New Orleans, LA: The young E.J. Lagasse, son of the indomitable namesake, now oversees a remarkable dining room that has celebrated Creole cuisine for more than three decades. His determination is palpable as he charts a new course, bringing contemporary refinement and vibrant originality to the fore. BBQ shrimp tarts, deep-flavored gumbo and superb, golden-brown cornbread paired with French butter feel familiar and new at once.

Atlanta, GA: When the night calls for a grand celebration, few places fit quite like Atlas. Snuggled inside the posh St. Regis Atlanta, this restaurant is impossibly elegant. Fine art graces the walls—it's home to The Lewis Collection and its works by Japanese-born painter and printmaker Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita—but it's not just the artwork that impresses. Order à la carte from this seasonal American menu with European influences or celebrate with the tasting menu.

Atlanta, GA: Dark wood, a black industrial ceiling set with a constellation of Edison bulbs, and brown leather banquettes give Bacchanalia a handsome sophistication, yet there's nothing too precious about this longstanding spot. The multicourse prix fixe involves a bit of flair, with some dishes arriving on carts or nestled inside glass cloches, and the cheese course is a wonderful surprise.

Atlanta, GA: Rotating with the seasons and changing weekly, the meal is a procession of small courses and hews toward the structure of kaiseki. After items such as an appetizer trio with clear fish soup, scallop sashimi with miso-mustard sauce and simmered monkfish, it's time for sushi. The chef crafts nigiri from imported fish that needs little embellishment and is amply sized in the tradition of Hokkaido style in deference to the chef's hometown.

Atlanta, GA: Now located in Midtown, Chef Ron Hsu and Chef/co-owner Aaron Phillips oversee a contemporary tasting menu with clever combinations that highlight regional ingredients. The tuna roll is a stunner, made with feuille de brick and filled with lemon, crème fraîche, and wrapped in paper-thin sheets of bluefin tuna. Cod, poached in a ham hock broth, rests atop fava bean and zucchini succotash with a green tomato relish for an especially flavorful plate.

Atlanta, GA: Located in West Midtown, Mujō is an intimate setting with a moody elegance. A U-shaped counter crafted of Southern cypress pops in this square room with dark walls and low lighting. This is the domain of Chef J. Trent Harris and his skilled team who make all feel well cared for. Here, tradition has been replaced with a rollicking good time, where the always-surprising interpretation of omakase begins with an array of zensai like a morsel of Florida cobia grilled over binchotan.

Atlanta, GA: Brush Sushi is located in a swish shopping center with the likes of Rolex and Dior, but step inside this stylish space to discover O by Brush, a separate omakase counter helmed by Chef Jason Liang. The extensive procession will begin with several starters before moving into nigiri such as beautifully rich shima aji, warayaki sawara that is hay smoked over coals then sliced and filled with rice, and anago tempura temaki finished over binchotan coals.

Atlanta, GA: Here at this serious counter-focused setting, find Chef Leonard Yu and his small team presiding over a multicourse experience that leans traditional while offering a nice balance of variety and seasonality. A smattering of otsumami begin the evening on a strong note with shaved wagyu beef lightly poached in sukiyaki sauce with a quail egg. The chef's signature dish, uni gohan with otoro, is decadent, while corn potage delivers an impressive depth of flavor.

Marietta, GA: Note: This restaurant is temporarily closed. Find your way to this small but well-appointed restaurant in Marietta where exposed brick and a vaulted ceiling done in dark wood create an endearing charm. Chef Brian So oversees a tightly edited, contemporary American menu with a strong focus on seasonality. Skillful but simple cooking is the dictum here, where ingredients speak for themselves, and plates are stunning without ever being showy.

New Orleans, LA: The old adage about not judging a book by its cover couldn’t be more apt for this little restaurant in Bywater. An unassuming front advertising "natural wines and garden patio" leads to a quaint bar where Chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith start the meal with a few pleasant bites. Once inside the intimate dining room, the contemporary tasting kicks into high gear with a griddled cornbread cake smeared with butter aged and cultured in-house.

New Orleans, LA: Chef Sue Zemanick is no stranger to the New Orleans dining scene, having spent time in the kitchens of some of the city's famed restaurants before opening Zasu in 2019. Set in an easy-to-miss cottage in Mid-City, it's an elegant oasis with a sleek dining room marked by wood floors, dark green walls and gold tones. The menu is tightly edited, featuring a dozen or so dishes focused on seafood and blending local flavors with French techniques.

Charlotte, NC: To say that Counter is an outlier in the Charlotte dining scene risks understatement: this ambitious, mercurial project from Chef Sam Hart is sui generis. The boldly immersive experience features shifting concepts fueled by Chef Hart’s multifarious passions and creativity, drawing on themes of nostalgia, music, personal history and more on a multicourse tasting menu. Local products are celebrated, including herbs and vegetables from nearby urban farms.

Charleston, SC: Don't be fooled by this unassuming spot off King Street; Malagón is a find. It's a small space with an appealing old-world ambience, where shelves are stocked with wines and imported produce and an open kitchen offers a peek at the goings-on. Chef Juan Cassalett's tapas-focused, Spanish menu has a clear spark. Nothing is overcomplicated, and there is beauty in the precision in dishes like fried rabbit leg with a savory crème fraîche dipping sauce and la bomba de la Barceloneta.

Charleston, SC: The husband-and-wife team of Daniel and Bethany Heinze have created one of Charleston's most popular spots. Reservations at Vern's are highly coveted, though some may try their luck at the handful of bar seats saved for walk-ins. Charleston may be a dressed-up town, but inside this hotspot, it's more homey than fussy, with rich wood floors and tables set with flickering candles. Lowcountry ingredients are championed on a menu that reflects Chef Heinze's travels.

Charleston, SC: Chef Orlando Pagán's tasting menu is far from common, and while upgrades like caviar eggs Benedict and wagyu are indeed available, there's nothing standard here. From the price (less than $100) and the focus on local ingredients to the wildly creative dishes with a global bent, this is fine dining injected with a bit of fun. Pho with carrot kimchi or hamachi crudo with coconut and kumquat may kick off the meal before roasted carrot and walnut tortelli with carrot fondue.

Greenville, SC: Chef/owner Joe Cash's upscale French bistro charms with an elegant dining room with hardwood floors and brick walls, a full-service bar and an engaging staff who make everyone feel well cared for and welcomed. It's the hottest table in town, and reservations are a must, though seats at the bar feel far from a consolation prize. High-quality ingredients are prepared with care and finesse here, where familiar favorites like Caesar salad are leveled up.

Nashville, TN: Walk through the buzzy cocktail bar to find this stylish restaurant in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Bastion offers a single tasting menu featuring contemporary Southern cooking that is approachable yet playful. This is a kitchen that isn't afraid to take risks. Dishes arrive in waves, and the product focus is on full display in a stunning plate of yellow peach and tomato with strawberry miso mayo and mozzarella marshmallows.

Nashville, TN: Reservations are a must at Chef Trevor Moran's compact, Japanese-influenced spot. It's laidback and just a little bit quirky, the kind of place where the full menu is also offered at lunch and they're only open a few days. There is a simple elegance and a clear attention to detail in every dish, all designed for sharing. Beef tartare hand rolls, a house classic, always delight. From there, explore seafood like Maine diver scallops with shaved green apple.