A mainstay of the Nantucket dining scene since 1985, this handsome, romantic cluster of rooms in a restored 1847 house is one of the toughest reservations in season (though Tommy Hilfiger doesn't seem to have a problem getting a table). But judging from a dinner visit, the people-watching might be a bigger draw than the food. Stick to the reliable and ever-popular surf-and-turf—a grilled half lobster with braised short ribs. The bar at 21 (as the regulars abbreviate it) is a popular gathering place after the kitchen closes, and the outdoor back bar is a little-known island highlight.

Dinner only. Open mid-May through mid-October.

Cozy and romantic—whether in the white linen tent or the Provençal-themed dining room—315 worships at the seasonal ingredients altar, perhaps more so than any other place in town. Chef Louis Moskow prepares his all-natural meats, wild fish, and fresh produce with unpretentious bistro flavors: Pork tenderloin with candied walnuts and cassis sauce is typical. Desserts are classic (profiteroles, crème brûlée), and the wine list is notable. There's also a (no reservation) wine bar with a 20-bottle Cruvinet—a great way to sample the wine list's depth

Open daily 5:30 to 9 pm. Lunch offered occasionally; call ahead for hours.

This restaurant becomes celeb central when the festival kicks off, but Chef Michael LeClerc makes tasty fusion seafood year-round. He's known for his devotion to organic and sustainably farmed ingredients; look for inspired dishes such as the scallop-and-crab seviche and the tower of ahi and hamachi with pineapple shoyu. The place has a L.A.-meets-Utah air to it, but because even the glitterati tend to dress down in Park City, the staff—wary of not recognizing someone important ("Is that Harvey? He's slimmed down!")—tends to treat everyone who walks through the door like a somebody.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 6 pm. Call ahead for hours during April and May.

This trendy Marina District spot has it all: great food, an extensive, well-chosen wine list, and a Foosball table. The sleek, dark space, all concrete floors and cork walls, is home to a hopping singles scene. And chef Nate Appleman's southern Italian specialties—chewy-crusted pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven, roasted pork loin with fresh figs and wild arugula, ricotta gnocchi with prosciutto and garbanzo beans—score every time.

Open nightly 5 to 10 pm, Wednesdays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

When this foodie landmark opened in 1999, the combination of celebrity chef Kent Rathbun's Asian-Southwestern-Parisian fusion menu, the wackily geometrized but impeccably finished Miami-meets-Kyoto decor, and the gourmet glitterati crowd seemed almost insufferably chic. But Abacus has toned it down with age. A muted palate of cream, champagne, and brown now highlights new artwork, mostly by servers from the restaurant. The signature starter here is the lobster "shooter," a little lobster-filled deep-fried dumpling chugged from a shot glass full of chili-spiced coconut curry cream and sake. Pork belly is all the rage these days, and here it's crisply seared, with tamarind barbecue glaze and so-called "Thai style" pickled English cucumbers. There's also a full sushi menu in addition to the small plates and big plates. The menu changes frequently based on the seasonality of ingredients.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 6 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 6 to 11 pm.

Abba's fusion of Israeli and Asian cuisine—on Cape Cod, of all places—is as good as it is unusual. And it's been drawing crowds. Israeli chef and co-owner Erez Pinhas is equally confident pairing poached lobster with Masaman curry as he is marinating lamb in a ras el hanout spice blend, and the wine list is long and global, with a focus on Israeli wines. The unassuming exterior of this converted barn belies the minimalist (and snug) interior lit by flickering candles in Moroccan tea glasses. There's also a covered outdoor seating area that's roomier—a better option when the weather's good. Reservations are encouraged; call a week ahead for dinner on summer weekends.

Open daily 5 to 10 pm, Memorial Day through Labor Day; Tuesdays through Saturdays 5 to 9 pm the rest of the year.

With their delicate crusts and intriguing toppings—think Alfredo sauce, goat cheese, and portabella mushrooms—the pizzas at Abbot's are some of the best in the West. This bite-sized storefront's location—on the main drag in bohemian Venice—is an added bonus. Inside, rock music blasts from speakers, and convertibles, bicycles, and "Peace and Love" are advertised on a bulletin board. You can sit among the tattooed and pierced customers at a stainless-steel counter, but takeout is the big thing here. And why not, when Venice Beach beckons?

Yilma Akilu and his wife, Seble Haile-Michael, are Washington, D.C., transplants who came to Memphis at the urging of a hungry friend to open this reasonably priced, humbly decorated Ethiopian restaurant. If asked, the charming hosts will explain the menu, how their homemade cottage cheese is prepared, and the proper way to scoop up Ethiopian food using strips of injera bread in lieu of utensils. The combination dinner allows the curious to sample a selection of rich lentil and bean dishes, extremely spicy stewed chicken, and mild, sweet cabbage prepared with butter, garlic, and turmeric. For the full experience, request to be served communally at one of the restaurant's authentic woven tables called mesobs.

Frenchman Alain Ducasse, the most Michelin-starred chef on the planet, has struggled for years to conquer New York. His first foray—an exorbitant haute cuisine showcase on Central Park South—suffered through lukewarm reviews and a revolving-door procession of executive chefs. In the end, Ducasse decided to close the place down. Adour, the new restaurant a few blocks south that rose to replace it, works overtime to correct the misjudgments of that first gilded endeavor. The dining room, by top designer David Rockwell, is opulent without being stuffy, with gauzy glass lining the walls like translucent wallpaper. And the city's snootiest service has given way to some of the warmest. The food, as serious as ever, is somehow more rewarding now that prices are verging on reasonable (entrees start at about $32). Dishes, ranging from delicate (butter-drenched ricotta gnocchi so tender they're almost liquid) to gutsy (caramelized pork belly with rich boudin noir), are at once gorgeous and completely lacking in pretense. Named for a river near Ducasse's hometown, the wine-centric restaurant offers an enormous and intriguing selection by the glass (with a baby-faced sommelier offering eager guidance). Save room, after your feather-light soufflé, for complimentary mini macaroons that are among the best in New York (or take them home to nibble for breakfast).

Open Sundays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm.

Helmed by entertainment-biz caterer Akasha Richmond, this eco-friendly restaurant, bar, and bakery in Culver City serves healthy, surprisingly tasty, organic grub to members of L.A.'s growing green scene. Inside, the construction is sustainable, the appliances are energy-efficient, and the servers wear organic cotton T-shirts and Levi's Eco jeans. Standout entrées range from an earthy bowl of Punjabi Mung beans to a hearty slab of flatiron steak paired with organic fries. Belly up to the bar with the rest of the eco mafia for a signature cocktail mixed with organic lemon vodka, or order earth-conscious takeout from the counter: The containers are all biodegradable, and the cutlery is made from wheat.

Restaurant open Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm, and Sundays 5 to 9 pm. Bakery open Mondays through Fridays 8 am to 5:30 pm, Saturdays 9 am to 5:30 pm.

This James Beard Award–winning chef (who you might have seen on the season finale of the 2006 Top Chef) doesn't rest on his laurels. His dining room may be modest, but his flavors explode. As the locals say, when food is this delicious, it is "broke da mouth" good. Try his five-course tasting menu ($75 per person), or opt for à la carte originals such as Hot California Rolls (baked lobster mousse with crab-avocado stuffing) and the keawe-wood-grilled mahimahi with spicy wasabi sauce.

Dallas is a city of steak houses, and this is perhaps the most classic. Come here for a look into old-boy Dallas and its cigar-smoking fat cats—though you won't see them lighting up after the city's smoking ban. Steak is the real focus, so steer clear of the seafood options, or try one of the more ambitious game entrées, such as elk fillet with a shiitake port-wine reduction. The wine list here shows an intense New World focus, so there will be no shortage of big California wines to complement your hunk of beef. Keep an eye out for the corporate groups dining at tables of 20; they're hard to miss amid the dark woods and low lighting. Al Biernat himself is a ubiquitous presence, greeting everyone who walks through the door.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm, and Sundays 5:30 to 9 pm.

Some would say that frying gnocchi is gilding the lily, but not the regulars at Albona, who polish off platefuls of the addictive crispy puffs. Chef Bruno Viscovi, the anti-Christ to Atkins dieters, dishes up intriguing food inspired by his childhood in Istria (part of Italy until WWII). The menu includes dishes such as three-cheese ravioli in a sauce of browned sirloin tips; the genial Viscovi will happily help you choose what to order. This homey, old-fashioned restaurant decorated with photos of Istria is set in a slightly dodgy area at the edge of North Beach, but don't worry about your car: Valet parking is complimentary.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 5 pm to 10 pm.

This buzzy (sometimes to the point of earsplitting) bistro with polished wood floors, French café-style rattan chairs, and large front windows seems more SoHo than Edgartown. But locals love the converted onetime grocery store for its eclectic menu—wild mushroom risotto balls, braised short ribs, gnocchi, burgers, just-plucked-from-the-water steamers, and lobster shepherd's pie—and because everyone drops in here, especially when the Red Sox game is on.

The pioneer of the Fifth Avenue scene, this convivial Venetian place, with its wooden tables, rickety chairs, and tenacious no-reservations policy has held up just fine against ever-increasing competition—in fact, as the long weekend lines and the next-door wine bar suggest, it's still the best. This is due to the passion of the owners, Emiliano Coppa and his wife, the chef Anna Klinger, who has everyone addicted to her braised rabbit with black olives, her classic saltimbocca and calf's liver alla Veneziana, her ricotta gnocchi with brown butter and sage, and the risotto col nero—cuttlefish ink—that takes 20 minutes because she stirs every serving to order.

Open Wednesday through Monday 6 pm to 10 pm.

One of the best French restaurants in Vegas. The Belle Époque–styled room at the Wynn is filled with guys who want to impress their dates, devoted foodies, high rollers, and people looking to blow winnings. Expect dinner for two to soar past $300, but by the time the bill comes, your eyes will have glazed over from the torchon of foie gras with pickled Anjou pears, or the spring lamb with boulangère potatoes. Chef Alex Stratta is a protégé of Alain Ducasse, and his food reflects that chef's Southern French influences—a bit of Monte Carlo in Vegas. Opt for one of the tasting menus paired with wines, such as the "Sommelier's Selection," which pours a few of the cellar's 200 Burgundies.

Open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays 6 to 10 pm.

Allred's has no street address—it isn't anywhere near a street. Rather, it's inside the San Sophia gondola station at 10,550 feet. With that on–high view of town, no other restaurant comes close in the scenery department. Then again, you can get the same view just by riding the gondola, so Allred's better deliver the epicurean goods, and it does: Delectables include seasonal dishes like poached apricot–vanilla Maine lobster tail, or the free–range Canadian veal chop with potato–chanterelle hash. Alone up there on an alpine ridge, Allred's has plenty of space, so the chairs are cushier and the tables more private than in town.

The secret may be out by now, but you'll still feel in the know as you sip your Patron Silver premium tequila on the rooftop terrace of this tri-level Nuevo cantina—the drop-dead view of the Manhattan skyline across the harbor is one of the best in the city. Chef Hans Dannerhoj's creative, multiregional Mexican dishes are generally top-notch: Highlights include picada de puerco carnitas (orange-braised pork with pickled onions and guacamole); chicken in the most toothsome mole north of Oaxaca; cazuela Borrego (shredded lamb with guajillo chili, tomato, potato, and zucchini); poblano relleno con picadillo (poblano chili stuffed with pork, raisins, and olives); and sides of spinach with garlic and Cotija cheese. If the deck is packed, try heading downstairs to the convivial main dining room on the second level. B61, on the ground floor, is a mellow affair with a long walnut bar, jukebox, and pool table.

Open Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 2:30 pm, Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 11 pm.

Reinterpreting authentic Spanish tapas is the specialty of chef/owner Jose Garces, who used to work with Douglas Rodriguez (the "godfather" of Nuevo Latino cuisine). Traditional dishes like salt-cod croquette, clams and chorizo, and crab-stuffed piquillo peppers coexist with Garces's inventive cocas, Spanish flatbreads topped with vibrant combinations like duck, figs, and Cabrales cheese. The chef's counter—with a view of the kitchen—and the community tables in the bar are a good place to perch if you're dining alone, awaiting cut-to-order Serrano ham and aged Manchego with truffle-lavender honey. Spanish wines dominate the 40-bottle list, and house-made sangria—like the signature Blanco, a crisp white wine spiked with quince, pear, and lemon—steeps in oak barrels along the wall. Go on a Wednesday or Friday night to catch a flamenco performance.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 pm to midnight, Sundays 4 to 10 pm.

There was much local breast-beating when off-the-beaten-track sushi place Ambrosia decamped from its longtime home (now the site of the Good Life) for the Miami Modern porte cochere of the redeveloped Santa Maria Suites Resort. Fortunately, it proved a smart move. The new space is much larger—though reservations are still recommended—and the decor whiffs of mid-century with round wicker chairs, black lacquer, and a soothing jazz soundtrack. But most important, the menu of rolls like lobster tempura has been maintained. Any doubters as to the place's authenticity will be silenced by the condiments. They use the real stuff, so the pickled ginger isn't Day-Glo pink and the wasabi is nice and powdery.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm and daily from 6 to 10 pm.

A 800-degree clay and stone oven dominates the center of this 19th-century barn-cum-restaurant, which serves inspired pizza combos. The Punctuated Equilibrium flatbread (kalamata olives, red peppers, and Vermont goat cheese—it's named for an evolutionary theory) is a favorite, and the New Vermont Sausage (made with local pork, fennel, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and mushrooms) is irresistible. The wait is as famous as the food, especially during ski season, when it seems all of Sugarbush is jamming the place. An hour is common, but they'll stick a beer in your hand and point you outside, where a bonfire sends sparks overhead and keeps you warm. Outposts in Middlebury (137 Maple St.; 802-388-3300) and Burlington (115 St. Paul St.; 802-861-2999; open daily) lack the farm charm but maintain the culinary standards.

Open Fridays and Saturdays 4:30 to 9:30 pm.

With its harvest-scene murals and tables painted in quilt-style patterns, this "regional and seasonal" restaurant evokes old-fashioned Americana. (Sometimes to a fault—the rustic sign outside is so faded that you might miss the place.) Chef Michael LaScola organizes the new American menu into three culinary regions. For "Pacific Coast" he might spice-rub a Long Island duck breast and stuff dumplings with Nantucket-grown shitake mushrooms and foie gras. In a signature "New England" dish, he interprets fish and chips as potato-wrapped rare yellowfin tuna with crushed English peas and lemon confit. And for "Down South and Wild West," he might whip up a smoked tomato and bacon dressing for chicken-fried chicken livers.

Dinner only. Open mid-May through December.

Regulars of this convivial establishment are delighted now that it has relocated up the avenue to a larger space. It still serves northern Italian specialties, and the herb garden behind the new kitchen is probably one of the reasons the pasta dishes taste so good. Antipasti, risotto, or any of the dozen pastas, such as clams sautéed with garlic over spaghetti are standouts, as is the grilled swordfish. The tiramisù deserves special mention, and so does the wonderful service. All in all, a better bet than overrated Bice.

Chef Martin Rios has lived in New Mexico most of his life, but he eschews chiles and spices for his flavors and sauce reductions. The result is a menu that you'll find in other quality restaurants in the States, such as a yellow fin tuna dish with a cashew crust and red curry reduction, or the aged beef tenderloin with a coffee and molasses glaze. Seafood is no longer a poor choice in New Mexico, and Rios' lobster dumplings with veal sweetbreads and crunchy haricot verts prove it. The hotel dining room is a single elongated space with hardwood floors, Anaszi brick walls, and Native-American-rug patterned banquettes. Service is mostly invisible and highly conscientious.

Open daily 7 to 10:30 am, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, and 5:30 to 10 pm.

Gino Angelini's sophisticated comfort-food restaurant is where other chefs go when they're off duty—Mario Batali, for instance, tends to drop by when he's in town. It's not that Angelini's menu is particularly nouveau or showy—, but his takes on ordinary-sounding dishes use the highest-quality ingredients and are somehow transcendentally delicious. The menu includes antipasti, thin-crust pizzas, pastas, salads, and roasted meats; his lasagna Nonna Elvira—layers of spinach pasta with béchamel, buffalo mozzarella and Bolognese sauce—is sheer perfection. Angelini also runs La Terza in the newly redecorated Orlando hotel on Third, which is a little more formal (8384 W. Third St.; 323-782-8384).

Closed Mondays.

In business since 1958, Angelo's has managed to become an institution (you can even find its dry rub in supermarkets now) without losing the respect of the notoriously picky Texas BBQ cognoscenti. The barnlike establishment remains no-fuss and a lot of muss. A couple of great big smoky rooms crammed with the stuffed heads of big-horned ungulates find faithful customers queuing up for the signature hickory-smoked pork ribs, crusty on the outside and falling-off-the-bone-tender inside (presented on a Styrofoam plate with beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and the legendary spicy sauce). They serve the ribs until they run out, which can often be before they shut off the spigots on the trademark ultracold beer at 10 p.m.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 11 am to 10 pm.

This chic, gilt-trimmed dining room frequented by society types is the city's finest. Although Anson is adjacent to touristy Old City Market, it's frequented by Charlestonians, who come for the fresh, creative spins on traditional dishes: barbecued grouper, shrimp and grits (ground in Anson's own kitchen), and crispy flounder. The setting is a century-old warehouse jazzed up with plantation shutters, gold ballroom chairs, an authentic cypress fireplace mantle, and planters. Huge French windows provide a passing scene of horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping through the streets. Request a table upstairs.

If you haven't heard of Michael Psilakis, stay tuned, you will. The self-taught chef has been racking up national accolades since making his New York debut on the Upper West Side with the now-shuttered Onera, at the time the city's most ambitious Greek restaurant. Several years and restaurant projects later, he unveiled the more upscale Anthos in Midtown—perhaps the most creative Greek restaurant in America. The snug spot, minimally appointed with framed cherry-blossom prints, is warm and inviting with service to match. Still, you'll find the sorts of opulent flourishes that are standard issue in the city's high-end French restaurants but all but unheard of at places serving Hellenic cuisine (a bounty of predinner amuse-bouches, two types of butter with your bread). The rule-breaking menu, meanwhile, takes the traditional fare Psilakis grew up on into Iron Chef territory. You might encounter grilled sweetbreads paired—surprisingly well—with white chocolate and feta, raw and cooked lobster with lush seared foie gras, or fried cod nuggets with a rich, creamy dill-flecked risotto made with orzo rather than rice. Playful desserts like orange-blossom donuts filled with bergamot cream hew more closely to the traditional Greek palette.

Open Mondays through Thursdays noon to 10:30 pm, Fridays noon to 11 pm, and Saturdays 5 to 11 pm.

Feeling nostalgic for a time gone by (and the low prices that went with it)? Head to this white clapboard shack, opened in 1947 and now surrounded by boxy storefronts that seem about to swallow it whole. Inside, wood paneling and red-and-white plaid wallpaper flank 26 counter seats, for which devoted fans are happy to wait. The rewards are ample, including steak burgers piled high with fixings (everything you'd expect, minus the tomato—they don't like them here) and hickory burgers drenched in barbecue sauce. Whatever you do, save room for the gooey homemade pie.

Closed Mondays.

This place follows the credo (one that came relatively late to these parts) of everything local and seasonal. Owner and chef Brian Knox changes the menu every few days to keep up with the supply—which he cooks in an open kitchen. A spicy, braised smoked shoulder of lamb with chard is one such dish; appetizers will include heirloom tomatoes every which way, when they're available. His ideas are as simple and pleasing as the decor in this spare, clean room. With only 12 interior tables (and an additional dozen on the patio), reservations are strongly advised.

Open Tuesdays and Saturdays 5:30 to 9 pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays noon to 2 pm and 5:30 to 9 pm.

Sardinian cuisine in Dallas? You'd better believe it. Efisio and Francesco Farris import ingredients to create authentic Italian cuisine. They brag that Sardinian food is the simple food of the simple people there. The menu, however, does feature some dishes that are anything but simple, like handmade semolina dumplings with a ragù of braised baby lamb, or linguine with clams, tomatoes, garlic, and bottarga (the cured roe that's the specialty of Sardinia, nicknamed "Sardinian caviar"). A wood-fired pizza oven makes for a beautiful centerpiece; a bar area appeals to its fair share of attractive Dallasites. Arcodoro shares its space with Pomodoro, a more formal restaurant with a less relaxing ambience, also manned by the Farris brothers.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays 11 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays 11 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm, Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm, and Sundays 5:30 to 10 pm.

For less than a ten spot, you can enjoy what is commonly considered to be the city's best meat-and-three. For those not familiar with the Southern concept, this is a choose-your-own-adventure style of eating in which you select one meat (such as barbecue pork or roast beef) and three veggies (from collard greens to mac and cheese). Located in a less-than-picturesque part of downtown in a red-and-yellow cinderblock building, Jack Arnold's restaurant welcomes a crowd that includes average working Joes, hipster kids, bums, and a bipartisan mix of local politicians (the mayor's a fan). Service is truly democratic: Everyone lines up together and files through, cafeteria-style. Jack is usually on hand, working alongside his wife and sons, carving up perfectly cooked roast beef or dishing out scoops of corn pudding or collard greens.

Open Mondays through Fridays 6 am to 2:30 pm.

Green thumbs and green eaters go gaga for this acclaimed coastal restaurant, whose one-acre garden provides 90 percent of the menu's produce. Sprouting from the Maine soil are 15 varieties of lettuce, 25 types of heirloom tomatoes, and enough herbs, apples, carrots, and more to keep Arrows hitting a bull's-eye year-round. Chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier—who've also opened MC Perkins Cove in Ogunquit (207-646-6263; www.mcperkinscove.com) and Summer Winter in Burlington, Mass. (781-221-6643; www.summerwinterrestaurant.com)—oversee a staff of not only gardeners but also on-site fish smokers, cheesemakers, and pastry chefs who have led the sustainable-eating movement since 1988. Maine's bounty dictates the menu, which might include foie gras steamed buns, sea-salt-roasted rabbit loin, and parsnip crème brûlée. The best way to get to the root of what's growing outside? The six-course garden tasting menu.

Open Thursdays through Sundays 6 to 9 pm, April 11 through May 31 and Columbus Day through New Year's Day; Tuesdays through Sundays, July 1 through Labor Day; Wednesdays through Sundays, June and Labor Day through Columbus Day.

An outpost of the New York City original, restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow's Asia de Cuba fits right into the Mondrian Scottsdale. While Latin music sambas throughout the all-white space, the see-and-be-seen crowd negotiates family-style dishes of seafood, meats, and sides. The calamari salad is more salad than squid, but no words could better describe the delicious butterfish than its name: It's indeed buttery white fish, marinated in miso. We also love the duck confit, which is shredded off the bone tableside—an ideal accompaniment is a seven-year mojito, made with two aged Flor de Caña rums.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 10:30 am to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10:30 am to 12 am.

The best Chinese food in Vermont, without question. Chef-owner Steve Bogart has cooked at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and regularly tours China in search of new inspiration. The mock eel (dangly strips of braised shiitake mushrooms in a sweet-spicy ginger sauce) is a classic, one of many spectacular vegetarian options using centuries-old Buddhist recipes. Lemon sesame shrimp and red-pine chicken are stellar choices for the more meat-minded. A Single Pebble is deceptive—the atmosphere is so casual and the prices so reasonable that it takes a few visits to get just how good the food really is.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 1:45 pm and 5 to 9 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 5 to 9 pm.

Named for a star used by sailors to navigate, Atria is the Vineyard's first certified organic restaurant. Christian Thornton, the chef (and co-owner, along with his wife, Greer), sources ingredients from island farmers and fishermen. He changes the menu daily to reflect what's freshest—lightly seasoning and wok-firing a two-pound lobster caught just off-shore one day, and wrapping cod in prosciutto with a drizzle of lobster and lemon butter the next—but the dish the locals praise the most isn't on the menu at all: the island's best cheeseburger. (The big, juicy burger is available only in the Brick Cellar Bar—a local hangout with leather club chairs, saltwater fish tanks, and live music). The large, reasonably priced wine list emphasizes Napa Valley (Thornton's original home), and in addition to the main dining room—with white tablecloths and rustic wooden chairs—there's outdoor dining on a back deck.

Auberge du Soleil was a gastronomic pioneer when it opened in 1981, and it still serves the wine-country cuisine that it helped to invent. Chef Robert Curry draws on the cornucopia of fine produce cultivated in Napa Valley to turn out dishes such as pan-seared duck with wild mushrooms, pea tendrils, and cannelloni. The dining room is clubby and compact, lined with windows overlooking the terrace. But the best seats are outside on the terrace. On a clear night, you can see the glittering lights of San Francisco in the distance; daytime diners enjoy panoramic views of the olive groves and vineyards. For the ultimate in ambience, eat at sunset.

Open daily 11:30 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 9:30 pm.

Aurora is still a contender in Dallas's superheated dining universe: an intimate, Paris-style food shrine where globe-trotting gourmets can deconstruct a celebrity chef's riffs on cutting-edge culinary techniques. Aurora even adds an element of performance art: You enter the minimalist, 12-table dining room through a velvet curtain to find Avner Samuel and his all-star staff showing off their chops behind an enormous glass screen that presents the gleaming stainless-steel kitchen as the set of a restaurant-based reality show. Mere appetizers can evoke a world tour, like the Iranian osetra caviar on a Yukon potato chibouste. Entrées, such as the Ruti de Colorado lamb rib and saddle fillet with potato truffle galette, combine Samuel's polished French technique with distinctively American fare.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 9 pm, Saturdays 5:30 to 9 pm.

The Caribbean-Southwestern-Southern fusion menu here is not for traditionalists. But if you have an adventure-seeking palate, the choices (and the portions) can be delightfully overwhelming. If you're game, try an oversized sandwich of smoked ham sautéed with coconut milk and topped with Pickapeppa sauce (lunch only), lamb chops in a sun-dried blueberry-mint-jalapeño sauce, or coconut-mango shrimp, perhaps with a voodoo stew of seafood. The fun, splashy colors used in the eclectic lighting fixtures, decorative tiles, and bar mirror the audaciously tasty food.

Dinner daily. No lunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

AZ88 is one of the best people-watching places in Scottsdale because its giant windows and deck look out on the Scottsdale town square. The food (burgers, waffle fries, Cobb salad, chicken sandwiches) is all good and fairly inexpensive for this area, but come for the massive drinks (martini big gulps) and the hookup possibilities—both gay and straight.

Closed for lunch Saturdays and Sundays.

The best follow-up to a trip through Glacier National Park is a mountain-size cut of beef at this top-notch steakhouse, just east of Many Glacier. Pull up a red captain's chair in the bar and toss back a beer with the Blackfeet Reservation locals before heading upstairs to the cavernous dining room, decorated with taxidermy and Native American art. The 28-oz. rib eye is the most popular item on the menu, but it's not just about quantity: This is some of the best beef and bison in the West. The dress? Montana formal—don't bother changing out of your jeans, but you should probably tuck your shirt in.

Open daily 5 to 10 pm, May through mid-October.

Former American presidents seated at table 3? Check. Beef cheek ravioli with crushed squab liver and black truffles served at table 6? Check. Large-and-in-charge man with red hair in a ponytail, shorts, and clogs walking the aisles? Check. Such is a typical night at Babbo, Mario Batali's perennially hot and rollicking restaurant just off Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Batali launched the place in 1998 with partner Joseph Bastianich, son of Lidia and a renowned vintner-restaurateur in his own right, and it was one of the first restaurants in New York to offer such an inventive and sophisticated take on Italian cuisine—with a voluminous wine list to match. The phones haven't stopped ringing since. Although the team recently opened the garish Del Posto (85 Tenth Ave.; 212-497-8090; www.delposto.com), Babbo (with its must-try pasta tasting menu) is still our favorite.

Built to ambitious proportions during the dot-com boom, Bacar is having a post-bust renaissance since the addition of Bacar Below, a mod basement lounge serving arty cocktails and live jazz. But sensible mixologists and a 1,300-bottle wine list (with more than 60 by-the-glass options) aren't the only reasons to check the restaurant out. Upstairs at the street-level bar, thirtysomething SoMa locals and food-industry staffers fresh from their shifts gather to share crispy wood-oven pizzas and clams pastis with salty frites. Likewise, the dressed-up dining room, with its massive floral arrangements, upholstered booths, and contemporary art, is a sophisticated destination for foodies from across the Bay Area to sample some of the city's best Cal-French fare.

Open Saturdays through Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 10 pm.

Bacchanalia is often called the Chez Panisse of the South, and it's easy to see why: Bay Area–trained chefs Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano follow the legendary restaurant's lead, emphasizing simple presentation and fresh, seasonal ingredients. This no-fuss philosophy extends to the renovated warehouse space, which is comfortable and pretty but not distracting. The four-course prix fixe menu changes regularly, but highlights include crab fritter with Thai pepper essence, quail with wild mushrooms, and mouthwatering madeleines that will inspire you to take another crack at Proust. Downstairs, newer and more formal Quinones is also informed by California nouvelle cuisine, with stronger regional undertones, such as trout with local butter beans and tupelo honey. The elegant Southern Gothic dining room is perfect for important client meetings and romantic rendezvous alike. On the more casual end of the spectrum, another Bacchanalia relative, Floataway Café, offers the same focus on flavor without the multi-course commitment.

Dinner only.

Pioneering locavore Peter Hoffman opened Back Forty in the East Village to spread the good word about New York's Greenmarket produce—and the good food he makes with it—to a younger, more budget-minded audience. (Savoy, his original, pricier Soho restaurant, has been packing them in since 1990.) The low-key neighborhood spot features minimal rustic decor (farm implements on the walls, a country mural behind the bar) and an abbreviated menu of hearty entrées and seasonal sides. Hoffman's superior burger is made with grass-fed beef, farmhouse Cheddar, and thick heritage pig bacon. His whole rotisserie chicken in a green-garlic marinade is a succulent centerpiece of a shareable feast. Among the earthy side dishes don't miss the rich cheese-drenched "drunken potato melt" or the unusual green wheat with minted yogurt. Wash it all down with one of a half-dozen New York beers or Back Forty's own wine, bottled specifically for the restaurant on the North Fork of Long Island.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 6 to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 6 pm to midnight, and Sundays noon to 3:30 and 6 to 10 pm.

Telluride's oldest restaurant (opened in 1975) attracts the town's youngest clientele. For calories per dollar, the chocolate doughnuts and ham–and–Swiss–cheese empanadas at this downtown bakery have no rival. And the Thursday night special—turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce—doles out a little Thanksgiving hominess to the dreadlocked and often transient folks who help the establishment live up to its name.

Balthazar reinvented the downtown hot spot when it opened in the late '90s, and it's already a New York classic. Impresario Keith McNally, still the reigning king of effortless restaurant cool, did such a fine job cloning a Beaux Arts Paris brasserie that Balthazar felt decades old the minute it opened. The spacious restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, still gets its share of high-wattage diners like Kate Moss and Jude Law. Over the years, the straightforward, often delicious, bistro fare has remained as consistent as the crowds. The gargantuan shellfish platters are a dazzling indulgence, particularly with a bottle of chilled Muscadet. The steak tartare, zingy with mustard and capers, is among the best in town, as is the grill-marked steak with silky béarnaise and slim, greaseless frites. Though you'll no longer need a secret phone number to secure a table for dinner, you'll still probably want to book well in advance. The attached bakery offers top-notch French pastries and sandwiches to eat on the run.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 7:30 to 11:30 am, noon to 5 pm, and 5:45 pm to 1 am, Fridays 7:30 to 11:30 am, noon to 5 pm, and 5:45 pm to 2 am, Saturdays 8 am to 4 pm and 5:45 pm to 2 am, and Sundays 8 am to 4 pm and 5:30 pm to midnight.

This popular brunch spot, on the quieter end of Duval Street, specializes in nearly 20 varieties of crepes, with fillings that include bacon, mushrooms, and béchamel; goat cheese and walnuts; and sea scallops in white wine and cream. Grab a table on the porch to eat.

This little joint, with its no-frills decor, may just turn out the most perfectly spiced cooked pig that Memphis has to offer—no small feat, given that this city of pork barbecue contains more than 100 restaurants specializing in the Southern delicacy. The award-winning Dancing Pigs sauce, available in mild or hot, has become a mighty successful side business for the owners and imparts all it touches with a sweet, tomatoey zest. Come hungry, and the shop will satiate you with juicy pulled pork shoulder or a slab of tangy, succulent ribs (wet or dry) and all the 'cue fixings: baked beans, fresh coleslaw, and buttery Texas toast. If you're feeling bold, try an appetizer plate of barbecue bologna, sausage, and cheese, followed by spicy, rich barbecue spaghetti. Cholesterol watchers, beware!

Closed Sundays.

Thanks to the travertine floors and wooden walls of this converted red barn, the dining room can get a little noisy, but it's a happening spot for dinner, and its garden is one of the prettiest spaces in town. The frequently changing menu is organized by "taste profile." "Light" may include tuna poke with a pickled ginger–wasabi mousse; "Spicy" lists dishes like crispy grilled pork belly atop seared scallops; and "Comfort" (read: filling) is for dishes like pan-seared wild halibut with creamy cashew rice and tamarind sauce. The combinations are inventive, and the flavors big. The bar is a destination unto itself and hops nearly every night. Aside from an outstanding selection of Sonoma County vintages and a few European standouts, you'll also find unusual organic spirits, many of which are mixed with house-made syrups for some of wine country's best cocktails.

Open Wednesdays through Saturdays noon to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm, Sundays 11 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm.

We should probably keep Barrio to ourselves, as it doesn't take reservations and the wait can push an hour on a Tuesday night. Thankfully, there's a wall full of tequila to help pass the time. The place is small, loud, and not in the nicest part of town, but it also happens to be one of the best Mexican restaurants in the entire Southwest. Prettiest dish: tilapia fillet rubbed with achiote (a Yucatán spice) and wrapped in a banana leaf with chunks of onions. Most complicated: Pescado del Mar, with layers of shrimp, scallops, and crab and lobster over a pan-seared halibut fillet, all steaming in a white wine and shallot cream sauce with pieces of chorizo and poblano peppers. Best: four simple, slow-roasted pork tacos that will have your mouth watering for days—guaranteed.

Open Tuesdays through Fridays. No lunch on Saturdays.

A local dive that's consistently voted "Best Burger" by Vail's faithful denizens, Bart & Yeti's—named after two dearly departed dogs who served as establishment mascots—is also the place to go for chili, baby back ribs, steak, and fried chicken. You'll probably run into your kid's ski instructor and the boisterous ski patrol crew chilling at the end of the day.

Hidden among rental properties on the north end, the Beach Bistro is the pièce de résistance of Anna Maria Island's dining scene. The New American and Mediterranean-inflected Floridian cuisine is worth a splurge: Red bell pepper–papaya jam enlivens grouper; capers, caviar, and Key lime crème fraîche dress up Nova Scotia salmon; and roasted duckling is spiked with wild berry sauce. Finish with the decadent chocolate truffle terrine.

Chef Kazuto Matsusaka spent a decade at Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main, where he picked up a following before moving on to the Buddha Bar in Paris. His new restaurant, named for the laundry that used to occupy the spot, is retro-futuristic, with soaring ceilings, brick walls painted white, and one long, continuous wood banquette. Diners can choose to nibble through small Cal-Asian dishes like fried oysters rolled in lettuce and dipped in a yuzu tartar sauce, or order entrées like miso-marinated black cod. There's also casual fare such as burgers and a BLT made with a slice of albacore tuna.

Closed for dinner on Mondays.

Fishermen, lobstermen, and little kids watching cartoons on TV sit elbow-to-elbow along the counter on Saturday mornings at Becky's Diner. Although zoning laws on Hobson's Wharf (just south of Old Port) ban all nonfishery businesses, owner Becky Rand successfully argued in 1991 that the boatmen needed a place to eat. The diner does not suffer fools, charging extra for fancy substitutions and serving eggs Benedict only as an occasional special. Instead, this is the place for thick blueberry pancakes, fresh haddock, hash, hamburger patties, and omelets made 14 ways. There's lunch and dinner, too, but don't miss breakfast. In warm weather, ask for a table on the rooftop patio for the harbor views.

Open daily 4 am to 9 pm.

Everything is just right in this happy place—the production area is clean and pristine, the goods are beautifully packaged, and most important, the high-quality candies, cookies, coffee, brownies, nuts, etc. (some even sugar-free!), are delicious. Their confections are much imitated but not sold anywhere outside of the factory and the official Web site.

Open daily 8:30 am to 5 pm.

Hidden behind a gas station, this comfort food spot's only view is of a pretty cactus garden (and, okay, a big Shell sign pointing into the sky). But the old-school wooden architecture gives the place an unpretentious charm that mirrors a down-to-earth approach to cooking. Lunchtime pizzas come right out of the wood-burning oven; our favorite comes with chicken, pesto, and sausage. The dinner menu has five changing entrées, mostly grilled or wood-roasted free-range meats (the crispy-skinned, juicy roast chicken is a standout). The adjoining bakery serves to-go sandwiches worth stopping for, fresh-made bread, muffins, and old-fashioned jelly doughnuts.

Closed for dinner Sundays and Mondays.

If you've spent the day hiking and you'd rather not change clothes for dinner, head to this family-run roadhouse. There's not much in the way of decor: Plain wood tables, linoleum floors, and a small fireplace are about it. The Cal-Latino menu whipped up by young owners Marcus and Heather Foster, however, has spice to spare. Chips and fiery-hot homemade salsa hit the table as soon as you sit down; starters like calamari with pasilla-chile remoulade, and entrees like adobo-marinated steak with peppery potatoes and grilled onions keep the buzz going. Only beer and wine—no harder stuff—is served, but it hardly matters: A cold Corona makes the perfect chaser.

Closed Tuesdays.

Alfredo Patiño, the onetime wunderkind chef from the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, struck out on his own and opened this neighborhood hangout in December 2006. Patiño's deceptively simple menu consists of sandwiches and salads, plus platters piled high with Italian, French, or Spanish cheese and meats. He griddles figs and pairs them with blue cheese, piles a sandwich with Manchego and Serrano ham, and wraps yet more delicious Serrano ham around a ropelike pile of creamy burrata mozzarella. The space, a few blocks from the new Adrienne Arsht Center, and dressed with vintage wine barrels, crystal chandeliers, and a rotating art gallery, is the best place to grab a casual meal before a show. Plus, there's free parking in the lot out back.

Closed Sundays.

The Left Bank joins the Eastern Shore in this familial bistro. Owners Phil and Sue Stein installed Parisian ambience into a century-old house, with marble-topped tables, a zinc bar, and walls with mirrors and vintage posters. The seasonal menu created by chef David Stein, their son, fuses French provincial, Mediterranean, and regional Maryland flavors with savory starters such as sweet corn and crab chowder and a chilled peach soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt, cucumber relish, and honey-chipotle sauce. When crab is in season, don't miss the lemon-pepper soft-shells with succotash and country bacon, or the broiled crab cake with corn and Cheddar polenta and tasso ham. Though wine pairings are sometimes suggested for each course, it's tempting to cast off with a Chesapeake martini: vodka, gold tequila, Clamato juice, a dash of Tabasco and horseradish, all of it garnished with…a shrimp. This is a dinner-for-two place, though the formal upstairs loft can accommodate larger groups. There is also seating on the front porch, but be warned that traffic on Talbot Street, the town's main drag, can be busy on summer weekends. With just 75 dining room seats and an eight-seat raw bar, reservations are suggested.

Open Thursdays through Mondays from 5:30 pm.

Less known for its food than for the T-shirt Bill Clinton gave Monica (which set off a run on its famous apparel), this island icon has become a touristy cliché—the Hard Rock Café for the Vineyard set. The wait in summer can top an hour, and nary a diner leaves without a black-Lab-emblazoned souvenir from the gift shop, which peddles everything from tote bags to ice buckets. If you must, go for breakfast—the Black Dog has the area's largest menu of omelets—and be sure to snag a seat on the deck for the harbor views. At other times of day, the kitchen turns out serviceable seafood, burgers, chowders, and its famous Blackout Cake.

Even fancy folks like John and Teresa Heinz Kerry have been known to wait on line for one of the 32 seats at this funky, diner-like café. The lines are especially long for Sunday brunch—the best on the island. Chef Jeff Worster (formerly of Citrus and Tulipe in Los Angeles) works his magic in the tiny open kitchen, changing the dinner menu every three weeks. His dishes span the globe: You might find tandoori chicken, southwestern red-pepper and chile soup, and a couple of Thai choices. Breakfast (served until 1 pm) is exceptional—especially the sourdough French toast with pecans and orange-Jack Daniel's butter. Credit cards are not accepted, and it's BYOB.

Open early April through October.

Kurt Gutenbrunner, by far New York's most accomplished Austrian chef (there's not much competition), runs an ambitious jewel box restaurant in the West Village and an adorable café with superlative Viennese sweets at the Neue Galerie museum in Upper East Side. His third spot, a neighborhood restaurant way downtown in Tribeca, is his most casual and consistently endearing outpost. Wallpapered with art posters, the Austrian bistro traffics in simple hearty food presented with a touch of haute cuisine flair. Swing by weekday mornings for soufflé omelets and plump sugary donuts filled with apricot jam. Come lunchtime, grab a newspaper from the rack, pull up a seat at the oversize tin bar, and settle in with a frothy pint of lemony wheat beer and a plump bratwurst with kraut. More involved dinner entrées include pitch-perfect schnitzel and crisp-skinned trout fillets drizzled in brown butter and bright tarragon sauce. Rich desserts like Salzburger nockerl (pillowy meringue with tart huckleberries) are hard to pronounce but, oh, so easy to finish.

Open daily 11 am to midnight.

With fresco wall paintings by local artist Alice Ludwig and authentic Provençal furnishings, this bakery cum grocery feels a bit like France. Breakfast goodies include brioche and croissant and café au lait; the apple tart is the best-selling pastry for good reason. Don't leave without checking out the imported gift items that range from tabletop pieces to caviar to specialty honeys and jams.

Closed Sundays.

Homemade pastries, fresh mahimahi sandwiches, grilled pork chops, and ensemada (a fresh twirled bread brushed with butter and dipped in sugar) keep this little café jumping from morning till night. It's an excellent—and cheap—alternative to Lanai's expensive hotel restaurants.

Caribbean-themed American and veggie fare draws tourists and locals to this legendary eatery, which served its first meal in September 1992. The menu is heavy on the local seafood, with staples like barbecued shrimp or seared scallops Provençale. The building that houses Blue Heaven has been through many iterations—most of the tables are situated in the outdoor courtyard, where Hemingway refereed boxing matches and customers watched cockfights (there are still chickens pecking about). The patio surface is paved with slate pool-table tops from the restaurant's days as a billiard hall and ice-cream parlor. Diners with more risqué tastes should request a seat in the second-floor gallery, formerly a dance hall and bordello (you can still peek through peepholes into tiny rooms). Reservations are not accepted for breakfast or lunch and there's usually a line, especially for Sunday brunch. It's worth the wait for fragrant house-made banana bread.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 8 am to 3 pm and 5 to 10:30 pm, Sundays 8 am to 2 pm and 5 to 10:30 pm.

This massive, upscale eatery right on the Intracoastal Waterway caters to an older, more local crowd than many of the fashionable new joints. Try to snag a table on the terrace, with its superb views (don't worry if you're caught in a Florida thunderstorm, as it's fully enclosed). The menu, unsurprisingly, is heavy on fish; portions are generous and dishes are rich. Try the Hawaiian spiked tuna poki as an appetizer and follow up with an entrée like lobster and shellfish pan roast or herb-crusted swordfish; meat lovers shouldn't miss the dense, sweet, veal tenderloin doused in red-onion jam.

Open daily 11:30 am to 3 pm and 6:30 to 10 pm.

Blue Ribbon serves its entire enormous menu until 4 in the morning to night owls and chefs coming off of work. The Soho spot is the most popular of the Blue Ribbon empire, a chain of six Manhattan restaurants (plus three in Brooklyn) focusing on everything from sushi to comfort food to pastries. The candlelit brasserie with dark wood booths and a raw bar up front is the perfect place to indulge your nocturnal cravings, whether they be for raw oysters, roasted marrow bones, Southern fried chicken, or paella with chicken, chorizo, and lobster. Though the scene is rambunctious and the menu all over the map, the cooking is of a remarkably high quality, and we're not just talking by middle-of-the-night standards.

Open daily 4 pm to 4 am.

This local institution is another only–in–Key West landmark. It doesn't look like much (if you can say that a building that looks like it was cobbled together precariously from wrecked trucks isn't much), but the sandwiches of fresh-caught fried fish are legendary. The best time to stop by is Friday night, when you can enjoy your sandwich and a cheap beer while listening to an impromptu jam session by local musicians.

Open daily 11 am to 9 pm.

Compared to sister restaurant the Pearl, the Boarding House is more traditional in both decor and cuisine and has a more casual tone (encouraged by the lively bar). Unfortunately, the wait for a table is only slightly shorter. There's outdoor seating, but given the line of hungry diners wrapping awkwardly around it, request a table inside. The kitchen turns out simple, organic, largely local ingredients (principally fish and shellfish) prepared with Asian and Mediterranean influences, such as grilled swordfish with creamy eggplant; walnut-crusted salmon in a roasted tahini sauce; and seared sea scallops with asparagus, sunchoke, and jasmine rice cakes. For dessert, do as the locals do and order the cinnamon-sugar doughnuts with melted chocolate. The night doesn't end after the kitchen closes—this is where the staff members of other restaurants congregate after work.

Open May through September.

This is the best spot to watch the sunset, making it well worth a jaunt over the bay to the Isle of Palms. The cozy Boathouse feels like a comfortably sprawling beach house, with views of lush marshland, the intercoastal waterway to the west, and the Atlantic to the east. Request a table on the enormous screened-in back porch to enjoy the warm salty breezes off the water, then go upstairs to grab a pre-dinner cocktail at the roof bar. When the sun goes down, if you're still waiting for your table (and you might be even if you have a reservation), head down to the friendly dockside bar to spy boats heading back to their piers in the twilight. The mostly seafood menu is full of local favorites, simply prepared: Get the catch of the day grilled, with collards and a creamy blue cheese slaw; or the can't-miss crab cakes with grits. The same owners also serve up local seafood at the Boathouse on East Bay Street in Charleston, but the relaxed vibe of the waterfront location is a better way to wind down after a day of exploring the dunes.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays, 5 to 11 pm, Sundays 11 am to 2 pm.

Regardless of what time of day you sit down at this Financial District tapas bar, Gerald Hirigoyen's menu provides just the right treat: baked eggs with chorizo and Manchego at 7 am, grilled ham and cheese bocadillos (small sandwiches) at noon, and sautéed pimientos de pardon (green peppers popular in Spain) at 10 pm. There's a solid Cal-Med wine list and fun sodas like sugarcane cola, blackberry, and the retro favorite, Fresca. The brick walls, wood floors, intimate lighting, and jovial young crowd generate a warm vibe. But if you want to avoid the dining masses, go at off-hours, between regular mealtimes.

Open Mondays through Fridays 7 am to 10 pm, Saturdays 5 to 10:30 pm

One meaning of the French word bouchon is wine cork, so it's no surprise that you can sample 40 Central Coast varietals by the glass at this cozy downtown restaurant. Chef/owner Mitchell Sjerven pairs wines with dishes using produce from the local farmers' market, meat and poultry purchased from neighboring micro-ranches, and lots of freshly caught fish. Offering a French-inspired take on California cuisine, Bouchon turns out starters such as pumpkin soup with chanterelle mushrooms and hearty entrées like venison loin with wild-chestnut puree and local organic arugula, or a bourbon- and maple-glazed duck served with a succotash of fava beans, apple-smoked bacon, and butternut squash, a menu favorite for nine years. Ask for a table on the patio or by the glassed-in kitchen, where you can see everything.

Open nightly at 5:30 pm.

An offshoot of the celebrated French Laundry, Bouchon is a classic French brasserie, right down to the mosaic tile floor, zinc bar imported from France, and red velvet banquettes. Likewise the cooking, from giant plateaux de fruits de mer (seafood platters) to succulent roast chicken to a perfect steak-frites. But more than anything, it's great fun to dine here—the room buzzes with activity, and you never know who might walk through the door, from famous vintners to Hollywood celebrities. Bouchon serves continuously all day, making it ideal for a late lunch. Though there's patio seating, the real excitement is in the dining room. If you're only in the mood for a snack, pop into the neighboring Bouchon Bakery for goodies or to gather picnic supplies, including sandwiches, pain au chocolat, and of course, crusty loaves of bread.

Open daily 11:30 am to 12:30 am.

This order-at-the-counter rustic trattoria on the Healdsburg town plaza is the perfect wine country lunch spot. Big antipasti platters of earthy salumi come served with sides such as a tangy beet salad, fresh figs, roasted garlic, pungent cheeses, and crusty bread—just right for the medium-bodied zinfandel you bought just up the road at Dry Creek Valley. Thin-crusted pizzas with toppings like you'd find in Italy (think prosciutto, arugula, and fontina), hearty sandwiches (the pork cheeks with roasted peppers and salsa verde is a standout), and salads (go for the tuna conserva) round out the menu. There are a handful of tables inside, but for maximum romance, sit outside in the sun-dappled shade of olive trees. Save room for the richly flavorful house-churned gelato. Bovolo is more of a lunch than dinner spot, due to its conservative closing hours, even on weekends.

Open Mondays and Tuesdays 9 am to 9 pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9 am to 6 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays 9 am to 9 pm.

The menu at Bowens—a local institution near Folly Beach—couldn't be simpler: fried seafood year-round and fire-roasted oysters when the chill hits the Lowcountry salt marshes. The local favorite had the ultimate roller-coaster year in 2006, when owner Robert Barber accepted a James Beard award as an American culinary classic, and the old cinder-block structure that housed the restaurant caught fire and burned to the ground. The temporary digs—essentially a huge screened-in boathouse—make for magical evenings in warmer weather. (A full-scale renovation of the main building is expected to be completed in the spring of 2009.) Get a beer and hang out on the docks anytime around sunset and watch water-skiers skim by as shrimp boats chug along the dockside canal. Until they rebuild the old dining space, the waterfront work-around will do just fine.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 5 to 10 pm.

Ogden built a mini-empire in California (One Market in San Francisco, Lark Creek Inn in Marin County) by searching out the best small farms and using their high-quality produce to update classic American comfort food. In 2003, he brought the farm-fresh concept to Caesars Palace, flying ingredients in daily so foodies could get a taste of Northern California steps from the casino floor. The menu offers everything from fish to grilled redeye steak in red-wine butter sauce. There are surprises, too, such as an airy foam of lavender that serves as a cloudlike bed for sea bass. The menu changes almost daily at the hands of Ogden's son, who runs the kitchen while Dad jets around to the other restaurants. Located near the box office for the Colosseum theater, it's also convenient for a pre- or post-show dinner.

Open daily from 5 pm.

The Bramble Inn offers traditional Cape Cod dining at its best: fresh, local ingredients prepared and served in a 19th-century farmhouse. The four-course prix-fixe menu (around $60, depending on what's being served) changes every three weeks and is influenced mainly by the chef-owners' off-season travels. (The unusual specialty of boneless roasted chicken and shelled lobster drizzled with Champagne sauce is, however, consistently available.) Seafood comes from neighboring Chatham, and many of the vegetables and herbs are plucked from the owners' daughter's garden. There are four dining rooms, but ask for a table overlooking the Inn's backyard garden in the equestrian-themed Hunt Room (landing a table facing the constant whir of traffic on Route 6A will sap the romance from your meal). If you're not up for four courses, you can order from the (still pricey) à la carte bistro menu or the bar menu in the courtyard garden or Bay Side bar. If you like your meal so much that you don't want to leave, the inn also has five guest rooms furnished with canopy beds and antiques, with Wi-Fi and smallish bathrooms; breakfast for overnight guests is surprisingly plain. Reservations are encouraged; call several days in advance for dinner on summer weekends.

Open daily from 5 pm, mid-June through October; Wednesdays through Sundays, mid-April through mid-June; and open overnight and for dinner, Thanksgiving weekend and New Year's Eve.

Though Tabla's fine-dining flagship does brisk expense account business combining Indian flavors with haute French technique, it's the more casual ground floor Bread Bar that's the real sleeper hit. This restaurant-within-a-restaurant features traditional Indian street food, updated—and elevated—by Bombay-born chef Floyd Cardoz. Join the after-work crowds at the warmly lit earth-toned bar or, in warm weather, at the sidewalk tables overlooking Madison Square Park for innovative cocktails (the Kachumber Kooler features green chiles, cilantro, and cucumber) paired with delicious snacks like cumin-scented Goan guacamole, green-mango-studded Bombay bhel puri, and flaky tandoor-baked breads filled with bacon and Cheddar. The combo platter that is available only at lunch—with vegetables, rice, bread, and proteins like banana-leaf-roasted fish—offers a bargain intro to Cardoz's refined modern take on Indian cooking. The Wazwan tasting menu, a $49 family-style feast featuring a huge selection of shareable dishes, is the best deal at dinner.

Open Mondays through Thursdays noon to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays noon to 11:30 pm, and Sundays 5 to 10 pm.

Breakfast all day—that was the idea of owner Kyle Shivers when he opened up this airy, pleasant eatery. Here, you choose between chocolate-chip pancakes served with whipped cream, or cinnamon French toast made with challah, dusted with powdered sugar, and strewn with sweetened walnuts, almonds, and fresh berries. Pancakes and Belgian waffles arrive gussied up with candied nuts, blueberry preserves, or strawberries with whipped cream. And if you want something a little more south-of-the-border, they serve huevos con masa and breakfast burritos.

Open every day until 3 pm.

It's hard to avoid being swept up in the convivial vibe while dining at this Uptown "house bistro." The tablecloths are white, but waitresses bring a diner-friendly warmth to the three dining rooms, while James Beard Award–winning chef Frank Brigtsen clanks away in the rear kitchen, plating up some of the city's best seafood dishes. A New Orleans native and avid sportsman, Brigtsen artfully blends Louisiana's two indigenous cuisines—sophisticated Creole and rustic Cajun—with an eye toward lesser-known fish. Black drum and red snapper are staples, but Brigtsen works magic with rarities like tripletail or triggerfish, grilling them to tender perfection and topping them with summer shrimp and sweet corn. Duck fans should try the roasted duck, deboned and served with savory corn-bread dressing.

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Action central on the harbor, this long-established seafood spot jumps all year, especially on weekends, when the wait for a table can be an hour or more (they'll give you a pager so you can wander around the marina; no reservations are taken). The biggest complaint here is the noise level, but no one gripes about the legendary Bloody Marys, clam chowder, or West Coast cioppino—California's interpretation of the Italian tomato-based stew filled with mussels, red snapper, and clams, topped with Parmesan cheese. In addition to a regular menu, there's a daily fresh-fish selection. For kicks, try an oyster shooter: a fresh bivalve served in a shot glass with cocktail sauce, Tabasco, and Parmesan cheese. The best seats are on the balcony overlooking the wharf.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 11 am to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11 am to 11 pm.

Reopened in 2001 after a fire, this friendly 1840s whaling bar in the basement of a Federal-style house is great for lunch and notable for its native quahog clam chowder, charbroiled burgers, and famous curly fries, which are thin, not too greasy, and perfectly salted. Lubricated by pints of local Whale's Tale Pale Ale and Dark and Stormy cocktails, residents and visitors mix easily here (a rarity in Nantucket town during the summer). Waits for a table are long at lunchtime, but a seat at the bar is more fun, anyway.

Ranchers, families, and aromatic ski bums jam into Bubba's for the amazing barbecue. No cowboy shtick here: just succulent chicken, pork, and beef. You'll wait. It's worth it. Open for breakfast, too.

A swap meet's worth of Americana on the walls, overstuffed food portions, and affable, khaki-clad staff make the Bubble Room one of Captiva's longest-running hits. It's especially popular with multigenerational families: After ordering "Tarzan"-size prime rib or Guava Gabor (sautéed scallops, green peppers, and mushrooms with a guava barbecue dipping sauce), grandparents can explain wind-up toys and black-and-white movies—as well as the Gabor Sisters—to a generation raised on Wii, HDTV, and the Jonas Brothers. Even with 150 seats, there's usually a wait during the dinner hour: Folks who take in sunset at Turner Beach often drive a further three miles to the restaurant. At lunchtime, however, there's seating available and lighter fare, like pineapple-and-ginger-marinated tilapia, that leaves room for a ginormous slice of homemade red-velvet cake.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 3 pm and 4:30 to 9 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to 3 pm and 4:30 to 9:30 pm.

New York's Buddakan outpost—offshoot of the Philadelphia original—is the biggest, splashiest, most visually stunning of the big-box restaurants that have invaded the theme park–ish Meatpacking District. It is also among the most accessible with its intended-for-sharing pan-Asian fare and inviting lounge with less pricey bar menu. This gorgeous $13 million maze of a restaurant—the work of French design star Christian Liaigre—features an enclosed soaring centerpiece courtyard with baroque chandeliers and a communal table fit for Louis XIV. Request a seat downstairs in the library, lined in faux-golden books like Goldfinger's lair, then order up a feast of delicious lobster-stuffed egg roll cigars, chicken-filled General Tso's soup dumplings, and chile-glazed tempura rock shrimp.—Jay Cheshes

Open Sundays and Mondays 5:30 to 11 pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 5:30 pm to midnight, and Thursdays through Saturdays 5:30 pm to 1 am. Bar and lounge open Sundays through Tuesdays until 2 am, Wednesdays through Saturdays until 3 am.

Claude Postel, a seventh-generation chef originally from Paris, ran restaurants in Montreal and South Beach before opening this stamp-size foodie haven in May 2008. Located in Buena Vista East, an artsy enclave fringing downtown's Design District, this casual European-style bistro is the kind of place where locals sit at outdoor tables with dogs leashed at their sides and the owner's wife scoots up on her skateboard.

Postel's concept is simple—fresh, market-sourced food at pleasing prices. The menu changes daily and is scrawled on chalkboards and mirrors in the narrow restaurant, an effect that adds to the ambience along with black-and-white photos of the neighborhood hanging on the walls and low crooning tunes from Edith Piaf and Amy Winehouse. Starters might include a carpaccio of scallops sliced razor thin and marinated in lime; main courses are of the French comfort food variety like salmon with ratatouille and steak frites. The wine selection is creative and vast for such a small place, with old- and New World wines priced from $8 per glass.

Open Tuesdays through Sundays 11 am to 12 am and Mondays 1 pm to 12 am.

Mandalay Bay's house-of-all-things-burger is a build-your-own enterprise by chef Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys. Pick a patty (lamb, turkey, veggie, or three breeds of beef), a bun (sesame, onion, whole wheat, ciabatta, or plain old white), any of eight cheeses and four bacons, and toppings that range from fried egg to foie gras to salmon to pesto. One of the meatless options is the Vegas Vegan, with slow-roasted eggplant, sautéed peppers, grilled tomatoes, and zucchini between two portobello mushroom caps (it's soaked in olive oil, though). The gorging doesn't end there: The dessert burger includes a quarter-inch patty of chocolate ganache and sweet toppings layered between hole-less glazed doughnuts. Oy.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 10:30 am to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10 am to 1 am.

While Asian fusion is starting to feel old-fashioned, the innovative Cal-French cuisine with a Japanese accent at Bushi-Tei seems decidedly nouveau. The Japantown restaurant serves intriguing creations that don't feel forced. To start, try ahi tuna tartare with tobiko and wasabi crème fraîche, or seared foie gras atop pumpkin pot de crème. Plates include Washugyu beef tenderloin with matsutake mushrooms and périgueux sauce, and pan-seared scallops with black rice tabouleh. The cool interior matches the style of the food: Candlelight and paneled walls, made from 150-year-old wood sourced from Nagano, add warmth to the narrow space, which is dominated by an 18-foot glass communal table and floor-to-ceiling storefront windows.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 12 pm, and Sundays 11 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm.

Old World ambience plus a chef from Lake Como add up to a perfect pasta experience. Dario Furlati has been rolling out gnocchi dough since he was a small boy in Italy, where he learned to cook from his two grandmothers. One taught him fish dishes and risotto, and the other shared her secrets for preparing poultry, biscuits, and gnocchi. Naturally, Grandma Ida's gnocchi is a signature dish, though it's served only on Thursday nights. Other favorites include the house ravioli with browned-butter sage sauce, and osso buco (braised veal shanks, paired with saffron risotto). Furlati goes over the top when it comes to specials, offering 12 each night.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 11:30 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Sundays 5 to 10 pm.

Rumor has it that the inn's big, fat, juicy cheeseburger inspired Jimmy Buffett to write his hit "Cheeseburger in Paradise," but make up your own mind. Either way, you won't forget your visit to this quirky 100-acre Pine Island home built in 1938, as the walls and ceiling of the dining room and bar are covered with more than 65,000 signed dollar bills. (Buffett himself signed a bill back when he was an unknown piano player). Order the cheeseburger, grouper, or stone crab (when it's in season). The affordable prices here should leave you a spare dollar to sign and tape to the money wall, and when it falls, know that it will be donated to a worthy charity. Cabbage Key is only accessible by boat (call for details about water taxi service). Come early for supper because the kitchen closes at 8:30 p.m.

Among Park City's ski resorts, Deer Valley is known to have the best dining, but chef Joe Trevino of the Canyons' restaurant is attempting to shift the balance. The contemporary, log-cabin-styled room is punctuated with mountain scenes hewn from wrought iron—a great backdrop for innovative, Western-influenced comfort food. Trevino melds Israeli couscous with pecorino romano, lobster, and truffles for a spin on mac and cheese; tops a mixture of mâche and endive greens with Point Reyes blue cheese and Chambord dressing; pairs buffalo tenderloin with a side of cheddar and leek gratin; and stuffs local trout with leeks and mushrooms, fries it tempura-style, and tops it with a dollop of caviar rémoulade. The result is as sinful as anything you're likely to find in Utah.

Open daily 7 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 9 pm.

Sitting down at one of Cache Cache's white-clothed tables is one of the more relaxing dining experiences in Aspen. But it's not the warm mustard-yellow walls or the genuine service that eases you into your chair—it's opening a menu without “fusion” elements. Pork tenderloin with an apple reduction over mashed potatoes, roast chicken with French fries, or an osso bucco so tried and true it's been on the menu for 20 years. Cache Cache is one of Aspen's longest-running dining establishments, with food and wine designed to be sophisticated and classic, but not fussy. Chef Christopher Lantern brings his years of experience working in France, and sommelier Alex Harvier crafts wine lists that offer a wide range of options in every category—with bottles from $18 to $1,800. The diverse clientele, from ski bums to celebrities, is testament to Cache Cache's approachable atmosphere.

Opens nightly at 5:30 pm.

It's Sunday night. You want to go out, you want to be fed well and treated nicely, you may even want a fancy cocktail to prolong the festive weekend. But you're not in the mood for a scene or attitude or overly pedigreed dishes, and you want something more civilized than a burrito down the street. Try Café Castagna, the more casual sibling of the venerable Castagna next door. This friendly neighborhood spot delivers upscale Mediterranean comfort dishes at lean prices—thin-crust pizzas with arugula and prosciutto, a zingy Caesar salad, flatiron steak with fries, and house-made seasonal sorbets—in a spare triangular room (and garden patio) that manages to be both chic and casual. Simple, unpretentious, and always spot-on, it's the sort of place you'll find yourself returning to again and again.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 11:30 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to close, Sundays and Mondays 5 pm to close.

Sitting proudly on a corner just down the street from the new PETCO ballpark, this tiny French spot, opened in December 2004, is the realization of the owners' dreams to create a neighborhood bistro that locals could call their own. Café Chloe serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. The menu is a cross between dainty cuisine and comfort food in modest, European-sized portions: an ahi niçoise plate, steak frites, smoked trout cakes, and a macaroni, pancetta, and Gorgonzola gratin (three-cheese macaroni). With a sea of bistro-style chairs and small round tables packed inside the dining room and spilling out onto the sidewalk, it can feel a bit cramped at dinnertime.

Although located in a city suburb called Kirkland, Cafe Juanita has received too much press for its northern Italian food to be considered a hidden gem. From outside it could be a library branch, but inside it's one of the city's loveliest eateries. Most of the tables are edged up against comfortable banquettes, walls are dotted with small framed photographs, and there's a cute brick fireplace. Seafood appetizers are excellent—tender red prawns come lightly sautéed and accompanied by chunks of avocado. For mains, try the tender saddle of Oregon lamb. Desserts usually involve scoops of homemade gelato in inventive flavors, such as artichoke, and the wine list has earned a reputation for its impeccable selection of reds. If you're dining during the week, make your reservation for 7 p.m. or later to avoid driving in the hellish rush-hour traffic on the 520 bridge.

Closed Mondays.

With its white tablecloths and hushed ambience, this is one of the poshest places on the island. The intimate, 50-seat restaurant adjoins the Marquesa Hotel, and the food is vaguely Floribbean or fusion. Dishes include a macadamia-crusted yellowtail snapper or conch and blue crab cakes. In addition to the extensive wine list, there's a fun, full martini menu, from Gibsons to dirty to blue cheese–olive versions. Come here if you're craving something a bit more serious than the anything-goes, no-worries-man vibe of most down-home joints nearby.

Open daily 6 to 9:30 pm.

Don't stop by for a romantic date here. Chef and owner Steve Martorano is a former DJ from Philly, and he fills his restaurant with loud music and strobe lights every night, not to mention a celebrity-heavy, Sopranos-style crowd of snappily dressed gents like James Caan and Danny DeVito. But as long as you can handle the restrictions (curt staff, no reservations for anyone), it's one of the city's best spots to eat. The South Philly Italian food is served family-style; try the lobster francese, fettucine Alfredo, and Martorano's unmissable meatballs (tennis-ball-sized and drenched in marinara sauce). If you're not a celebrity, expect to wait up to three hours for a table on the weekends. Go on a Tuesday if you want to miss the scene and just sample the food.

Open daily from 5 pm.

This casual one-room restaurant has long been a local Santa Fe icon. Opened in 1979, it was working the organic-fresh angle long before the rest of the world caught on, and it continues to be busy from 7 a.m. till closing. At the center communal table, you'll find local hippies having a late-afternoon breakfast of red-chile huevos rancheros, as well as tourists trying the iconic salmon burrito with goat cheese and cucumber salsa. Chef Katharine Kagel, who calls herself the Luddite Chef, keeps the fusion factor low. But the casual vibe also makes it a hurry-up-and-eat kind of place: Tables are few, and the staff keeps them turning.

Open May to November, Sundays 8 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Mondays through Thursday 7 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 7 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 10:30 pm; December to April, Sundays 8 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 9:30 pm, Mondays through Thursday 7 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 9:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 7 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm.

While the more formal Spiaggia is one of the restaurants that helped turn the Gold Coast into an haute buffet line, its Trumpified dining room (all soaring marble columns and tipsy, tilting topiary sculptures) and stratospheric prices (more than $20 for one wood-roasted sea scallop) mean you have to be in a dressy mood. If you're not, the better option is just across the hall at Café Spiaggia, where the pizzas and pastas come relatively bargain-priced and the walls are painted with frescoes of Renaissance noblemen decked out in pageboys and pillbox hats. If they all seem to be eyeing your dinner, that's no surprise: The prosciutto and arugula pizza flaunts a cracker-thin crust, and a clean toss of pasta, olive oil, poached tuna, and capers makes for one of the best lunches in town.

Open Sundays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 9 pm; Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 9:30 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

Disney's modern-cuisine showpiece, located on the 15th floor of the Contemporary, overlooks the Magic Kingdom and its Castle and serves elegant fare from an open kitchen. An ample selection of California wines overseen by multiple certified sommeliers, a slate of sushi and sashimi, and season-specific, produce-focused dishes (like warm Delta asparagus with hazelnut vinaigrette, golden raisins, and St. George cheese) make it a splurgy night out. The only downer is the decor, which has the geometric, primary-colors mentality of an early 1990s music video. Reserve three months ahead for the dinner seating that coincides with the nightly fireworks display—the kitchen temporarily halts service so diners can enjoy the show without interruption from outdoor observation decks.

In this monastery-like building that was once owned by Charlie Chaplin, chef-owner Mark Peel serves up top-notch rustic Mediterranean cooking. A perennial lunch favorite is the crisp baked chicken paillard flavored with lemon and garlic and served with mashed potatoes; a dinner standout is the prime rib, which comes with an olive tapenade, bitter greens, and flageolet beans. Peel keeps himself amused and challenged with nightly specials: on Wednesdays he offers special tasting menus based on that morning's finds at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market; Thursdays are grilled-cheese sandwich night, and Fridays feature wine and small-plate pairings. The adjacent La Brea Bakery (Peel and his ex-wife Nancy Silverton started the hugely successful bread company, now used by many L.A. restaurants) sells baked goods, cheeses, olives, and cured meats.

Closed for dinner on Sundays.

It is a good sign that both the owner and head chef of this Northern Italian restaurant, which has sister establishments in Aspen and Denver, are Italian. Their food is as authentic as they are. Try the Ravioli all' Odore di Funghi—homemade ricotta ravioli in a Champagne mushroom cream sauce and finished with white truffle oil—and the worth-every-calorie tiramisu.

Dinner only.

This elegant restaurant, just north of the Downtown core, has been serving Pacific Northwest cuisine for over five decades. It seems to have undergone a subtle transformation lately, reminding residents that it is still a contender for the city's premier dining experience. The service is flawless, the view over Lake Union is impossible to top, and live piano music tinkles through the hushed, Asian-accented dining room. Try the famous copper-grilled steaks or the spicy Peter Canlis prawns, and save room for the Grand Marnier soufflé. The restaurant has a 15,000-bottle wine cellar and three full-time sommeliers. Despite the place's formal reputation—it's the only restaurant in town with an enforced dress code—and a few pricey entrées (a $70 Wagyu steak), Canlis is not as prohibitively expensive as it seems. Reservations are essential; if you can't secure one, drop by and try dining at the bar, which is first-come, first-served.

Closed Sundays.

Breaking ranks with the intimate French restaurants that for decades have defined the Carmel dining scene, Luca serves stellar trattoria-style Italian cooking in a big, buzzing dining room. The salumi and pastas are made in-house (try the Bolognese) and make an ideal lunch while shopping downtown. But the best dishes come from the wood-fired oven: Try any of the crispy-thin pizzas or family-style meat and fish dishes, particularly the pan-roasted lemon-garlic chicken. Because the menu is so big and many of the dishes so appealing, it's easy to over-order. Take it easy: Portions are huge. The bar scene hops at sunset, when local luminaries show up to swill wine. If you're looking for a quiet dinner, Luca may not be a good fit, but the food is some of the best in town.

Open daily noon to 2:30 pm and 5 to 10 pm.

This unusual Southwestern spot in gentrifying Victoria Park is located at a confusing intersection with the Federal Highway—make sure to follow along Sunrise and park at the rear. The restaurant is done up in tones of mustard and burnished bronze, and the booths are made even more private thanks to the gauzy curtains drawn around them. As for the food, entrée standouts include a shrimp-and-scallop burrito and a marinated Chilean seabass with tomatoes, crab meat and mussels; the white-chocolate-and-berry bread pudding is worth breaking any diet for. Whatever you do, order a signature prickly pear margarita: The Day-Glo pink drinks are made from fresh cactus fruit that's steeped in top-grade tequila for three days.

Open daily 5:30 to 10 pm.

Following yet another trip to Italy, Stephanie and John Reitano decided to remedy the lack of gelato in their lives by producing small batches of their own, using Pennsylvania produce and milk from grass-fed, hormone-free cows. The results have garnered national raves. Flavors rotate but pineapple mint, Turkish coffee, pistachio siciliano, and ginger sesame are always available. The cafés—one in the up-and-coming area east of Broad Street, and the other off Rittenhouse Square (117 S. 20th St.; 215-636-9250)—also stock an array of artisanal confections such as taffy-like caramels, vanilla and cinnamon marshmallows, and sugar-dusted Italian gelatine.

It tries to have a scene (there could be a Saudi princess and her boy toy weekending at the table next to you), but deep down we know why everyone's at Carnevino—delicious, Mario Batali–style comfort food. The aim-to-please menu reads like a greatest hits of both traditional Italian and classic steak house fare, but with a Mario twist: soft, warm lardo drizzled over beef carpaccio; mouthwatering cannelloni filled with braised duck smothered in amarone cheese; and slightly charred dry-aged rib eye for two. If the restaurant's packed, ask to sit in the wine room, a seven-table space just beyond the main dining area with noticeably lowered ceilings. The intimate corner feels less like Vegas and more like a true New York Batali spot like Babbo—fun and personal. Something we also appreciated: printing the 300-plus bottle wine list on the menu so everyone could chime in.

Open for lunch daily 3 to 5 pm; open for dinner Mondays through Wednesdays 5 to 11 pm, Thursdays through Sundays 5 pm to 1 am.

"A couple of dozen raw and a couple of beers to wash 'em down" used to be standard after-work fare in New Orleans's working-class neighborhoods, where shuckers popped open the plentiful oysters for hungry stevedores and doctors alike. On the Uptown stretch of Magazine Street, Casamento's still does things the old way, from frying the seafood in unadulterated lard (the chef's choice for flavor and crunch) to closing during the summer months. Nothing fancy here, but everything's fresh and cool, especially during the winter months, when fat, meaty bivalves slide across the bar, chased by cold Abita beer in a dainty pony glass. Slurp 'em back, and don't forget to tip your shucker.

Open for lunch Wednesdays through Sundays; dinner, Thursdays through Saturdays.
Closed June and July.

Any chef can appear to be having a good time by putting "Pigs in a Duvet" and steak tartare on the same menu, but Kerry Simon (late of Iron Chef) is one of the few who can actually pull the gimmick off. Since closing his Simon Bar & Kitchen at the Hard Rock, Simon has lured many loyal fans here for his fanciful twists on classic dishes: Asian-inspired chicken wings freshened up with watermelon and cucumber salad, tuna tartare with tequila-and-lime-soaked caviar, smoked-salmon sliders that look like minibagels and lox. Part of the Luxor's transformation into a party-centric hotel—the rebirth includes Lax Nightclub and Noir Bar—the sexy, bordello-inspired Cathouse is one part restaurant and one part nightclub (albeit a small, loungy nightclub). Cozy up to the small bar and watch the action buzz around you, or request a semi-circular booth separated by gray sheer curtains. In the lounge, "coquettes" perform burlesque-like shows, which captivate revelers every time they take to the raised platforms.

Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10:30 pm to 4 am.

Cozy banquettes, sunflower-yellow walls, a brick fireplace, and live Spanish guitar music set the mood for tapas at this lively, family-friendly restaurant. Chef Onofre Zuniga serves Nuevo Latino cuisine (a blend of Mexican, Spanish, and South American flavors), and entrée favorites include paella valenciana (saffron rice mixed with chicken, clams, mussels, shrimp, and chorizo) and rock-shrimp soft tacos with papaya salsa and homemade tortillas. There's outside dining, and La Cavita, a private dining cottage and terrace, can be reserved for groups of up to 40 people. Bar specialties include mojitos, sangria, and hand-shaken margaritas made from blue-agave tequila.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11 am to 11 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8 am to 11 pm.

Opened in 2001, Central is just a baby in the barbecue universe, but it's a legend in the making. Quality and variety are the order of the day here: There's sweet, slow-smoked pulled pork, succulent dry-rubbed pork ribs that 'cue aficionados can slather with four tangy sauces (locals pick a tomato-based sauce every time), and, unusual for swine-centric Memphis, pulled chicken. As for fixin's, you'll find better fries at Young Avenue Deli and better beans at the Bar-B-Q Shop. But Central doesn't disappoint with its homemade potato chips, turnip greens, buttery mac and cheese, and creamy slaw flecked with chunks of peppers. Order your food at the counter and carry it to the wooden-beamed, white-tablecloth dining room or—when it's not sweltering—the patio. In November 2006, a 225-seat sister location opened at 4375 Summer Avenue.

Hunkering under the towering Bavarian architecture of the Arrabelle in Lionshead, this French bistro evokes the Old World romance of a Parisian brasserie. The handcrafted mosaic tile floor glitters; wineglasses stand at the ready on top of antique cabinets; heavy red drapes dress the arched windows and doorways; and the soft leather chairs invite you to settle in for a pleasant evening. Centre V synthesizes sophistication with comfort by serving unfussy, hearty fare. Mull over the menu with a signature hot apple-cinnamon martini and a sizzling cast-iron skillet of Râclette with fingerling potatoes and garlic toast points, or succulent fruits de mer. Can't decide between the steak-frites with Roquefort crust or the gnocchi à la Parisienne? You can't go wrong with the traditional plat du jour, such as sole à la meunière, boeuf bourguignon, or coq au vin. Follow up with a coffee (served in a French press, of course) and warm chocolate soufflé laced with vanilla-bean custard sauce. Centre V is also heating up Lionhead's once-sleepy après-ski scene; ask for a table on the Great Room terrace.

Open daily 7 am to 10 pm, November through March; Tuesdays through Sundays 3 to 10 pm, April through October.

Marrakesh meets MOCA at this sleek French-Moroccan treasure. The design of the place is a breath of fresh harissa in a neighborhood not exactly known for novelty; the entryway is blue-lit and the small dining room's walls are decorated with colorful, futuristic-mod patterns. The crowd is refreshingly diverse (young, old, hip, not), and the room pulses with the hum of happy feasters. Many start their meals with tangy preserved-lemon dip, olives, and bread, before moving on to tagines, grilled merguez sausages with grilled onions and caperberries, and dorado stuffed with peppers and leeks. You know you're in for a serious treat when the chef makes couscous from scratch.

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

When the Chanticleer closed its doors in 2004 after three decades of serving the hautest French cuisine on the island, old-guard Nantucketers wrung their hands in despair. How could any restaurant ever replace the Chanti, an ivy-covered Sconset landmark that turned out perfect poisson grille and canard rôti? Luckily for them—and everyone else—Susan Handy and Jeff Worster, who reopened the Chanticleer in 2006, know exactly what they're doing. Worster and Handy (of Black Eyed Susan's, one of the hottest tables downtown) have preserved the classic French bent of the menu, but given it a less fussy, more modern spin. Alongside moules frites and steak au poivre are more adventurous dishes such as wild king salmon with coq au vin ravioli, and light-as-air cod beignets made with beer batter and served with red pepper aioli. The vibe has mellowed, too; while old-schoolers will still feel comfortable in their seersucker suits, jackets (and snooty attitudes) are no longer required.

Open June through October, closed Mondays in spring and fall; call ahead.

Located in the entertainment factory that is the Vail Cascade Lodge, Chap's is devoted to carnivores, offering diverse cuts of beef and various game meats such as elk and buffalo. The steakhouse ambience is amped up by the dark-wood-paneled walls and touches of leather.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

Bob Waggoner's inventive New South cuisine, consistently a favorite among critics, is showcased in this plush dining. Tucked into Charleston Place hotel, the grill is a magnet for executives and celebs who flock here for the cushy atmosphere (club chairs, dark wood paneling, and nightly jazz), hearty food, and impeccable service. Wagonner, a culinary rock star, has been lauded for bold takes on old favorites: collards cooked with pigs' feet in amber beer; a version of Frogmore Stew that uses homemade sausage and lobster tempura on lemon grits. The wine list features 950 selections, and is among the state's most extensive; two sommeliers assist with pairings. For a quieter meal, choose the more secluded bar area over the bustling main room.

Celebrity chef and local hero Charlie Trotter's shrine to "New American" cooking is still the hottest dining ticket in Chicago. Foodies from all over gladly shell out $145 per person to sample his seven-course tasting menus made with globally available organic ingredients. Plan way ahead for a table at this Lincoln Park town house (three months for weekends). Sample dishes include poached skate wing with red curry, 20-hour braised fennel, razor clams and herb oil, lamb loin with quinoa and black cardamom mole, and organic pears with caramelized endive and burnt-hickory-syrup ice cream. Trotter still tends the stoves, despite his culinary fame (including seven awards from the James Beard Foundation); watch him in action from the Kitchen Table (one of the most coveted spots in the house—it's set right inside the kitchen). And be prepared to linger; dinner here can take up to three hours. Sample the cuisine without the cost at Trotter's to Go.

Seatings Tuesdays through Thursdays from 6 to 6:30 pm and 9 to 9:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm and 8:30 to 9:30 pm.

One of Oahu's top restaurants is the domain of chef George Mavrothalassitis (who thankfully used his nickname). Set in a residential neighborhood of Honolulu, it attracts a nice mix of local couples, dedicated foodies, and in-the-know tourists ready to have the best meal of their trip. Set menus of three and four courses and an 11-course tasting menu are offered with optional wine pairings. The marbled tako, for example—finely sliced octopus with ponzu sauce, salmon roe, and green-papaya salad—finds its perfect foil in a glass of 2004 Leasingham Riesling. Specialties such as cursinade (sea urchin bouillabaisse) reflect Mavro's roots in Marseille, as well as his love for his adopted home, where he moved in 1988.

Dinner only. Closed Mondays.

Located between Harvard Square and Porter Square, this French restaurant looked to Cuba to spice up its traditional bistro fare. (Think: a mojito paired with steak frites.) Skip the formal dining room, which can feel like an extension to the Harvard faculty-dining hall—stuffed with tweed jackets, outdated sweater sets, and theoretical conversation. Instead, settle in at one of the few tables in the more relaxed, sometimes boisterous bar area, where the wallet-friendly menu includes a perfectly pressed Cubano and warm spinach salad with duck tamale.

Open daily 6 pm to 10 pm

When Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in 1971, she sparked a "green" revolution that spread around the world. And though focusing on local, artisanal ingredients is now de rigueur in California and elsewhere, Waters is still the master. Her strictly limited (only one option per course) seasonal menu changes daily, so each visit is like dining at the home of a friend who happens to be an incredibly talented chef. One night, the entrée might be an oven-roasted veal chop with fresh herbs and spring vegetables; another, a dish of unadorned, pristine black figs might serve as petits fours. Warm, earth-toned decor adds to the sophisticated-homey feel, and a more casual upstairs café with an à la carte menu catches the overflow.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 6 to 10 pm.

Unlike at many eateries in laid-back Memphis, jackets are suggested at Chez Philippe, the self-consciously refined restaurant of the Peabody Hotel. Although the restaurant lost its longtime chef-celeb, José Gutierrez in 2005, the establishment still turns out fine French fare, but now with subtle Asian variations. Chef Reinaldo Alfonso combines Harris Ranch short ribs and strip steak on one plate with sweetened carrot purée and Thai basil coulis, for example. The gold tablecloths and borderline-obsequious service is a nice change of pace, but we bet you'll head back to the barbecue shacks before long.

Dinner only. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Julia Child celebrated several of her birthdays at this antique-filled, 17th-century home, and it gets our vote for the best restaurant on Cape Cod. Service is flawless throughout the seven-course dinner of impeccably prepared French and American cuisine. Your meal might include escargots on grilled brioche, foie gras salad drizzled with truffle vinaigrette, lamb dressed in a tomato-olive-caper relish, or basil-crusted slow-baked salmon. Depending on the weather, predinner cocktails are served in the garden or around a cracking fireplace. Both the mood and the menu are less formal in the Bistro (where lunch and Sunday brunch are also served). Reservations are essential for dinner and brunch; call at least a week ahead of time in summer.

Open Mondays and Tuesdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Wednesdays through Sundays 11 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, mid-May through November.

This relatively new spot is a South Florida replica of a buzzy São Paulo steakhouse. The idea is simple—a $44 all-you-can-eat upscale buffet ($25 for lunch). Don't load up too much on the lavish salad bar, though—cheese, prosciutto, and smoked salmon are staples—as the main course is the real draw. Follow your nose as waiters wander through the dining room brandishing massive skewers of more than a dozen different meats, from which they'll carve chunks for any diner. The skewers are all cooked churrascaria-style, over flaming pits; make sure to try unfamiliar offerings like picanha (that's a Brazilian cut of sirloin) or linguica (a sort of chorizo). Use the casino-chip-like baton to indicate whether you're still working on appetizers (leave it red-side up) or if you want the wait staff to serve up the meats (turn it to green).

Open daily 5:30 to 10 pm.

A longtime favorite of Clint Eastwood, this sexy candlelit steakhouse of cherrywood paneling and curved booths dishes out huge portions of beef, seafood, and lobster mashed potatoes. Try the grilled 14-ounce bone-in filet mignon and one of the signature London Fog cocktails (a mixture of gin and Pernod with a lemon twist). Advance reservations are recommended.

Dinner only.

At Chops, you can get an awesome New York strip or T-bone steak that's been dry-aged in the restaurant's aging room and other house specialties, such as hand-rolled sushi and seafood. Steaks and lamb chops are served with onion rings and a choice of baked potato, French fries, baked sweet potato, or smashed new potatoes; the grilled swordfish in a fresh peach-and-mango barbecue sauce is served with seared diver scallops. A 300-bottle wine list includes 32 vintages served by the glass.

Dinner only.

Next to the courthouse, this is the rowdy one, complete with balladeers in the evening and interactive entertainment. From 5 pm on, expect to be roped into games and sing-alongs—sort of Revolutionary karaoke. It's the best place for families, with its draft root beer and casual food barely trying to be authentic (Brunswick stew and Smithfield ham biscuits are as 18th-century as it gets). After 8 pm, though, the entertainment takes a turn for the bawdy. During the day, Chowning's is a BBQ joint serving "Gunpowder Chili," dogs and burgers (also in kids' sizes), beef brisket, and pulled pork, either inside or from speedy garden and cider stands.

Snack bar open daily 11:30 am to 5 pm ; cider stands open 10 am to 6 pm, weather permitting; dinner 5 to 9 pm daily.

Installing her tavern in the spot Jane Vobe abandoned for the King's Arms was a good move for tiny, rotund Christiana Campbell—hers became George Washington's favorite place. The tagline on the "Bill of Fayre" is "Giving Satisfaction to TRAVELERS and TOWNSPEOPLE with a Taste for SEAFOOD," which means the way to choose between this and the King's Arms is by what you feel like eating: You get a similar experience at either. The $35 "Waterman's Supp'r" includes clam stew, herb-crusted codfish, and ice cream. Oyster dishes are the only ones to be avoided. As at Mrs. Vobe's, a stack of sides comes free; here it's cabbage slaw, spoon bread, biscuits, and sweet-potato muffins.

Open daily 5 to 9 pm.

Velvet Elvises papering the walls and hubcaps on the ceiling set the mood; the Hatch green chile sauce provides a caliente kick to the enchiladas and burritos; the potent margaritas—made with fresh limes, not sour mix—keep the buzz going. (Yes, this is where First Daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush got busted for underage drinking in 2001.) Chuy's food is pretty straightforward Tex-Mex but it compensates for a lack of surprises with gargantuan portions and gregarious service. Three other locations have sprung up around town, but the original on Barton Springs remains the classic.

The large, family-friendly Ritz-Carlton on Key Biscayne, a posh island community just south of downtown Miami, may seem an odd spot for a superb restaurant, but don't be put off—it's worth a detour, wherever you're staying. A luxe take on a traditional Tuscan trattoria, Cioppino has a warm, homey vibe, and the food is largely made from ingredients flown in from the motherland. Burrata mozzarella arrives twice weekly, and the namesake stew, a soupy seafood mash-up of shrimp, clams, and calamari, is made with imported Italian tomatoes.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

C'mon, bickering over the best seafood stand in Maine is a bore: There are many fine finger-food establishments strung like Christmas lights up the coast. But if you're in the Kennebunks, staying at the White Barn Inn or Captain Lord Mansion, walk the five minutes to the Clam Shack. You can't miss it on Route 9 at the bridge. The fried clams are summer in a paper pint, and the lobster rolls could move the heavens. Owner Steve Kingston plucks the meat from a one-pound lobster and piles it onto a lightly crisped roll. Your choice of mayo, butter, or both. Want a fork? Bring your own—it's utensil-free here.

Open May to October.

Put simply, Clio's chef Ken Oringer is one of the best in America. His French-Asian hybrids (heavy on the French) astonish everyone, however jaded. Reading the menus clues you in: cassolette of lobster and sea urchin with yuzu and Japanese pepper; lacquered foie gras with sweet-and-sour lemon and bee pollen; roast suckling pig with fresh bacon-and-endive confit. Consequently, Clio, in the Eliot Hotel, can be one tough table to score, especially on a weekend. Book ahead.

Open daily 5:30 to 10 pm.

Upon entering, you'll find yourself in a sea of designer jeans, eyewear, and messenger bags, the uniform of the handsome creative professionals who have appropriated this hot spot as their home away from home. Buzzing day and night, the industrial-chic space in the Ace Hotel has several long communal tables sparkling with rows of votive candles, an open kitchen, a second-floor mezzanine with private tables, and a long bar. A European gastropub-inspired menu features bright and simple ingredient-driven dishes such as grilled corn salad with lime, chili, and bitter greens; whole grilled fish with roasted garlic and caramelized onions; and a half chicken with chanterelles. The wine list focuses on European labels but also includes some reasonably priced regional picks. The bar is a raucous and thriving scene unto itself, and it can get seriously noisy when the place is packed—which it often is. They're still working out some kinks—while the service is friendly, timing can be off and can feel a bit rushed. But the arty types who hang here don't seem to mind a bit.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 am to midnight, Fridays 11:30 am to 2 am, Saturdays 5 pm to 2 am, and Sundays 5 to 10 pm.

A pizza revolution has been brewing in New York, with Neapolitan-style thin-crust beauties edging out the classic street slice. Co., in north Chelsea, helped kick off the trend, with fine, blistered pies handcrafted by cult baker Jim Lahey (longtime supplier of bread to some of the city's top restaurants) and finished off in an 800-degree oven. Though the food comes out fast and furious from the no-nonsense kitchen, you should still expect a considerable wait (up to 20 minutes) for a seat. Those seats, by the way, are strictly no-frills: picnic benches around communal wood tables. But the pizza, not the ambience, is the reason to come here (the menu also offers a smattering of salads, crostini, and charcuterie plates). Lahey's chewy crust, showered with toppings both classic (sausage, buffalo mozzarella) and newfangled (asparagus, black truffle, quail eggs), is among the best in New York.—Jay Cheshes

Open Mondays 5 to 11 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays 11:30 am to 11 pm, and Sundays 11 am to 10 pm.

Known as Alaska's "Little Norway," Petersburg is a fanatically tidy fishing town, the kind of place where shopkeepers put out cookies for their customers at Christmas and houses are decorated with rosemaling, a floral motif brought over from the old country. It's also home to a uniquely Alaskan dining experience. Coastal Cold Storage is exactly as the name implies—a cold-storage plant where fishermen store and prepare the day's catch for shipping. But inside, you'll find a tiny restaurant where, for less than ten bucks, you'll get the best beer-battered halibut or fish and chips you'll ever eat. Okay, so the place really does look like an industrial fish plant with a food counter. One taste, and you'll know it's worth waiting in line with the fishermen (quite possibly the same guys who pulled the fish you're about to eat from the water). This is the real Alaska: simple and well done, and nobody blinks if you walk in wearing gum boots.—Edward Readicker-Henderson

Open daily for lunch and early dinner, June through August.

If you doubt the concept of "elegant excess," book a long weekday lunch at Commander's, in the relaxed Garden District. The legendary flagship of the Brennan's restaurant dynasty hosts the local ladies who lunch as they celebrate their birthdays with a flood of 25-cent martinis (one of the best hidden lunch specials in town). The ambience of the new main dining room has shifted from restrained and clubby to playfully extravagant, with life-size feathered songbird dolls peeping out from the avian-themed wallpaper. The second-story Garden Room looks out onto the iconic oak-shaded courtyard. In both rooms, the efficient, brigade-style service never disappoints. Chef Tory McPhail, working the kitchen that launched Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse, artfully blends varied local influences in dishes like pan-seared Gulf fish with Louisiana citrus; crawfish and grits perfumed with cognac; and an earthy seared duck breast with Cajun dirty rice and roasted tomatoes. Eternal Commander's classics such as rich seafood gumbo, sherry-spiked turtle soup, and ethereal bread pudding soufflé provide a comforting sense of continuity.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2 pm and 6:30 to 10 pm, Saturdays 11:30 am to 1 pm and 6:30 to 10 pm, and Sundays 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and 6:30 to 10 pm.

It's the classic L.A. dining conundrum. You want some good grub, but you don't feel like dropping an entire week's salary on some paparazzi-infested scene and the shirt you're wearing is too nice to waste on the IHOP. Comme Ça, a neighborhood brasserie courtesy of Sona chef David Myers, is Hollywood's happy medium. It's a chic French bistro with an easygoing vibe, and nothing on the menu—a flavorful potpourri of French favorites such as steak frites, coq au vin and duck confit—that will cost you more than $30. For maximum good times, let the bartender mix you a Dealer's Choice. Tell him the spirit of your choice and he'll whip up a potent surprise with his stash of fresh ingredients.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 pm to 12 am, Sundays 5 to 11 pm.

The candlelit tables fill up quickly at this tiny, refined restaurant where a harpist serenades the dinner crowd three nights a week. The prix-fixe dinner menu changes daily (it's posted on the Web site a week in advance), but loyal followers know that whatever chef All Kovalencik makes is bound to be good. Recent dishes have included pan-seared halibut over avocado salad with a coriander vinaigrette and Maine lobster-and-leek stuffed crepe with smoked shiitake emulsion. The portions are large and the prices (comparatively) reasonable, starting at $50 per person. There are either one or two seatings per night.

Dinner only. Open mid-April through mid-October.

Cary Grant's former estate is now the home of this popular New American bistro. Award-winning chef Andrew Copley, who has tended the stoves at prestigious dining rooms around the world, gets high marks for his SoCal and Pacific Rim–inspired comfort food. Signature dishes include lobster pot pie, macadamia nut Australian barramundi, roasted butternut squash soup, prime New York steak in a shallot Cabernet reduction, and roasted tandoori breast of chicken filled with shrimp and mango. Grab a table on the delightful patio and watch the kitchen staff pick fresh herbs from the gardens.

Dinner only. Closed August and Mondays off-season (May to December).

Regulars were disturbed when longtime west-side restaurateur Bruce Marder bought this tiny coffee shop; it had remained virtually unchanged since its inception in the 1920s. But patrons needn't have worried, as the upscale comfort food on the new menu isn't all that much pricier than it was, —and it's much better. Breakfast here is worth making a trip for: The orange-infused blueberry pancakes, frittatas, huevos rancheros, and a delicious Caprese omelette are all stellar. There are salads and sandwiches at lunch, and dinner includes pastas and entrées. Service is so friendly you'll feel like a regular even before you become one.

Tribeca restaurateur Drew Nieporent discovered David Bouley and helped put Nobu Matsuhisa on the New York food map. His latest show pony is wunderkind Paul Liebrandt. The star-crossed young British chef—he was best known for receiving three stars from The New York Times, then promptly losing his job—has hit his stride at Corton, a minimalist space that showcases his complex cuisine. Within the dining room's barely adorned white walls, you'll find some of the most assured haute cuisine in New York: gorgeous, delicious, and—at $79 for three courses—surprisingly reasonable (the wine list has many good values as well). Though the menu changes frequently, it always features the chef's signature In the Garden appetizer, a seasonal medley of boutique vegetables that's so inventive it'll win over even the most ardent carnivore. Liebrandt works wonders with meat and seafood as well, transforming squab breast into an ethereal slow-poached roulade (with black truffle and ginger jus) and combining candy-sweet scallops with shaved Marcona almonds and sushi-grade uni. Pastry chef Robert Truitt (an El Bulli veteran) offers desserts like passion-fruit brioche with brioche-infused ice cream, which easily keep pace with Liebrandt's savory magic.—Jay Cheshes

Open Mondays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 11 pm.

This mod-style diner in Santa Monica serves fun burgers with grown-up appeal. Choose a beer or wine chaser, customize the toppings to your liking, and get ready for a sloppy mess—you won't be able to resist overstuffing your burger with So-Cal options like sun-dried tomato vinaigrette and avocado. Kids get their due as well, with mini sliders, thick milkshakes, and great shoestring fries. (Adults: Dip yours in garlic aïoli.)

The unique (some say odd) combo of Southwest and Italian translates into heavy dishes that shun simplicity. For example, as if rubbing a filet mignon with espresso weren't enough, it's also prepared with a cabernet demi-glace. Or how about the really tasty elk strip loin served over mushroom risotto? Two guarantees: You will walk away stuffed, and you will have trouble deciding on a wine from the 3,000-plus list. Avoid the Bordeaux blues by asking for the Nifty Fifty, narrowing the cellar down to 50 guest favorites. Witty and attractive servers keep this spot high on our "restaurants with personality" list.

Tom Colicchio isn't just a cutting-edge practitioner of the ingredients-first movement, he's practically the founder. This, the second outpost of his NYC institution, is one of the hottest tables in town. Soaring windows and muted natural colors flow through the big open space, but the mix-and-match minimalist menu is famously laissez-faire, putting all the focus on the ingredients. Your ordering task is to pick your protein and your sauce, so much of the meal's success is in your hands. Many of the more savory dishes are particularly good; pork belly melts in your mouth, and wild boar short ribs are impressive, but sweetbreads can come out slightly dry. Service is spotty, giving you the definite sense that success has gone to the staff's heads. Our last visit saw the dining room at a frigid temperature, and we had a server who seemed indifferent to the vintages listed on the wine list. And keep in mind that the bill is inevitably pretty steep. Still, the hot-table designation is deserved; this is Dallas's ante for the 21st-century game.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 6:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 6:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm.

Angelenos love a buzzy restaurant almost as much as they love being celebrity adjacent. Such is the case with Craft, star chef Tom Colicchio's 300-seat restaurant on the first floor of the shiny new digs of power agency CAA. The seasonal menu, which changes twice daily, offers an almost overwhelming selection that covers just about every conceivable category, including an entire section devoted to mushrooms (roasted Trompette Royale champignons, anyone?). Food is served family style in cast iron skillets and crock pots and servers do everything in their power to please. Sure, locals love to feel like they're getting a taste of New York sophistication—and that's certainly part of the draw at this chic Manhattan import—but the large terrace decked with canvas Cabana's, fire pits, and agents trying to impress their clients is pure Hollywood.

Open Mondays through Thursdays from 5:30pm to 10pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30pm to 11pm, Sundays 5pm to 9pm.

Is it wrong to visit Vegas and not eat at a buffet? Up to you, but if you must, go for the one that cost $20 million to build. Designed by Adam Tihany, the man behind dozens of Vegas restaurants, including Spago, Aureole, and Le Cirque, Cravings in the Mirage was modeled after buffets in Asia, where diners get cooking stations instead of mountains of stringy shrimp and soggy French toast. There are around a dozen of these stations here, with chefs making Italian, Japanese, Mexican, barbecue, and so forth. The food itself is on par with most reasonably priced white-tablecloth restaurants, making the $25 all-you-can-eat price tag at dinner one of the best food bargains in Vegas. Cocktails are not included, but if you grab a seat at the bar in the back, you won't have to deal with the dizzying striped carpet as you hike to your table far, far away.

Open Mondays through Fridays 7 am to 10 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8 am to 10 pm.

After spending a lot of time in Paris, Crémant's chef-owner, Scott Emerick, wanted to give Seattleites the best of French bistro dining, so opened his own place in the residential area of Madrona, east of the city center. While the look is far from French—grays and whites, artfully exposed concrete walls—it's all about the menu. Expect all the classics, such as steak frites, but Crémant's signature dish is the bouillabaisse, and we defy you to find a better one in the city: Every piece of shellfish is perfectly cooked, and the fragrant brew comes with a luscious saffron aioli. For dessert, the waitstaff usually recommends the cognac au chocolat, the chef's own concoction involving Valhrona chocolate and cream in cognac, but don't overlook the prunes in Armagnac or the excellent cheese list. The space is small, but in true bistro spirit, it's not hush-hush romantic but lively and loud as it fills up.

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

There's a never-to-be-settled debate as to who makes Key West's best Cuban coffee, a sugary shot of espresso called buchi. Inexplicably, the two top rivals for the crown are in a grocery store and a laundromat. Five Brothers is a café and food market crammed with provisions and pots dangling from the ceiling (930 Southard St.; 305-296-5205). Besides buchi and café con leche, they also offer daily specials like ropa vieja (Cuban shredded beef) that go fast—get there before 2. At Sandy's Café inside the M&M laundry, you can linger at one of the outdoor stools and sip a buchi along with one of the killer Cuban sandwiches (1026 White St.; 305-295-0159).

This Italian restaurant opens at 7 am, so it's the perfect place to get some fuel for Worth Avenue shopping. The signature egg dishes are the best bet: eggs Imperial (a spin on eggs Benedict with jumbo crabmeat), or eggs with black truffle hollandaise sauce and asparagus. Wash them down with the breakfast Bloody Mary, lavishly garnished with chilled shrimp and Gorgonzola-stuffed olives. The two other meals of the day are solid as well: At lunch, try the chunky chicken-and-Gorgonzola salad. The dinner menu focuses on pastas (homemade ravioli) and pizzas, including a killer spicy tomato and smoked-bacon Romana. After hours, the tables are cleared away and the restaurant becomes a popular all-night bar.

Visions of fried green tomatoes and rightly seasoned turnip greens dancing in your head? You'd better make your way to this Deep South soul-food institution. The veggies alone (22 varieties daily) are cause enough to visit, with the eggplant casserole and the sublime mac 'n' cheese seeming straight from the pages of How to Make the Richest Side Dish at Your Church Potluck. Proprietor Charles Cavallo's meats and desserts also fit the bill nicely, notably the country fried chicken and gooey pecan pie.

Local favorite Shawn McClain is known for tinkering with tradition. His Spring adds a subtle Asian accent to seafood, and the homely vegetable won a glamorous makeover at his Green Zebra, with dishes like roasted spaghetti squash served with crispy chestnuts and savory yogurt. But it's Custom House that truly earns the title of new wave standard bearer. The Printers' Row kitchen establishes its heartland heart quickly with a wall of Wright-like limestone that's both homespun and chic. The same double-barreled sensibility drives the menu, ­an homage to the sheer glory of meat that includes steak, of course, but also a juicy roasted Berkshire pork chop with an unexpected side of grilled plums, and braised short ribs that are so tender they slide off the bone if you look at them wrong, or right.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 10 pm, Fridays 11:30 am to 10:30 pm Saturdays 5 to 10:30 pm, and Sundays 5 to 9 pm.

On summer weekends, parked cars line Montauk Highway on either side of this Caribbean-style seafood shack. By day, families and older couples dine under umbrellas at tables set with disposable flatware on a gravel-floored courtyard. Menu favorites include spicy, lightly fried squid in a Buffalo-style sauce tempered with blue-cheese dressing and a tasty sandwich of flounder dredged in a garlic-and-pepper batter. As night falls, the roadside shack transforms into a packed pickup joint for tank-top- and flip-flop-clad singles downing rum punch and frozen margaritas. Cyril, with his white beard, funky sunglasses, straw hat, and (if you're lucky) flowing sarong, works the crowd. The bohemian proprietor is quick to accept a drink, but he doesn't accept credit cards—so bring cash or you'll be saddled with his high ATM fee.

Open daily 11 am to 10 pm, mid-April through early October.

Helmed by chef Douglas Keane and owner/maître d' Nick Peyton (the team behind St. Helena's popular Market) the dining room at Cyrus has soaring vaulted ceilings and tables laid with the finest linens, silver, and crystal. The staff moves through the room as if in a ballet: A plate of canapés arrives first, followed by a glittering cart bearing Champagne and caviar, where roe is weighed on a scale counterbalanced by a single gold coin; then it's a round of amuse-gueules. At first it feels a bit over the top, but the service is performed with such tongue-in-cheek levity that it's absolutely charming. Guests design their own prix-fixe meal, choosing three to five courses off the French-Californian-Asian menu, which uses locally grown organic produce. Standouts include Thai marinated lobster with avocado and mango and tempura-battered mussels in a saffron-flavored broth. Let the sommelier suggest wines from a smart list of lesser-known local and international vintages. If you can't secure a table, stop by for some of California's best cocktails, made with local herbs, freshly squeezed fruit juices, and top-shelf spirits, including vodka from Napa's Charbay Winery & Distillery.

Open daily 5 to 9:30 pm.

Dry-aged steaks cooked to perfection, plus a view overlooking Waikiki Beach, have made this place a major hit since it opened in the fall of 2004. D.K. Kodama is one of Hawaii's most ambitious chef-entrepreneurs; in addition to this steak house at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, he owns the islandwide chain of Sansei sushi bars and the conjoined Honolulu hot spots Vino and Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas. Kodama may have a lot of pots boiling, but what's cooking is undeniably good. D.K. Steakhouse's double-broiled, butterflied filet mignon, for example, served with shiitake mushroom demi-glace and a side of asparagus Milanese, is satisfying to both the local and tourist palate. There's also a special menu of dessert martinis, including the well-named "Bomb" (Godiva white chocolate, Baileys, and Kahlúa). The portions are big here, so unless you've hiked Diamond Head or surfed Pipeline all day, consider sharing.

Dinner only.