“We want guests engaged in different types of food on the table and have a conversation, so you get off your phone and engage with your own group,” Mr. Farro said.

Image Duck hearts with caramelized onion wontons, stir-fried arugula and walnuts. Credit... Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

Small plates take up about half the menu at INC, which opened last February in the space vacated by Daryl Wine Bar. Mr. Anderson tends to favor Asian flavors and ingredients, as we saw with the General Tso’s cauliflower, in which the lightly battered vegetable is mixed in a spicy and not-that-sweet homemade sauce and covered in sesame seeds. As a meal, it would be monotonous, but when sampled, in our case, between bites of duck hearts and an oxtail marmalade, the cauliflower became a worthy accompaniment.

The duck hearts were tender and earthy, and they paired well with the onion wontons and a duck and prosciutto jelly. The oxtail marmalade was sweet, but balance was achieved when it was spread on grilled bread with a whipped lardo from Duroc swine.

Had we asked our server that night if the three small dishes complemented one other, he might have offered a soliloquy about the attributes of each and why they might taste good together, as our server did during our second visit. When we ordered the pork and cornbread sausage along with a special of plantain chips, she told us how well she thought they would pair, because the sausage had black beans and the plantains were a little spicy.

Normally that would have set my teeth on edge, but she spoke in a friendly, low-key tone that put us at ease. In fact, both nights, the staff’s engaging manner made for a more relaxing experience, which was Mr. Farro’s goal. “Every server should have a library of what they love and are passionate about,” he said. “It’s their restaurant, too.” By the way, our server was right.