kitchen visit. There, in an improbable tour de force, Bittner pulls off the cleverest space arrangement, allowing four grown men to work in a 6-foot area lined by at least 20,000 different ingredients and cooking utensils.

While talking about his pigs’ ears appetizers and his passion for pork shoulder, Bittner summarizes his culinary experience thus: “I am not sure if I like the cooking or just being out late at night,” he says. But all joking aside, he explains that he grew up in Baltimore as the son of parents who love to cook and who also own a 200-acre farm in Pennsylvania.