Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans

Willie Mae Seaton opened the doors to her Scotch House in 1957, but she didn't start serving food there until the early 1970s. Her down-home cooking was an instant hit, especially her fried chicken, which soon became the stuff of legend.

In the decades since, Willie Mae's fried chicken has turned the Scotch House into a NOLA landmark. The restaurant claimed a James Beard award in 2005, and it's also been a popular destination for TV spots. In fact, during a taping of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain remarked, "at this point, there's no one who hasn't been here to do a TV show."

Today, Willie Mae's granddaughter, Kerry, runs the kitchen as one of the few people who actually knows Willie Mae's secret recipes. Fried chicken still headlines the menu alongside other southern standouts, including red beans and rice and cornbread muffins.