The menu at Kitchen + Kocktails is packed with comfort food staples like Southern-fried catfish, shrimp and grits, and crispy fried green tomatoes. But don't sleep on the lamb chops here, or the blackened-shrimp-topped deviled eggs, both of which are on a budget-friendly happy hour menu. There’s also an impressive cocktail game: Try the smooth — and powerful — D’usse, a frozen peach concoction topped with a healthy dose of D’usse Cognac. On the weekends they run a clinic: How to Brunch. Pull out those nice heels you'd been saving, make reservations and buckle up.

Top Pick: The oxtail here is epic. The seasoning is on point but more important the meat slides right off the bone with a gentle tug of a fork. ($$)