Fodor's Expert Review Parlor Market

Traditional Southern ingredients are respectfully given a new twist here. Take the smoked catfish paté, for instance: it's brined in sweet tea, hot smoked, then blended with cream cheese, coriander, orange zest, and cherry vinegar and topped with muscadine jelly. This sort of creativity characterizes a downtown anchor restaurant that is committed to sourcing seasonal ingredients from local and regional farmers and ranchers. Even the architecture of this former grocery store reflects the philosophy of blending trends with tradition—its contemporary open kitchen is framed by repurposed hardwood floors, beams from a plantation dating to 1858, Edison light bulbs, and a marble oyster bar.