2013 Best Restaurants in the South

Travel & Features Editor Jennifer V. Cole shares her personal favorite restaurants, both new and old, in her most frequented towns. This list is always evolving, so follow @jennifervcole on Twitter for her latest stops. See Jennifer's top picks for 2014 here: 100 Best Restaurants in the South

1 of 101 Photo: Dan Dry

610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY

What to Order: Rabbit 3 Ways. Chef Edward Lee’s flagship restaurant is Louisville’s most sought-after reservation in town. And each plate showcases his ability to combine bold personality (something he’s developed a reputation for) with the best of the seasons. Go for the trio of Ridgecrest Rabbit (confit leg, rack of rabbit, rabbit sausage), served with his blueberry-jalapeño gnocchi, celery root, local beans, and nasturtium.

610 West Magnolia Avenue; 610magnolia.com

2 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis, TN

What to Order: No Menu Monday. On the last Monday of every month, Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman go totally off script and create a multi-course $45 prix fixe menu. The theme changes each time, from a porcine ode to an all-vegetable rundown. No Menu also means diners aren’t told what they are eating when dishes arrive at the table, making each course a food lover’s guessing game: is that rhubarb in the ketchup? Black pepper and honey in the gelato? At the end, handwritten menus are passed out to decode the experience.

712 West Brookhaven Circle; andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com

3 of 101 Photo: Patrick Scott

Barbecue Inn, Houston, TX

What to Order: Chicken-Fried Steak. At a place named Barbecue Inn, you’d expect to order a lot of, well, barbecue. But the cooks at this 1946 Houston landmark know their way around a fryer. They turn out some mean yardbird, but it’s the superb chicken-fried steak that gets my vote: cooked-to-order, crispy, meaty, and shrouded in a cloak of country gravy.

116 West Crosstimbers Street; thebarbecueinn.com

4 of 101 Photo: Beall + Thomas Photography

The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN

What to Order: Rainbow Trout with Buttermilk Consommé and Watercress

1471 West Millers Cove Road; blackberryfarm.com

5 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Birch & Barley

Birch & Barley, Washington, D.C.

What to Order: Fried Chicken and Waffles. Birch & Barley, known for its tremendous beer selection (the pride of place beer taps resemble a pipe organ), seemed an odd choice for brunch the first time I went. But that was before I understood the deft skills of pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac and her husband, chef Kyle Bailey. Her airy waffle supports his rich fried chicken, all pulled together with maple-chicken jus and buttered pecans. It eats like a food lover’s one-two punch. Pair it with a Cottonwood Frostbite Black IPA from North Carolina.

1337 14th Street. Northwest; birchandbarley.com

6 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Cakes & Ale

Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA

What to Order: Lamb Saddle. Chef Billy Allin, who really shines through his inventive work with produce and great meats, isn’t afraid to play around with flavors. The Middle Eastern-inspired saddle of lamb (big enough for two), served with cracked wheat, cucumber, and minted yogurt, manages to portray a global perspective without sacrificing his Southern sensibility.

155 Sycamore Street; cakesandalerestaurant.com

7 of 101 Photo: Jennifer Davick

Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, Mobile, AL

What to Order: L.A. Burger. This corner pub in the Oakleigh Garden District of Mobile makes a limited number of L.A. Burgers (Lower Alabama, naturally) each day at lunch, and locals know to arrive early. The patty, a mix of ground beef and Conecuh sausage (Alabama’s unofficial state link), is so flipping good it’ll make you wonder why most places limit themselves to an all-beef burger.

916 Charleston Street; callaghansirishsocialclub.com

8 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Cardamom Hill, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Kerala Railways Beef Curry. The banana leaf-wrapped parcel—beef curry perfumed with cinnamon bark atop yogurt rice—imparts a seesaw of flavor, alternating between deep spice and a cooling tartness. For her Kerala-style Indian restaurant, chef Asha Gomez takes the ingredients and flavors she found in her mother’s southern Indian kitchen (okra, green beans, beef, pork, curry leaves) and applies them to her current home in the American South.

1700 Northside Drive Northwest; cardamomhill.net

9 of 101 Photo: Lisa Han

Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN

What to Order: 7-to-11-Course Tasting Menu. This is dinner theater, plain and simple. In an austerely white dining space, Erik Anderson, a protégé of both Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and René Redzepi of Noma, delivers immaculate courses to diners at a U-shaped counter surrounding the open kitchen. With only 32 positions, the Catbird Seat is a hard table to snag (new spots open each day for reservations 30 days out). But for modernist cooking with real personality, there’s nothing like it. One particular amuse-bouche, called simply “Hot Chicken” in tribute to the city’s most recognized dish, showcases cayenne-scented fried chicken skins with dill salt and a puree of white Wonder Bread.

1711 Division Street, thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com

10 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @lydianka

C.F. Folks Restaurant, Washington, D.C.

What to Order: Steak Frites. In a city sharply divided by political leanings and agendas, the C.F. Folks' 11-seat Formica lunch counter offers delicious, non-partisan respite. Open since 1981, it’s a bit campy, has walls lined with decades-worth of cookbooks, and gives seats on a first-come, first-served basis. The daily specials span the globe (crab cakes, falafel, jerk chicken), but when I go, I keep my fingers crossed for the steak frites, expertly cooked and sauced with a classic bordelaise.

1225 19th Street Northwest; cffolksrestaurant.com

11 of 101 Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Chez Fonfon, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Hamburger Fonfon or Trout Amandine. Chef Frank Stitt’s French bistro, with a boules court out back, ranks as my favorite local drop-in spot. I like to grab a seat at the bar, order the burger (a study in perfection, topped with rich Comté cheese) or the trout amandine in brown butter (crisp and tangy, bistro fare at its best), get a carafe of wine, and catch up on my own thoughts. If I’m really indulging, I add in a slice of coconut cake, splendid with it’s many creamy layers and encased in fresh coconut shavings.

2007 11th Avenue South; fonfonbham.com

12 of 101 Photo: Andrea Behrends

City House, Nashville, TN

What to Order: Belly Ham Pizza. Tandy Wilson gets a lot of credit for giving Nashville its current reputation as a food town. His inventive antipasti (bresaola with blueberries and pecorino; scrapple with pepper sauce), fresh pastas, and brilliant cocktail list (e.g., the Junior, a mix of moonshine, créme de violette, and Dr. Enuf soda) puts a progressive twist on Tennessee staples. The Belly Ham pizza, a simple showcase of house-cured ham with mozzarella, Grana Padano, oregano, and chile flakes, blows my mind every time.

1222 Fourth Avenue North; cityhousenashville.com

13 of 101 Photo: Chris Granger

Cochon, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Fried Livers with Pepper Jelly and Toast. Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, revered as Louisiana’s pork kings, buy whole hogs and make use of every part they can. They’ve built a cult following around hogshead cheese, cracklins, trotters, fried pigs' ears, and every type of sausage possible. And I love it all. But I swoon for the fried livers. Sometimes chicken, sometimes rabbit, the rich and nutty nuggets come perched on toast, swathed in pepper jelly, and finished with shaved onion, fresh parsley, and mint.

930 Tchoupitoulas Street; cochonrestaurant.com

14 of 101 Photo: Courtsey of Commander's Palace

Commander’s Palace, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Oyster & Absinthe "Dome." Tory McPhail, this year’s winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South, doesn’t shy away from tradition. But he has decidedly put his own mark on the menu of this NOLA institution. For example, try the bourbon-braised fig-and-foie gras beignets with a chicory coffee mist. The rich Oyster & Absinthe “Dome,” a medley of Gulf bivalves poached with bacon, artichokes, tarragon, absinthe, and cream under a pastry shell, masterfully combines the Crescent City tradition of fresh seafood and the town’s delicious cocktail history.

1403 Washington Avenue; commanderspalace.com

15 of 101 Photo: Sara Essex Bradley

Coquette, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Speckled Trout.

Michael Stoltzfus’s menu changes regularly, including the $23 prix fixe lunch (possibly the best deal in town). But on one visit, I fell hard for the speckled trout served with burst cherry tomatoes, perfectly cooked pattypan squash, and a fluttering of Brussels sprouts leaves, finished with delicate satsuma butter.

2800 Magazine Street; coquettenola.com

16 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Cotton Row

Cotton Row, Huntsville, AL

What to Order: Jack Daniels Barrel-Smoked Quail. Subtly sweet, smoky, with an of-the-land essence, this fowl nests in truffle-Parmesan polenta.

100 South Side Square; cottonrowrestaurant.com

17 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Cozy Corner, Memphis, TN

What to Order: Cornish Hen. In a land of top-notch barbecue, Desiree Robinson’s appropriately named Cozy Corner is the stuff of legend. Everyone in town does pork (including Desiree), but here, the specialty is barbecued Cornish hen, a small bird with blistered skin and juicy drip-down-your-chin meat.

745 North Parkway; cozycornerbbq.com

18 of 101 Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Crook’s Corner, Chapel Hill, NC

What to Order: Atlantic Beach Pie. Chef Bill Smith honorably carries the torch for this beloved destination restaurant, where he and his team continue to be the standard bearers for classics such as shrimp and grits and Hoppin’ John, and have arguably influenced just about every kitchen in the South. But it’s the Atlantic Beach Pie that causes eyes to roll back in heads each and every time. With its saltine cracker crust and lemony sweetened condensed milk filling, this throwback dessert borders on tacky in that made-every-year-by-Aunt Sue-for-the-family-reunion kind of way. Nothing short of delightful.

610 West Franklin Street.; crookscorner.com

Note: Get the recipe for Crook's Corners phenomenal Shrimp and Grits.

19 of 101 Photo: Gary Clark

Delta Bistro, Greenwood, MS

What to Order: Fried Green Tomato Plate. Taylor Bowen Ricketts certainly doesn’t bow to cliché, but her rendition of this Southern classic, served with comeback sauce (a tangy Mississippi staple akin to rémoulade), reminds you why folks across the nation rightfully associate fried green tomatoes with the South.

117 Main Street; deltabistro.com

20 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Oxmoor House

Doe’s Eat Place, Greenville, MS

What to Order: Porterhouse Steak. Grilled in the back room of a dilapidated grocery store, it’s this mammoth piece of meat swimming in a pool of sultry butter that made the Doe’s name.

502 Nelson Street; doeseatplace.com

Featured in Off the Eaten Path

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Domenica, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Spicy Lamb Meatballs Pizza. Alon Shaya, one of the Crescent City’s newest golden boys, produces some serious pies at Domenica, such as the Spicy Lamb Meatballs, disks of spiced ground lamb atop tomatoes, ricotta, rapini, and mint.

123 Baronne Street; domenicarestaurant.com

22 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Gumbo Z’Herbes. Leah Chase only serves this green gumbo once a year, on Holy Thursday, as a traditional Easter meal. It combines nine different greens (always an odd number for good luck), such as collards, Swiss chard, cabbage, even carrot tops, all ground finely. As Miss Leah likes to say, “If you eat [my gumbo z’herbes] you will acquire a new friend for every kind of green I have in the pot—and we hope one of them’s rich.”

2301 Orleans Avenue; dookychaserestaurant.com

23 of 101 Photo: Bradford Daly

El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Grilled Chorizo Meatloaf. Under the guidance of Brian Somershield, a Frank Stitt acolyte, this kitchen turns out thoughtful interpretations of modern Mexican fare, such as the grilled meatloaf, made with a robust chorizo, served atop Cotija cheese-mashed potatoes, and crowned with ranchero, a piquant tomato-based sauce spiced with chiles.

2211 Second Avenue North; elbarriobirmingham.com

24 of 101 Photo: Andrew Thomas Lee

Empire State South, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Pimento Cheese with Bacon Marmalade

999 Peachtree Street Northeast, Suite 140; empirestatesouth.com

25 of 101 Photo: Joshua Carpenter

The Fearrington House Restaurant, Pittsboro, NC

What to Order: Chicken Fried Pork Cheeks with Sour Cherries & Cucumber

240 Market Street; fearrington.com

26 of 101 Photo: Olivia Rae James

FIG, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Coddled Sea Island Farm Egg

232 Meeting Street; eatatfig.com

27 of 101 Photo: Hugh Acheson

Five & Ten, Athens, GA

What to Order: Boiled Peanut Hummus

1073 South Milledge Avenue; fiveandten.com

28 of 101 Photo: Jennifer Davick

Flora-Bama Lounge, Package, and Oyster Bar, Pensacola, FL

What to Order: Jumbo Royal Reds. You’d be forgiven for scratching your head on this pick. The Flora-Bama, a beachfront dive bar that straddles the Florida-Alabama line, is better known for its annual mullet toss (the fish, not the hairstyle) than its culinary prowess. But the royal red shrimp, an oversize deepwater Gulf variety with a sweetness and firmness similar to lobster, is about the best I’ve ever had. Maybe it’s because the shrimp comes from the waters just offshore. Or because the kitchen doesn’t do much of anything to it (a simple boil, and then served with melted butter). But this shrimp is the perfect expression of the Gulf.

17401 Perdido Key Drive; florabama.com

29 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @mauxfo

Gautreau’s, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Seared Sea Scallops with Crawfish Tails served with artichokes, fingerling potatoes, corn, and andouille

1728 Soniat Street; gautreausrestaurant.com

30 of 101 Photo: Eliot VanOtteren

The Georgian Room at The Cloister at Sea Island, GA

What to Order: Crawfish. Located on a private island off the coast of Georgia, accentuated with touches like gold-and-crystal chandeliers, The Cloister is swank. On its menu, described as “Refined Southern,” you can expect to find dishes like the simply named Crawfish, an elegant preparation of crawfish étoufée atop a Georgian grits soufflé with pickled hominy. Think: Old-World refinement meets New-South expression.

100 Cloister Drive; seaisland.com

31 of 101 Photo: Jeff Herr

The General Muir, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Pastrami Sandwich

Emory Point, 1540 Avenue Place, Suite B-230; thegeneralmuir.com

32 of 101 Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

The Grocery, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Wood Roasted Clams with house-made chorizo sausage, sweet peppers, and onions

4 Cannon Street; thegrocerycharleston.com

33 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @mjburchfield

Heirloom Market BBQ, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Korean Spicy Pork Sandwich, smoked shoulder dressed in gochujang (sweet chile paste) with kimchi on a sweet potato bun

2243 Akers Mill Road; heirloommarketbbq.com

34 of 101 Photo: Christopher Hirsheimer

Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Stone-Ground Baked Grits with country ham, mushrooms, fresh thyme, and Parmesan

2011 11th Avenue South; highlandsbarandgrill.com

35 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Hog & Hominy, Memphis, TN

What to Order: Red Eye Pizza. Simple yet decadent, this pizza arrives piled with chunks of pork belly around a soft-cooked egg on sugo (a tomato-pork sauce) and Taleggio cheese with fragrant celery leaves scattered like confetti. But you really can’t go wrong with any of the menu: wood-fired pizzas, drippingly messy neckbone gravy poutine (fries studded with cheese curd), and earthy cauliflower roasted with brown butter. Even a simple romaine salad feels like an indulgence with its rich pecorino vinaigrette and generous scattering of fried chicken skins instead of croutons. At this unlikely East Memphis spot, surrounded by office buildings, strip malls, and chain restaurants, Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman demonstrate their low-key prowess of merging classic technique and pitch-perfect ingredients. They continually prove that a glorious meal has nothing to do with a tufted dining room and a hefty tab.

707 West Brookhaven Circle; hogandhominy.com

36 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Holeman & Finch Public House

Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Poached Farm Egg and Duck Liver with griddled bacon, johnny cakes, and sorghum syrup

2277 Peachtree Road Northeast; holeman-finch.com

37 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Shrimp & Grits

207 Rutledge Avenue; hominygrill.com

38 of 101 Photo: Bonjwing Lee

Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Hot and Hot Tomato Salad. This namesake salad, a wobbly tower of fresh heirloom tomatoes, bacon, and fried okra pods atop a pile of field peas, epitomizes Chris Hastings' efforts to showcase Alabama’s bounty: grown, caught, or foraged.

2180 11th Court South; hotandhotfishclub.com

39 of 101 Photo: Courtesy Neighborhood Dining Group

Husk, Charleston, SC, and Nashville, TN

What to Order: Pokeweed Fritters with Pimiento Cheese or Fried Chicken Skins with Hot Sauce, Honey, and Lemon Thyme

76 Queen Street, Charleston; huskrestaurant.com
37 Rutledge Street, Nashville; husknashville.com

40 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Oxmoor House

Indian Pass Raw Bar, Port Saint Joe, FL

What to Order: Raw Oysters. Located in an old commissary, the Indian Pass Raw Bar is quite possibly the best seafood shack in existence: live music, a constant crowd, and oysters straight from the waters of the Apalachicola Bay.

8391 C-30A; 850/227-1670

Featured in Off the Eaten Path

41 of 101 Photo: Scott Suchman

The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA

What to Order: Organic Milk-Fed Pork Chop with Grilled Peaches, Bourbon Jus, and Potato Purée

309 Middle Street; theinnatlittlewashington.com

42 of 101 Photo: Greg Powers

Jaleo, Washington, D.C.

What to Order: Pan De Recapte Con Anchoa, traditional Catalan toasted bread with peppers, tomatoes, and salt-cured Spanish anchovies

480 Seventh Street Northwest; jaleo.com

43 of 101 Photo: Lee P. Thomas

Jonathan at Gratz Park, Lexington, KY

What to Order: Ale-8-One Braised Pork Belly

120 West Second Street; jagp.info

44 of 101 Photo: Gary Clark

Knife & Fork, Spruce Pine, NC

What to Order: Spicy Kettle Corn with Lardo

61 Locust Street; knifeandforknc.com

45 of 101 Photo: Scott Suchman

Komi, Washington, D.C.

What to Order: Multi-course Tasting Menu ($135). Lest you think fine dining is dead (there’s no denying that casual restaurants have experienced a major resurgence), just pay a visit to Komi, an homage to modern Greek fare. With its bare tables and youthful staff, it might not appear like the white-tableclothed temples of yore. But pay attention and you’ll see that the service is exquisite (the staff moves with graceful ease without acting overly familiar), the wine list is full of interesting bottles (and the young sommelier can speak to the qualities of all of them), and the food arrives with orchestrated precision. And each bite (after beautiful bite) tastes like your new favorite dish. That is, until the next dish arrives.

1509 17th Street Northwest; komirestaurant.com

46 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC

What to Order: Seafood Hotpot with lobster dumplings, wild shrimp, blue crab, Bogue Sound clams, spring rain noodles, fresh lime leaf, and pea greens in a shellfish broth

423 West Franklin Street; lanternrestaurant.com

47 of 101 Photo: Melina Hammer

Little Donkey, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Fried Chicken, smeared with an arbol chile paste and brined, fried, then splashed with a house-made vinegar made from morita and habanero peppers

2821 Central Avenue; thelittledonkey.com

48 of 101 Photo: Dakota Fine

Little Serow, Washington, D.C.

What to Order: $45 Prix Fixe Menu. Johnny Monis’ jewel box of a restaurant delivers fiery Thai flavors that tend to just get hotter with each of the seven courses. They don’t take reservations, so get there early (by 5 p.m.) and expect to wait in line—it can stretch down the block.

1511 17th Street Northwest; littleserow.com

49 of 101 Photo: Stephanie Granada

Lockeland Table, Nashville, TN

What to Order: Sapelo Island Clams Casino Pizza

1520 Woodland Street; lockelandtable.com

50 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @bambou34

The Macintosh, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Bone Marrow Bread Pudding

479B King Street; themacintoshcharleston.com

51 of 101 Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

Martha Lou’s Kitchen, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Fried Chicken and Fried Whiting

1068 Morrison Drive; 843/577-9583

52 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @cswebbspun

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Nolensville, TN

What to Order: Redneck Taco. Patrick Martin’s tongue-in-cheek name for this menu staple demonstrates his playful nature. But if loving this dish makes me a redneck, so be it: It’s the perfect marriage of a griddled hoecake, pulled smoked pork, tangy coleslaw, and his tomato-vinegar sauce.

7238 Nolensville Road; martinsbbqjoint.com

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Mas Tacos Por Favor, Nashville, TN

What to Order: A Taco, Tortilla Soup, and an Agua Fresca

732 McFerrin Avenue; 615/543-6271

54 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Mateo Tapas, Durham, NC

What to Order: Huevo Diablo. At this Spanish-inspired cantina, in the heart of downtown Durham’s revival, Matt Kelly masterfully blends the flavors of the South and Spain. His Huevo Diablo (deviled egg) arrives neatly halved, wrapped in chorizo, and piled high with a satiny egg filling, the seeming culinary offspring of a demure Southern mama and a swarthy Spanish father. But don’t stop there. Put simply, Matt’s food is mind-blowingly good. Bowls of Manila clams and boiled peanuts surrender to a sherry-laced, garlicky broth. Meaty pork ribs, lacquered in Espellette pepper jelly, seem just the thing you’d eat at a barbecue joint in Basque Country. Luckily, his tapas-style menu encourages sharing.

109 West Chapel Hill Street; mateotapas.com

55 of 101 Photo: Jennifer Davick

McCrady’s, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Berkshire Pork, from Adam Musick of Appalachian Heritage Foods, Virginia, with Butterbean Chow Chow, Pole Beans, and Oyster Mushrooms

2 Unity Alley; mccradysrestaurant.com

56 of 101 Photo: Pascal Pernix

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Miami, FL

What to Order: Crispy Sweet and Spicy Pork Belly. Chef Michael Schwartz is a Miami revolutionary. And the food at his flagship restaurant, opened in 2007, is so memorable I have inflicted serious travel hurdles on myself simply to eat there. No joke. I have regularly planned Miami layovers just long enough to grab a quick bite (yes, that means an unnecessary trip through MIA security). Once, en route from Key West to Naples, I drove 40 minutes out of my way at 10 p.m., in a blustering thunderstorm, to catch the kitchen before it closed. And that pork belly is a dish I catch myself going back to over and over again. Beautifully glazed, topped with kimchi, crushed peanuts, and fresh pea shoots, it perfectly balances sweet and savory, crispy and unctuous, fresh and fermented.

130 Northeast 40th Street; michaelsgenuine.com

57 of 101 Photo: Dan Dry

MilkWood, Louisville, KY

What to Order: Miso Smothered Chicken or Organic Pork Burger. At chef Edward Lee’s newest restaurant, located inside Louisville’s Actors Theatre, he thoughtfully layers the Korean flavors of his childhood with his reverence of Southern food. His take on traditional smothered chicken, served with buttery Carolina rice, gets added depth from miso. His four-napkin pork burger comes piled with kimchi and cracklins.

316 West Main Street; actorstheatre.org/milkwood

58 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

Miller Union, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Seasonal Vegetable Plate or Country Captain.

999 Brady Avenue; millerunion.com

59 of 101 Photo: Lisa Han

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q, Vestavia, AL

What to Order: Barbecue chicken. Miss Myra’s does a lot of things superbly. But at the top of that list is barbecue chicken, smoked over wood coals and finished with a dip in white barbecue sauce, a mayonnaise-based concoction that reigns over other sauces in the northern parts of Alabama. Don’t skip the meringue-topped banana pudding.

3278 Cahaba Heights Road; 205/967-6004

60 of 101 Photo: Andrew Thomas Lee

Ollie Irene, Mountain Brook, AL

What to Order: Fresh Tagliatelle Pasta in a ragu of braised chicken, pancetta, pearl onions, picholine olives, and Grana Padano cheese.

2713 Culver Road, ollieirene.com

61 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

The Optimist, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Whole Georgia White Shrimp a la Plancha, “Sopping” Toast, Arbol Chile, and Lime

914 Howell Mill Road; theoptimistrestaurant.com

62 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

The Ordinary, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Oyster Sliders. At chef Mike Lata’s high temple of Neptune’s bounty, these sliders are the perfect spicy-sweet, crispy, tender combo: fried oysters are tucked inside Hawaiian rolls, topped with cabbage, pickled carrots, homemade Sriracha hot sauce, cilantro, and jalapenos.

544 King Street; eattheordinary.com

63 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Oxheart, Houston, TX

What to Order: Tasting Menu. Justin Yu’s Houston hot spot is a champion of casual dining. Guests retrieve their own silverware and cooks double as waitstaff. But his tasting menus inspire. He has elicited tears of rapture with his deceptively simple beet salad, dressed with lemon blossom vinegar, quinoa, and almonds.

1302 Nance Street; oxhearthouston.com

64 of 101 Photo: Chris Granger

Pêche Seafood Grill, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Smothered Catfish or Whole Grilled Fish. The latest project from the team behind Cochon and Herbsaint (Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski, and Ryan Prewitt), this open-fire emporium in the New Orleans Warehouse District was inspired by a trip to Uruguay, where every restaurant, farmhouse, and even rest stop seems to have a wood-burning parrilla.

800 Magazine Street; pecherestaurant.com

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Peggy’s, Philadelphia, MS

What to Order: The Daily Special. This little house on Bay Street in my hometown might be the very first restaurant I ever frequented. The procedure was simple: You entered the home (hallways covered in family photos), fixed your plate of comfort food (fried chicken, pork chops, creamed corn, butter beans) off the make-shift serving counter at the kitchen entryway, sat at one of the folding tables scattered throughout the house (at whatever seat was available), and left your money in the basket by the door (making your own change). I’ve never seen another place like it. And happily, the experience remains the same today.

512 Bay Street; 601/656-3478

66 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden, Nashville, TN

What to Order: The Pharmacy Burger

731 McFerrin Avenue; thepharmacynashville.com

67 of 101 Photo: Stacey Van Berkel

Pizzeria Toro, Durham, NC

What to Order: Brussels Sprouts Pizza. Durham-native Gray Brooks has brought his years of wood-fired pizza experience at Seattle’s Serious Pie, part of the Tom Douglas empire, to his hometown. He perches seasonal highlights (fiddlehead ferns, spring onions, rapini) atop a crust that’s simultaneously crispy and a little chewy. My favorite: a white pizza with Brussels sprouts, house pancetta, and cippolini onions.

105 East Chapel Hill Street; pizzeriatoro.com

68 of 101 Photo: Jennifer Davick

Poole’s Diner, Raleigh, NC

What to Order: Chilled Poached Shrimp with Smoked Tomato. Last year at the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium, Ashley Christensen cooked the ballsiest meal ever: an all-vegetable lunch at a barbecue-themed weekend. It was so good that when she emerged from the kitchen she received a standing ovation, and I saw grown men silently weep. This Poole’s dish channels a highlight of that meal (smoked tomato pie with corn cream). Ashley tosses chilled poached shrimp with rich tomatoes that have been smoked over embers, then crowns it all with—the best part—whipped cream made from sweet corn. That whipped corn cream is the stuff of dreams. At SFA I professed my love immediately, and my tablemate, writer Wright Thompson, offered to perform on-the-fly nuptials.

426 South McDowell Street; ac-restaurants.com/pooles

69 of 101 Photo: Oxmoor House

Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, Nashville, TN

What to Order: Hot Chicken.

123 Ewing Drive; 615/226-9442

70 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Proof on Main

Proof on Main, Louisville, KY

What to Order: Broadbent Country Ham Falafel.

702 West Main Street; proofonmain.com

71 of 101 Photo: Ralph Smith

Provisions, Houston, TX

What to Order: Cresta di Gallo pasta with Hen of the Woods mushrooms, roasted yeast, and Parmesan

807 Taft Street; passandprovisions.com

72 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

Rancho Loma, Valera, TX

What to Order: Multicourse prix-fixe menu that includes dishes such as smoked salmon rillettes, balsamic grilled quail with figs, and grilled Akaushi strip steak, a Texas-raised breed of Wagyu

2669 County 422; rancholoma.com

73 of 101 Photo: Michael J. Colella

Rasika Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C.

What to Order: Black cod marinated in honey and dill with star anise and red wine vinegar

633 D Street Northwest; rasikarestaurant.com

74 of 101 Photo: Jennifer Davick

Reef, Houston, TX

What to Order: Roasted grouper with braised collards, pecan-shallot cracklins, and potlikker jus

2600 Travis Street; reefhouston.com

75 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Restaurant Eugene

Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta, GA

What to Order: Seasonal Vegetable Plate

2277 Peachtree Road; restauranteugene.com

76 of 101 Photo: Ken Wyner

Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA

What to Order: Salad of Virginia Asparagus with Poached Polyface Farm’s Chicken Egg and Parmesan Vinaigrette

110 South Pitt Street; restauranteve.com

77 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Restaurant Iris, Memphis, TN

What to Order: Rod Bailey’s Raviolo with Brown Butter and Mushrooms

2146 Monroe Avenue; restaurantiris.com

78 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of The Raleigh Hotel

Restaurant Michael Schwartz at The Raleigh, Miami Beach, FL

What to Order: Almond Gazpacho. Michael Schwartz’s latest outpost delivers everything you want Miami to be: al fresco elegance, a hint of the tropics, and confidence without too much swagger. The almond gazpacho alone—garlicky, cool, creamy, and nutty—merits a visit.

1775 Collins Avenue; raleighhotel.com

79 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Kemper Mills Fant

The River and Rail, Roanoke, VA

What to Order: Lamb Ribs with Sorghum Glaze

2201 Crystal Spring Avenue Southwest; riverandrailrestaurant.com

80 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

Rolf and Daughters, Nashville, TN

What to Order: Garganelli Verde with Heritage Pork Ragout and Parmesano or Squid Ink Canestri with Gulf Shrimp, Squid, and Chorizo

700 Taylor Street; rolfanddaughters.com

81 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Satterfield's Restaurant

Satterfield’s Restaurant, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Coriander Crusted Gulf Yellowfin Tuna with Compressed Melon, Tapénade, Shiso, and Fried Boquerónes

3161 Cahaba Heights Road; satterfieldsrestaurant.com

82 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Scott’s Bar-B-Que, Hemingway, SC

What to Order: Whole Hog Barbecue with a side of extra cracklins

2734 Hemingway Highway; thescottsbbq.com

83 of 101 Photo: Dan Dry

Seviche, A Latin Restaurant, Louisville, KY

What to Order: Tuna Old Fashioned, a Bourbon Country-inspired twist on a classic tuna ceviche. Chef Anthony Lamas marinates rosy chunks of fresh tuna in locally made soy sauce and Kentucky bourbon with orange and a little pineapple. He calls it Southern Latin. I call it Worth a Road Trip.

1538 Bardstown Road; sevicherestaurant.com

84 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Skylight Inn

Skylight Inn, Ayden, NC

What to Order: Chopped Pork Sandwich

4618 South Lee Street; skylightinnbbq.com

85 of 101

Snackbar, Oxford, MS

What to Order: Chicken Cafreal. At John Currence's Snackbar in Oxford, chef Vishwesh Bhatt merges a Southern point of view with an Indian pantry in this dish of Goan spiced pan-fried chicken thighs, stewed okra and tomatoes, and cardamom grit cakes.

721 North Lamar; citygroceryonline.com

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Southern Soul Barbecue, St. Simons Island, GA

What to Order: Burnt Ends, chopped and sauced brisket tips on a bun

2020 Demere Road; southernsoulbbq.com

87 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Russell Lands On Lake Martin

Springhouse, Alexander City, AL

What to Order: Smoked Boudin, with local figs, homemade mustard, pickled peaches, and peppers

12 Benson Mill Road; springhouseatcrossroads.com

88 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

Star Fish Company, Cortez, FL

What to Order: Stone Crabs

12306 46th Avenue West; starfishcompany.com

89 of 101

Taylor Grocery, Oxford, MS

What to Order: Fried Catfish

4 County Road 338; taylorgrocery.com

90 of 101 Photo: Sam Dean

Texas Tavern, Roanoke, VA

What to Order: Cheesy Western

114 West Church Avenue; texastavern-inc.com

91 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @barebonesstudio

Toups' Meatery, New Orleans, LA

What to Order: Confit Chicken Thighs, with Parmesan-crusted Brussels sprouts and a mushroom vinaigrette

845 N Carrollton Avenue; toupsmeatery.com

92 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

Tupelo Honey Cafe, Asheville, NC

What to Order: Shoo Grill Cheese, Have Mercy. The ultimate grilled cheese sandwich combines Havarti, pimiento cheese, caramelized onions, maple peppered bacon, ham, fried green tomatoes, and fresh basil on sourdough wheat bread.

12 College Street; tupelohoneycafe.com

93 of 101 Photo: Instagram, @stephaa4

Two Boroughs Larder, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Pork Scrapple Sandwich, on a hard roll, with aged Cheddar and a silky farm egg cooked over-easy

186 Coming Street; twoboroughslarder.com

94 of 101 Photo: Cary Jobe

Uchi, Austin, TX

What to Order: Machi Cure, a cold preparation of smoked yellowtail with a yucca crisp, marcona almond, Asian pear, and garlic brittle

801 South Lamar Boulevard; uchiaustin.com

95 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Underbelly, Houston, TX

What to Order: Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings. Without a doubt, Houston is the most interesting, far-ranging, delightful food city in the South—strike that, in America—right now. There’s a confluence of a post-Katrina Creole population, traditional Southern staples (biscuits, barbecue, pimiento cheese), diverse multinationals (Vietnamese, Korean, Pakistani, Mexican), fertile farmland, easy access to the Gulf, and a general yearning to make a culinary mark. Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly might as well be the town’s pied piper, leading diners deeper into the flavors of the city. His Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings pairs tender braised goat with dense rice-flour dumplings, fiery with gochujang (red chile paste), moody with fish sauce, and flecked with toasted benne seeds. Also notable: Chris’ use of Gulf bycatch (often called “trash fish,” or the fish caught when you’re actually going after something else, say shrimp). A recent highlight built on bycatch was whole Vermilion snapper, fried as if midswim, topped with green chile-cilantro chutney, served over garam masala-scented green beans and okra.

1100 Westheimer Road; underbellyhouston.com

96 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Vittoria Macelleria, Birmingham, AL

What to Order: Selection of house-made Salumi or Aged Spinalis (cap of the rib eye) Steak. Chef James Lewis will change the way you think about meat at his newly unveiled Vittoria Macelleria, a small-plate homage to the art of butchery.

2901 2nd Avenue South; 205/315-4366

97 of 101

Walker’s Drive-In, Jackson, MS

What to Order: Redfish Anna with Lump Crabmeat

3016 North State Street; walkersdrivein.com

98 of 101 Photo: Courtesy of Wallace Station

Wallace Station, Versailles, KY

What to Order: Inside Out Hot Brown sandwich

3854 Old Frankfort Pike; wallacestation.com

99 of 101 Photo: Art Meripol

Wintzell’s Oyster House, Mobile, AL

What to Order: West Indies Salad

605 Dauphin Street; wintzellsoysterhouse.com

100 of 101 Photo: Olivia Rae James

Xiao Bao Biscuit, Charleston, SC

What to Order: Ramen. Tucked in an old gas station in Charleston, Xiao Bao Biscuit has given the Peninsula a new take on the lunch counter with their Asian comfort foods, such as Tenri-style ramen (thin, straight noodles in a soy-based broth) with pork belly, kimchi, stewed greens, and a slow-cooked farm egg.

224 Rutledge Avenue; xiaobaobiscuit.com

101 of 101 Photo: Robbie Caponetto

The Checklist

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100 Places To Eat Now Checklist