Food & Drink in Matthews

Start your cruise through Vinnie's menus with the pelagic flavors of one-dozen oysters, blackened and served hot and spicy ($10.99). For diners that are extra-hungry and in need of an odd hat, there's the big combo basket of all of Vinnie's fried delights: crispy oysters, butterfly shrimp, calabash shrimp, and fish fillets ($16.99). Vinnie's original fish sandwich with fries ($9.99) offers a handheld seafood option, not to be confused with the derivative fish sandwich—the chicken club ($8.99). Vinnie's seasoned chefs also put together wraps and entrees such as the shrimp and grits, which fuses ground-corn flavors with ocean-fresh shrimp ($10.99).

A chef slices the pineapple straight down the middle—stalk and all—and scoops out some of its sticky-sweet insides, leaving a hollow oval bowl. Then he fills it with a jumble of seafood—shrimp, scallops—scattered with chunks of the pineapple's innards. The extravagant seafood dish, known as the piña cantamar, is just one of many Mexican seafood specialties at Tacos & Tequila Cantina Grill. In addition to the piña cantamar, the menu includes south-of-the-border versions of red snapper, crab legs, and lobster. And for more traditional tastes, the restaurant also offers fajitas, tacos, and burritos—but any dishes goes well with one of its top-shelf tequilas, which can be served in a margarita.

Started by brothers Eugene and John Jetts back in 1978 in Sterling Heights, Michigan, the two created a signature deep-dish pizza that was the talk of the town. What really set it apart were its square shape and fresh ingredients. Over the years, Jet's Pizza grew into several additional locations, before eventually graduating to the corporate big leagues when Jet's America was born, 14 years later. Today, more than 200 locations sling those same square pies across 13 states, embracing the company's slogan of "Life is short. Eat better pizza." with a menu of customizable and specialty pizzas, sandwiches, and appetizers.

Hot pot soups brimming with ingredients such as chicken and chinese herb wine sizzle at the center of the table, enticing diners to cook their own morsels of seafood, meat, and veggies by dipping them into the spicy chicken broth. Hot pot is one of The Dynasty Cuisine’s specialties, but the Chinese eatery’s expert chefs render further DIY cooking obsolete. Executive chef and owner Joe Lam, who has been concocting Chinese eats for the past 25 years, relishes in creating dishes that pair contrasting flavors and textures, such as delicate cellophane noodles intertwined with tender meats. Meanwhile, dim sum chef Eddy Zhang, who has experience working at six-star Chinese hotels, concocts bite-size shrimp dumplings and fried shrimp balls, both of which offer a refreshing alternative to the American tradition of swallowing steaks whole.

Hibachi chefs are expected to be great entertainers, deftly flipping cuts of salmon or filet mignon from a tableside grill onto diners' plates. However, at Fujimi Sushi and Japanese Steak House—formerly Ajimi of Union County—showmanship also takes place behind the scenes. Sushi chefs arrange red salmon and succulent white tuna into sashimi roses, and red-snapper sashimi nestled on a bed of ice stays more perfectly chilled than a snowman trapped in a refrigerator. Signature rolls include the American Dream with rock-shrimp tempura, lobster, and crabmeat, as well as the Cobe, a fusion roll with tuna and filet mignon. Guests can venture farther into fusion with a tuna pizza laden with fresh herbs, avocado, and spicy mayo.

In the kitchen at Mario’s Pizza, chefs heap cheese, steak, and sun-dried tomatoes onto oversize New York–style and sicilian pizza crusts. A white pizza covered in ricotta cheese, fresh garlic, and mozzarella reminds taste buds of eating a delicious snowman, and comes in sizes ranging from 10 inches to as large as 19 inches. Baked pasta and sandwiches, such as a philly steak or veal parmigiana, round out the menu.