Restaurant Sorrel is an airy setting for a market-driven menu created by Alexandre Tchistov, formerly of 360 in Red Hook.

The restaurant named 840 North First, (408) 282-0840, serves contemporary American fare with Mediterranean influences in a light and airy setting.

The setting, at once airy and architecturally imposing, suggests a grand assembly hall or a formal garden.

Lighting designers like Jennifer Tipton proved that open space need not be empty space, creating a wholly new, airy setting for dance.

This new addition is an airy setting for the market-driven menu created by Alexandre Tchistov, formerly of 360 in Red Hook.

A striking mural of Carnegie Hall dominates the airy setting, which has dark mahogany walls, a 16-foot ceiling, soft amber lighting and pine-green banquettes.

Diners take advantage of an airy open setting without being exposed to the elements.

The airy setting has green walls in one area, bright yellow walls in another, big industrial fans, and red-vinyl banquettes with a cowboy-and-cactus motif.

His new restaurant also has a lovelier and airier setting than BLT Steak, which can feel claustrophobic and become exasperatingly loud.

It's finding the ideal combination of unstructured and uninterrupted time for sleep and a quiet, airy and light-controlled setting.