The team at Salt Springs Brewery is on a pretty lofty mission: "to quench your thirst and nourish your soul." The first part of the mission is easy. Local grains—which are returned to farmers for compost once spent—are transformed into ESBs sweetened with molasses and brown sugar, and into oatmeal stouts infused with cherry. Wine is also served on tap or by the bottle. The second part of the mission seems a little ambitious, but once you see the space, you can understand why.

The 1899 building served as a church and then as an events center in its former lives, and when sunlight pours through the massive stained-glass windows, it floods the room, drifting up into every eave of the vaulted ceilings. Even surrounded by such beauty, no soul feels completely nourished without good food. Luckily, Salt Springs has that in spades.

Ducks from Double L Farms are halved, sprinkled with herbs and brought to tables on a knotted wood slab. Wild Maine mussels, dusted with minced garlic, fill a cast-iron dish flanked by hunks of crusty bread. No matter what seasonal dish the chef dreams up, it always perfectly complements the beer.