Eat

The Southeast often tickles our collective palates with more flavor than a roadside ice cream shack. Fine dining, casual bites, international delights and Southern-fried traditions all make up a cornucopia of cuisine found down in contemporary Dixie.

Old Town Dispensary

Folks in Bluffton, S.C., about a 20-minute drive from Hilton Head, helped this restaurant and music spot score the “favorite live music venue” nod in last year’s Reader’s Choice Awards in Bluffton Monthly magazine. With popular area acts such as Souls Harbor, Executrix and Whitley Deputy jamming throughout the week in the beer garden, the good vibrations threaten to take attention away from the grub.

That, however, proves challenging with admirable items lining the menu. Top-shelf pub bites may get the spotlight — think an eggs Benedict-style burger with Canadian bacon and blackened mahi-mahi fish tacos — but a smart selection of entrees pack their own punch. Sweet tea fried chicken, featuring a Texas Pete-based spicy cream sauce, joins grouper, fish and chips, and other edible beach town buddies. Don’t miss the Farmers Market of Bluffton taking place 2-7 p.m. Thursdays along Calhoun Street.

15 Captains Cove Road, Bluffton, S.C. 843-837-1893, otdbluffton.com.

Dovetail Restaurant

Dovetail’s in-town disciples often cite the restaurant’s locally and regionally sourced tendencies — you’ll find a list on its website — as reason to repeat. Located above the boozy revelry of the Rookery, Dovetail’s Tuesday through Saturday dinner hours also draw residents due to the eatery’s critical acclaim.

As the downtown in Macon, Ga., continues its resuscitation, Dovetail flies out front, putting foodie thought into Southern tradition. Fans recommend doubling down on the cheese plate. Braised rabbit may hop to the top of your favorites, as long as gamey phobia doesn’t lurk into your picture of the perfect meal. Don’t be surprised to find fried chicken, burgers draped with slices of wallet-thick bacon and mountain trout on the menu.

Forgive the tattooed ultra hipsters with handlebar mustaches behind the bar. It takes both style and substance to sling more than 70 types of whiskies. The Moonhanger Group operates this place, along with sister restaurants and live venues. Not-to-miss Moonhanger properties include H&H Soulfood, a favorite haunt among Allman Brothers Band fans, and the restored Cox Capitol Theatre.

543 Cherry St., Macon, Ga. 478-238-4693, dovetailmacon.com, @DovetailMacon.

Coletta’s Restaurant

Most Memphis, Tenn., natives know Coletta’s for its red-and-white tablecloths, its air-licking candlelight, and its murals of Italy spanning across the walls. The third-generation owners of the original location on South Parkway claim it to be the oldest restaurant in town and the first to bring pizza to the Bluff City. Some locals say the area can be a bit rough and tumble, so consider visiting before dark.

The kitchen staff basically whips up everything from scratch. Bulging lasagna, fresh sauces and overstuffed cannoli roll out of the kitchen. Pastas can be had in child size, regular portion size or more massive for family-style consumption. Like Little Italy on Union Avenue, Coletta’s has a solid rep for its pizza. In fact, Coletta’s lays claim to Elvis Presley’s preferred pie. On numerous occasions, he sunk his rocking royal choppers into the barbecue pizza, and many customers continue the tradition.

If the ’cue pizza sounds too challenging, the plain cheese or pepperoni brings safe simplicity. Salads, a full bar, desserts and other selections help round out the menu and bellies. Although Graceland, the former home of Presley, gets its rightful due as a star local attraction, don’t forget to swing by the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (926 E. McLemore Ave. Memphis. 901-942-7685,staxmuseum.com, @StaxMemphis) on the site of the original Stax recording studio, located less than five minutes from the restaurant. Want to make a return trip to Coletta’s? Its second location can be found at 2850 Appling Road.

1063 S. Parkway E., Memphis, Tenn. 901-948-7652, colettas.net.

B.O.’s Fish Wagon

You can make like Jimmy Buffett and blow out your flip-flop and still be dressing well enough for many nosheries in Key West, Fla. B.O.’s Fish Wagon would certainly be one of them. With its island-time sensibilities and beer o’clock philosophies, B.O.’s keeps laid-back grub as the name of its relaxed-yet-conscious culinary game.

The initials stand for Buddy Owen, the wagon’s wielder, whose open-air restaurant lures tourists with its decidedly regional flair and locals with its stressless creed. If it’s good enough for Food Network’s Bobby Flay, Owen’s dive must have the right ingredients.

Take a header straight for the fried grouper sandwich. Those concerned about hardening the arteries can opt for grilled. Iron tummies brave the Scuzzy B.O., a pile of french fries with a covering of hot peppers, chili, onions and cheese. Teetotalers tip back Key Limeade, sodas and other low-octane belly washers, while drinkers soak up beer and wine. A Corona with lime may ring cliche, but it’s almost required.

Live musical strains waft out of the wagon on Friday nights. Consider paying a visit to the nearby Flagler Station Oversea Railway Historeum (901 Caroline St., Key West. 305-293-8716, flaglerstation.net), the result of Henry Flagler connecting Key West to the rest of America by rail in the early 1900s. The station originally opened in 1912. Flagler called his 130-mile extension the “railway over the sea.” Chug along with the historical facts and artifacts found at this museum.

801 Caroline St., Key West, Fla. 305-294-9272, bosfishwagon.com.

High Tides at Snack Jack

Make sure to get to this in-the-know spot in time to grab a seat by the sprawling window. Overlooking the rushing tide on Flagler Beach, Fla., High Tides at Snack Jack offers one of the best views in the area. Beer and wine flow from behind the bar with waves of wine-based daiquiris, sangria and other libations.

This beachside retreat dates back to 1947 and welcomes pups on its patio, making it popular with locals. The adjacent Flagler Beach allows dogs to sink their paws in the sands found north of North 10th Street and south of South 10th Street. (A no-dog zone exists between the two, located near the Flagler Beach Municipal Pier.) Other likeminded pit stops include Java Joint, Johnny D’s Beach Bar & Grill and the BeachHouse Beanery. Back at High Tides at Snack Jack, while pet owners bite into ahi tuna, blackened shrimp or a fish Reuben, a server will happily deliver a bowl of water for the family dog.

Although both you and your pooch can ingest plenty of calories — talking about the copious fried platters — the eatery has health-conscious options on its menu, too. A virtual garden full of salads and several organic options balance things. You had the coconut shrimp yesterday? Go for the organic sweet curry kale salad today. If you have the tots in tow, a kids menu has all the standard-issue fare, from grilled cheese with fries or carrots to chicken nuggets and more.

2805 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach, Fla. 386-439-3344, snackjacks.com, @snack_jacks.

VN Pho & Deli

When it comes to Vietnamese food in Nashville, Tenn., some swear by Vui’s Kitchen and Vinh-Long. This spot, however, rises to the top of the noodle bowl on many hit lists. Don’t let the modest strip mall environ fool you. Like so many tucked-away gems, you have to look for it and simultaneously take a chance. Yet, VN Pho & Deli’s glowing rep spreads across Music City as being some of the best pho in town.

Have a seat in the no-frills dining room, staffed by members of the same family, for webs of noodles bathing in traditional broth. The dedicated call it authentic and affordable, some raving over the steak and meatball pho. You can easily stuff the gullet with the joint’s pork chop and rice for less than 10 bucks. Chase a rolled-to-order spring roll with a limeade. Open wide for the banh mi and leave room for an avocado smoothie.

Make sure to bring some greenbacks as VN Pho & Deli remains cash only. After dinner, get a taste of Nashville-bred music at the Bluebird Cafe (4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville. 615-383-1461, bluebirdcafe.com, @BluebirdCafeTN). Like VN Pho & Deli, you’ll find the venue in a strip mall with just 90 seats inside its intimate hall. Yet, it continues to be a fertile breeding ground for successful songwriters of varying genres, including rock, pop and country. Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Kathy Mattea and others honed their chops within the Bluebird Cafe’s walls.

5906 Charlotte Pike, Suite C, Nashville, Tenn. 615-356-5995.

Ginny Lane Bar & Grill

No need to waste time wandering your eyes across the menu at this Orange Beach, Ala., eatery. Zero in on Ginny Lane’s selection of baked oysters. Play it safe by choosing the sampler platter with three of each style. The one the staff tops with shrimp, peppers, onions, cream and a duo of cheeses might cause salivary glands to go into overdrive before the first bite.

Baby back ribs and several cuts of steak, from a strip to filet mignon, make up the turf. As for the surf, the selections crest with shrimp and grits, crabcakes, grilled salmon and more. Fried and broiled seafood platters compete against steamer pots teeming with shrimp, crab legs, sausage, potatoes and corn.

Happy Hour pours daily, and special events include wine dinners and more. If crowds pack Ginny Lane, make a beeline for Doc’s Seafood Shack & Oyster Bar (26029 Canal Road, Orange Beach. 251-981-6999, docsseafoodshack.com).

4851 Wharf Parkway, Suite 106, Orange Beach, Ala. 251-224-6500, ginnylanebargrill.com, @GinnyLaneWharf.

The Oyster House

Sure, Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., has a beach, which is, of course, prefab. Still somehow it makes perfect sense that you’d find the Oyster House in the hilly resort town.

Nondescript and free of pretense, the restaurant sits quietly along North Main Street. While the kiddos may jump fork first into the shrimp and lobster mac and cheese, some adults gravitate toward lobster bisque. Buddy up some fried shrimp with equally battered catfish or go for the shrimp bucket. Shells cradle the deep-fried Buffalo oysters, a drizzle of sauce upon them.

For some, Southern-style peach cobbler serves as the perfect capper. A visit to Pine Mountain wouldn’t be complete without breakfast at the Callaway Gardens Country Store. As the morning meal settles, cruise through the Gardens itself, a lush resort with ample azaleas. Callaway Gardens (17800 U.S. 27, Pine Mountain. 1-800-852-3810, callawaygardens.com) spreads across 6,500 acres. Don’t miss the glass-enclosed Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, where more than 1,000 butterflies flap their chromatic wings.

110 N. Main St., Pine Mountain, Ga. 706-489-3233.

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