When you’re downtown, feeling bougie, and want to get a pre- or post-event cocktail with a few appetizers, Zephyr is a smart move. This Southern brasserie inside The Phoenix hotel is eye-catching in all the right ways. The ceilings are tall enough to host the Peach Drop, and the giant bar with cushy stools (the ones with the backs, friends) takes up an entire side of the restaurant. Most of the corporate suits, convention types, and hotel guests tend to post up here for drinks. And we don’t blame them because the cocktails, like the light and fruity gin-based Violet Viaduct, are excellent cocktails. But you should take things a step further and hit the small plates hard since nothing on that section of the menu misses. There are Southern favorites like creamy deviled eggs, cornbread with a smoky tabasco butter, and a ridiculously good shrimp biscuit drizzled with sweet syrup. If you stop there (and you should), you’ll leave Zephyr’s with stars in your eyes. Sticking around for the mains means a touch of disappointment since crispy potato gnocchi are brittle and flavorless, and steak frites get a little chewy. If you need an entree, go for the very good fried chicken. It’s made specifically for two people to share and comes with a mountain of eight fried chicken pieces with a sticky, sweet glaze and a side of extremely creamy grits that go hard on the cheese.