La Marinella Trattoria, Virginia Beach

Like many farm-to-table restaurants, Thirty 7 North turns to local producers for virtually all its ingredients. But there are other sources for fresh food. The restaurant also owns its own farm, named London Calling, that grows veggies and herbs exclusively for Thirty 7 North. And rather than planting pearls in the soil and hoping they sprout into clams, chefs request a fresh batch of shellfish to be plucked from the sea and delivered to the restaurant the same day.

Such a devotion to seasonal, fresh foods means that the menu is never constant. Each entree—whether pan-seared flounder or blackened shrimp and grits—may depend on the flux of the seasons. However, you can always bank on a selection of fine steaks, a fish of the day, and a kids' menu that caters to the younger set's penchant for food they can fit in their pockets.

Likewise, the cocktail and wine selection changes throughout the year. Cellar 37 has more than 300 wines, all of which were carefully chosen by the house sommelier for their pairing qualities and sincerity of the bottled messages. The presentation of the cocktails is particularly striking; garnishes have included everything from purple basil leaves to blackberries encased in ice cubes.