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Best Chef: Southeast
Save up your pennies for fine dining in a restored 1922 bank building. Even if your expectations are as high as the interior ceilings, they’ll be met by Jamie Davis’ “Southern eclectic” menu of surf and turf. (Think seared scallops with purple asparagus or fried pork belly with a golden raisin mostarda.) Davis ensures the ingredients are as local and farm-fresh as possible — a promise you can take to the bank.
Outstanding Chef
You can almost feel the salty ocean breeze while diving into Seabird’s swordfish schnitzel, tuna tartare and other stunningly plated dishes dreamed up by chef-owners Dean Neff and Lydia Clopton. The seasonal seafood tower is a showstopper worth sharing with the whole table; depending on the time of year, it may include deviled catfish, blue crab salad and a smoked sturgeon dip with osetra caviar.
Outstanding Hospitality
The team of chef Scott Crawford, chef de cuisine Aaron Salita and general manager Kat Rider ensures Crawford and Son runs like clockwork, down to the servers’ knowledge of each ingredient’s backstory on the hyper-seasonal menu. Curious about the origins of your grilled lamb loin, heirloom carrots with harissa yogurt, or peach and melon salad with duck prosciutto? They’ll gladly fill you in.
Afghan Kabob
Army base Fort Bragg has helped turn Fayetteville into a vibrant hub of international culture and cuisine. Afghan Kabob’s second location (the original sits on a base in Kandahar, Afghanistan) serves heaping plates of grilled kofta (ground beef and lamb) and falafel with rice, salad and other accompaniments.
Chai Pani
Indian street food lies at the core of chef Meherwan Irani’s menu, but it’s the perfect harmony of textures and flavors that led Chai Pani to winning the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant in 2022. Fill up on vada pav (spicy potato dumplings) and tandoori chicken with a mint-yogurt chutney.
Filipino Cuisine
Love for lumpia (paper-thin fried spring rolls) has spread throughout this military town, with demand keeping this family-owned restaurant bustling. Choose from pork, beef, chicken or vegetable variations, and round out your meal with an entree of pork or chicken adobo.
More stops on Jacksonville's International Food TrailThe Lost Wombat
The land of Down Under has made its way to North Wilkesboro. Order shrimp on the barbie (shrimp skewers coated with honey-garlic sauce) and enjoy the communal atmosphere on the sprawling lawn with picnic tables and yard games.
Toner's Irish Pub
Jim and Iris Toner fell in love with a Dublin pub on a trip to Ireland, so naturally, they created a full-scale reimagining of it in their hometown — nearly 300 years after the original location opened. Imported materials give Toner’s authentic flair, as does the menu: shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, Scotch eggs and more.
Dalaya Thai Cuisine
Chef Kanlaya “Gun” Supachana whips up the flavors of Thailand — rich curries, sauced noodles, sticky rice (sometimes with mango) and savory seafood — with precision that earned a 2024 James Beard Award nomination. A specialty: Sai-Ua, pork sausage with green chili dip.
Appetizer: Belcross Biscuit Company
Jeff Burns has earned the nickname “Mr. Biscuits” for his flavorful and fluffy concoctions, including the signature sweet potato biscuit. Go big with the Hangover Biscuit sandwich: bacon, sausage, egg, cheese and hash browns — all drowned in gravy.
First Course: Saltbox Seafood Joint
The 2022 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southeast, Ricky Moore, dresses up the freshest catches (blue crab, mahi-mahi and many more) with zippy seasonings. Don’t skimp on the sides, especially Moore’s addictive Hush-Honeys: honey-glazed cornmeal fritters.
Second Course: Magnolia 23
If you feel like you’ve just walked into Sunday dinner with relatives, this family-owned restaurant considers its mission accomplished. The fried chicken has garnered national attention, and the candied yams, collards, and mac and cheese will keep you happily stuffed until the next stop.
Third Course: Good Hot Fish
Honoring the recipes of her fish-frying grandmother and other relatives, "Top Chef" contestant Ashleigh Shanti dishes sustainably sourced shrimp burgers and catfish sandwiches, plus a kicky sweet potato cabbage pancake with sorghum hot sauce.
Dessert: Ice Cream Trail
The 13 stops on this sweet journey cater to all “coneheads” and frozen fiends. House-made scoops at The Baker’s Box combine classic flavors with berries, candy and other edible inspiration.
Let your appetite take control of your vacation planning with the help of The Official 2025 North Carolina Travel Guide.