This bistro in the Marshall House hotel serves appetizers like jumbo lump local blue-crab cake with whole-grain mustard aioli and citrus-scented frisée, a bento box of sushi, dumplings and tempura vegetables, and tuna carpaccio with onion relish. There are also wood-fired pizzas, salads and such entrées as lobster omelets and quinoa-crusted black grouper served with goat-cheese creamed spinach.

Located in the charming Germantown neighborhood, 5th & Taylor made a big splash when it opened in 2015, and the buzz has not subsided. Housed in a textile warehouse turned restaurant, the creative spot serves Southern American cuisine like onion-bacon tarts with fromage blanc and beer can chicken. The dining room is as well thought out as each dish, featuring sky-high ceilings, a partially open kitchen and a massive sculpture of a man riding a horse in the center of the dining room.

What once was an auto-repair shop in the Gulch is now Adele’s, a chic New American restaurant from chef Jonathan Waxman, a contestant on Top Chef Masters and the owner of Barbuto in New York. Staying true to its roots, the restaurant has an industrial aesthetic, with bare walls, high ceilings and glass garage windows that are opened during nice weather. Named after Waxman’s mother, the restaurant also serves some of its namesake’s best recipes, including the indulgent Adele’s burger, which comes topped with bacon-onion jam and buttermilk cheddar. Additional highlights include the JW chicken and the coconut cake. Dinner is served daily, but lunch is only offered on Fridays and Saturdays and brunch is a Sunday-only affair.

The hip space within the Eau Palm Beach is sleek, dim and urban—not exactly classic Palm Beach, but it will strike a chord with those accustomed to progressive dining establishments in major metropolitan markets in the U.S. and Europe. The “communal” table in the center of the room encourages socializing with your fellow diners—if you’re into that sort of thing. Local fish, such as red snapper, are the stars of the menu, but adventurous palates are tickled with such gems as octopus confit and braised sweetbread ravioli.

Antoine’s Restaurant has been a mainstay on the New Orleans dining scene for over 150 years. Opened in 1840 by Antoine Alciatore, the restaurant has survived multiple wars, hurricanes, prohibition and the Great Depression, and it still serves up admirable French Creole cuisine by a descendant of Alciatore: Randy Alciatore-Guste. Here is where Oysters Rockefeller were invented, and the seafood is very good.

Old Louisiana elegance at its best, Arnauds serves classic Creole food in beautiful turn of the century dining rooms. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, this restaurant is the largest and most renowned in the entire city.

One of celebrity chef John Besh’s beloved restaurants, August focuses on local ingredients and French culinary traditions. The historic 19th century building incorporates grand details such as a wood paneled bar and dining room with massive crystal chandeliers. There are numerous private rooms, but the atmosphere is elegant and formal throughout.

Once a wine shop, Bacchanal morphed into a neighborhood hangout and then a hot spot for good music and food after Hurricane Katrina. Imagine a friend’s casual backyard garden party with excellent wine and joyous jazz, and you have a sense of why this is a locals’ favorite.

A neighborhood favorite, this local bakery declares as its mission to “slow down and taste the sweet life.” For breakfast, there are biscones (biscuit/scones) in flavors like cinnamon and apple-smoked bacon cheddar. At lunch, you can order delicious sandwiches on ciabatta bread such as madras-curry chicken, rosemary chicken salad and tomato and basil. However, the real musts are the cupcakes and sweets. It’s hard to choose among such treats as lemon-coconut, red-velvet and chocolate-heaven cupcakes, lemon bars and pie bars. Everything is made from scratch and based on beloved tried-and-true recipes. It may be too much of a hike from the Historic District for a quick break, but if you are in the area, be sure to stop by.

This sunny spot serves coffee, pastries sandwiches and sweet treats. The sea salt caramel brownies are spectacular.

Bar 167 is just around the corner from the popular Oyster Bar and handles the spillover for guests willing to wait for a table over cocktails or who are just looking to enjoy bar bites or good small plates such as seared scallops served with smoked trout roe and yellowfin tuna nicoise and a great cocktail menu. The upstairs indoor-outdoor bar space is also lively space that offers delicious craft cocktails with names like Jungle Cat and Fire in the Garden and seasonal sangria.

Ideal for after-dinner drinks, the outdoor Bar Centro caters to the swanky yet sophisticated Miami set, with upscale touches like an overhead art installation and a thoughtful cocktail menu, curated by none other than José Andrés himself. He puts his magic touch on the small food menu, with innovative bites like a frozen blue cheese sandwich, served alongside a mysterious but delicious air margarita.

Bar Taco is one of Nashville’s great Mexican joints, serving fresh fish tacos, flavorful guacamole and margaritas with a hefty dose of tequila. The trendy restaurant, which also boasts popular outposts in Connecticut and New York, reaches its buzziest peak around 10 at night.

This East Nashville coffee shop brews excellent java in an eclectic warehouse-style space. They also have a large selection of gourmet chocolate bars and a small food menu of items that pair perfectly with an espresso. The clientele is impossibly hipster, so bring a Jack Kerouac novel if you aim to impress.

This is an easy spot with fun surfer-style vibe and vintage feel for a quick breakfast or brunch on weekends. At lunch, small plates and salads as well as yellow coconut curry or salmon bowls and fish tacos are perfect for a light bite. Other house favorites for dinner include an assortment of vegan small plates and a “naughty burger” or a hanger steak.

With 60 beers on tap, Baystreet Biergarten represents the great culmination of Charleston's craft beer. Situated on East Bay Street with vaulted ceilings and a spacious patio, the space includes a community table serving gourmet bar food as well as beer-tap booths, where diners may pour themselves one of 24 beers on tap right at their table.

The original Bice opened in Milan in 1926. The Palm Beach outlet brings traditional Italian cuisine to an American beach setting. Diners can sample Northern Italian classics like veal cutlet and calamari from the comfort of the outdoor terrace or in the romantic dining room.

Set on the corner of King and Queen Streets, this wine bar, art gallery and antiques market is the perfect place to stop before dinner south of Broad Street. The owners, a husband-and-wife duo, provide a selection of 30 wines by the glass, 130 wines by the bottle, a vast cheese and charcuterie list, and a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Visitors seeking casual Southern fare need to look no further than Biscuit Love, located in the hip Gulch neighborhood. The near-constant line (often wrapped around the block on weekends) is a testament to the food, and the convivial dining room is the perfect place for a lazy brunch. Some favorite menu items are the Nasty Princess breakfast sandwich (Nashville-style hot chicken and cheddar galore), the Bonuts, a biscuit–donut hole mash-up and the Chronic Bacon bloody mary.

This charming neighborhood sweet shop is known for its waffle pancakes and cupcakes. Chocolates and wedding cakes are made on site.

One of Miami's top spots for Italian-ish cuisine, Michelin-starred Boia De promises exceptional food in a fun-loving, intimate setting. The name comes from a Tuscan slang for “oh my god!”—which explains the exclamation-point motif seen in the pink neon sign above the entrance and on the forest-green wallpaper inside. It also might anticipate what you say after tasting some of the dishes on the menus (created by co-owners/chefs Alex Meyer and Luciana Giangrandi).

Highlights during a recent visit included roasted cauliflower served on top taleggio and anchovy sauce, zucchini-stuffed pasta with squash blossoms, and a saffron tagliatelle served pomodoro-style.

The restaurant draws a relaxed crowd of foodies who may or may not feel the need to dress up for a Michelin dining experience. People are here—which by the way, means a strip mall in Buena Vista—for the excellent, inventive food and drinks, not for the "see and be seen" vibes typical of a Miami hot spot.

Boucherie started as a late-night food revolution in a purple food truck (often parked outside famed music hall Tipitina’s) but quickly became one of the best quality fine dining (but bargain) restaurants in the city. Located far away from the action of the quarter, Boucherie serves food for the people, especially gastronomy-obsessed locals who recognize exceptional craft and creativity. Head chef and owner Nathaniel Zimet offers local cuisine with a cross-cultural twist, with specialties like crispy duck confit with roasted kumquat and mustard greens salad. The Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding is the perfect way to top off a New Orleans night.