Bistro 135, High Point

Housed within the elegant High Point Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, Bistro 135 invites locals and hotel guests alike inside for a causal dining experience. Not that head chef John Clark takes your meal casually. Instead, he crafts his own versions of high-end steak-house classics, from 12-ounce new york strips topped with garlic butter to grilled Atlantic salmon paired with mushroom risotto. For vegetarians, John concocts meat-free dishes, including grilled portobello sandwiches crowned with roasted squash and zucchini. Pours of beer and wine from the adjoining Pub 135 complement feasts, which unfold in an intimate dining room amid hardwood floors and vibrant frescoes.