New Orleans, LA
Commander's Palace
I will get beaten up on this, I know, but here's the deal. Tory McPhail inherited the job that nobody should want—executive chef. On top of that, Commander's is the spot every New Orleans' food critic loves to take aim at. Enter Tory, age thirty-five, excellent young talent and a guy everyone enjoys working and drinking with. Tory gets lots of credit in my book. His food is deft and interesting, plus he gets bonus points for reinventing the food of South Louisiana without bastardizing it. (Tory is a native of the Pacific Northwest—not Bayou Lafourche.)

Commander's continues to shine in the wake of Katrina (reopening after almost two years of renovation) and in spite of citywide labor trials, manages to do an impressive job with dining-room service. Dinner or Sunday brunch at Commander's is a quintessential New Orleans experience though the food rarely gets the lauding it deserves.

Memphis, TN
The Beauty Shop
Nobody but nobody does funky like Karen Carrier and the Beauty Shop is testament. She spent years overseeing the operation of Automatic Slims, her original stab at a Clinton-esque mecca (that's George Clinton, not Bill), which captured the feeling of a Sergio Leone set–cum–opium den and served the greatest crispy duck you have ever eaten. At the same time, she was building a small empire of operations. She has sold Slims and now devotes most of her time to the Beauty Shop kitchen. Like the John Waters–style decor, the food and service are equally fun and interesting. There is absolutely no way to nail down the cuisine with a label or a category. It's simply solid, playful, and devoid of any pretense whatsoever… And if you can find anyone more fun to run around with in the wee hours, I'll kiss your bouffant.

Jackson, MS
Walker's Drive-In
If you find yourself  yourself in Jackson, just go here. The menu could not be more representative of the man at the helm than it is—simple, well executed, and as solid as the August day is long. Jackson is not a town that jumps to mind when one thinks of fine dining, but Derek Emmerson is dragging that into line. In a town that is a little fickle in its support of independent eateries, Walker's thrives nonetheless. My recommendation is to go during soft-shell season. I am convinced Derek has made a deal with Legba and pure crustacean bliss is the result.

Clarksdale, MS
Ramon's
My friend Wright Thompson is a man of giant appetites and he knows how to sniff out a joint like few others. About a year ago when he suggested that a group of us load up and ride the fat hour that the drive is from Oxford down into the Delta for "the best fried shrimp in the world," I thought, momentarily, that he was an idiot. I went merely to ride around in his truck, drink whiskey, and ultimately dis the "best fried shrimp in the world." Turns out I was the idiot. I'd walk through broken glass on my knees to eat those shrimp. There's a little Italian on the menu as well that includes equally well-fried chicken livers and red sauce over pasta. Load the car with whiskey and Tums and go now.