Halcyon Charlotte
Charlotte, N.C., just might be the South’s most competitive city, but it’s been a laggard in developing a vibrant dining scene, said John T. Edge in Garden & Gun. Four decades into its push to become a business and cultural hub, Charlotte is the nation’s second-largest banking center but is only starting to build the infrastructure a culinary capital needs. The city now has a culinary school and a farmers market, and even some of the white-tablecloth spots are beginning to feel “chef-driven.” Halcyon, which bills itself as a farm-to-table establishment, hands out an overly earnest menu that informs you that a Greek goddess inspired the restaurant’s name. You may want to walk out. But get beyond the trappings and focus on chef Marc Jacksina’s cooking. There are rabbit rillettes with pickled local beets and turnips, Carolina wreckfish, house-made lamb sausage, and a wonderful rendition of a sweet-tea-marinated pork chop. It turns out that, “while the Halcyon folks should never again be trusted to write menu copy, they’re keen cooks.” 500 S. Tryon St., (704) 910-0865
Rathbun’s Atlanta
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Seven years into its busy life, Rathbun’s remains the “ultimate hidden warehouse restaurant in a city that loves them,” said John Kessler in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. My wife and I have a soft spot for the place, largely because of the “low-key precision” of its table service and the way chef Kevin Rathbun’s energetic menu of small plates values “big, generous flavors above all other considerations.” The critic in me can’t ignore the handful of “sloppy dishes” (rubbery chicken livers, a “rich, gooey” lamb scallopini), but the solution is to keep ordering. With more than 20 appetizers and nearly as many entrées, the menu has a few true pleasures always waiting: roasted pork belly tacos with orange hoisin; sea scallop Benedict on country ham grits; braised beef short rib with spaghetti squash carbonara and a Bantam egg yolk to swirl into it. “Healthy dining can wait for another night.” 112 Krog St., (404) 524-8280
Bouligny Tavern New Orleans
Drinking in New Orleans isn’t what it used to be, said Brett Anderson in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. While the city has almost always had top cocktail bars, it’s only since small-plate dining took off that perfect Sazeracs and fine food have really mingled. “This synthesis of dressed-down food and dressed-up drinks” now feels like a citywide phenomenon, but no one is doing it better than Bouligny, a high-end bar whose delicious kitchen offerings are “keyed to the desires of customers intent on addressing their appetites as they arise.” Start with a Boulevardier, “a classic, bittersweet cocktail of bourbon turned flush by Campari and sweet vermouth.” A craving for crunchy fried food is sure to follow. For this, there are fried truffle-and-Parmesan gnocchi. Or Gouda beignets—“golden-hued pillows that deliver the savory, caramelized flavor of melted cheese in hot doughnut form.” Can a great bar double as a food temple? “The ultimate proof is on the plate.” 3641 Magazine St., (504) 891-1810
