Blacksmith's Bistro & Bar, Chattanooga

It's clear from their menu that Blacksmith's Bistro & Bar's cooks don't take things too seriously. They named a burger crowned with pimento cheese and russian dressing the "Gooey" and affectionately called a pulled duck sandwich smothered in cherry barbecue sauce "Duck Duck No Goose." Still, fried-chicken sliders with tomato jalapeño jam and mac 'n' cheese with chunks of andouille sausage and crawfish prove that they can create some serious eats.

That southern influence can be found at brunch, too, with entrees ranging from spicy barbecue shrimp served over cheese grits to buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy.

Feasts unfold in a down-home space where tables line wood-paneled walls and menus top wooden barrels that can later be used on the nearby Tennessee River to float customers home. At the bar, mixologists whip up craft cocktails.