Restaurants in Gainesville

With a vibrant décor featuring more colors than a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper, Zoёs is an energetic and flavorful stop for good-for-you grub. A healthy recipe breathes new life into the Zoёs original chicken-salad sandwich with white chicken on seven-grain bread, while seameat cravers can feast on the Mediterranean tuna pita, stuffed generously with tuna, capers, red onions, olives, lettuce, and tomato (all sandwiches are $6.95). Toastier tastes include quesadillas ($6.95 with $1 extra for grilled chicken), a warm melt of spinach, scallions, and feta; and chicken kabobs ($8.95) skewered with green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions over a rice pilaf and Greek salad. Zoёs also offers salads, side dishes, and the decadent Yaya's homemade chocolate sheet cake ($2 a slice).

Bistro AIX supplies gourmet European entrees in a seasonally driven menu that's scrumptious and fresh throughout the year. Inaugurate the meal with Bistro AIX's mussels ($11), which circumnavigate through the steam of white wine and garlic before being aesthetically presented with saffron aioli, while the homemade potato chips ($5.50/$9) topped with blue cheese are a worthwhile addition to your potato-chip statue of Dan Quayle. Wood-fired pizzas upset rote formulas with such unexpected creations as the smoked-salmon pie ($19), perfected with chili oil and caviar. Ratatouille-style risotto ($15/$24) and a surplus of flavorful fish and marinated meats tempt stomachs like a synaesthetic Siren song. Dessert samplers can order the sprightly lemon-coconut cake or attempt the French tradition of eating cheese until they've run out of "Napoleon walks into a bar" jokes with Bistro AIX's cheese-by-the-ounce option, which includes selections like Oregon blue ($3.35) and Brillat-Savarin ($3.50) and pairs nicely with the spectacularly expansive wine list.

As the founding family of Orange Tree Hot Dogs, the Koppenbergers have carefully guarded their secret recipes since opening the first location in 1968. The "dash of magic" outlined in those recipes is central to the coleslaw that tops their most popular hot dog, the aptly named slaw dog, or the savory sauce that blankets the onion-sauce dog. The Koppenbergers' menu also features their popular Orange Frost drink—made with orange juice, orange syrup, and ice—which serves as both a refreshing treat and an extinguisher for mustaches that catch fire.