Oh, goody! We need some fine baked goods around here.

Followup visit Sat. night. They are upping their game to Admiral-like heights, although the menu is still somewhat more limited than The Admiral. I had the best piece of fried fish I've had since Key West, and the Pig's Head Meatloaf was sublime. Gotta try the sweetbreads and buttermilk braised goat next time. If you haven't been yet, do yourself a favor...just book a reservation first because, to judge from the packed room the other night, the secret is out!

What a difference a few weeks makes. On a followup visit last night the boss man was nowhere to be seen, and the place was in chaos. The slow-moving line was out the door, which meant that many had to hover in the aisles to wait for one of the few tables. I'm baffled as to who thought the bocce ball court along the right wall was a good use of the limited square footage since probably six tables would fit in the mostly unused space. More bad news, I fear: Of the four burgers ordered by our party, three of them were served sitting in a quarter inch of liquid that rendered the whole thing a wet mess within minutes. We tried in vain to flag down one of the harried servers to complain, but were unsuccessful, so I dug into the lumpen pieces with knife and fork. It tasted fine, I guess, but the bread had all but melted by then. Finally, we got someone's attention, and asked to see a manager. Her response? "I wish you had told someone sooner." (In fairness, she did give us a refund on the one half-eaten burger on the table.) Time will tell whether this was an off-night or a sign of bad things to come...

Haven't tried COAST, but Asheville's Wedge Brewing belongs on that shortlist, too.

If you count Indian, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Sushi, Thai, Vietnamese, and Salvadorian as ethnic, there are way more than a dozen. (Still no true Dim sum, alas.)

Good question. I assumed "southeast" meant the entire region.

Besides ATL and in order...
1. New Orleans
2. Miami
3. Charleston
4. Asheville
5. Nashville
6. Louisville

I agree with burgeoningfoodie, Savannah is not (yet) a "foodie" town.

I'd say Mela if you want something a little more formal, Chai Pani if you want fast and energetic. Check out Chai Pani-owned MG Road (on Wall St.) for cocktails and apps, too.

We were greeted and seated promptly for our 7 p. reservation. Because the space is vaulted with a concrete floor, it can get, well, "energetic." Esp. if it is as busy as it was last night. Request one of their enclosed booths to cut the din. The decor is nuevo southern and rustic. The neon "Memphis recording service" sign and banging kitchen screen door are particularly nice touches, but the Chevy pickup tailgate hanging on the back wall looks rather forlorn. Our server was a most lovely and helpful young woman named Laura. There were four varieties of oyster on offer, including Rappahannock River ones, but we had had a big lunch and passed. Started with Weller bourbons (no Willett, alas) and a cone of chicken skin cracklins with molasses powder and sea salt. These could've used a little more seasoning, but were crunchy and delicious, if probably not the smartest dietary choice for those with elevated cholesterol. At first we had our eye on a grilled romaine salad with sardines and Cruze Farm Buttermilk chive dressing, but opted to save room for dessert instead, so next came the entrees. Wife had a perfectly cooked Steelhead Trout (a.k.a. wild salmon) with a smoky Benton's Bacon risotto, Oyster mushroom, and a (too) tiny dab of Carolina Paddlefish roe. I opted for the Cruze Farm Buttermilk Fried Chicken and crawfish mac and cheese and pea shoots. If this wasn't the best fried chicken I've had, it was close enough, buttery texture meets savory crunch. I thought the mac and cheese could've used a few more pieces of crawfish and I'm still on the fence about the pea shoots...found myself craving a nice sour, smoky pile of greens, to be honest. Still, it was pretty darned good, and a helluva a bargain, too, as you get a breast, a thigh, and a leg. Finally, dessert was a small jar of butterscotch pudding with molasses drizzle, a biscuit-like cookie, and few dabs of peanut butter fudge. The portion was a bit small for $7, but that pudding was so tender and tasty I didn't much care. Speaking of biscuits, I was baffled that a neuvo southern place would not have any on the menu...and no skillet cornbread, either. Total, including tip and three drinks, was a more than fair eighty bucks. Bottom line: Seven Sows is a very good and well run restaurant that I predict will be great as long as it continues to push the boundaries of what traditional southern cooking can be. We will be back.

Okay, so I drove by the place tonight after dinner at Seven Sows, and it was dark. So I guess the information on their Facebook page is wrong. If anybody knows when they do plan on opening, please let us know.

According to their Facebook page, Elliot Moss's new sake/sushi/yakitori place opens today. Am trying Seven Sows this weekend, so I may not get there for a week or so. If anybody goes, please share your thoughts.

Thanks for the detailed review...and for talking me down off the fence about this place. Will give it a try soon!

Ate there last night. It's loud and lively, not really a place to linger. You can order at the counter, or sit at the bar. The namesake burgers were very good, cooked exactly medium (done outside, pink middle, clear juices) I particularly like the no. 5 with a sweet-savory Pine Street Bacon-onion-pimento marmalade, Looking Glass Creamery Goat Cheese, and arugula. We also had a basket of fries and rings with FB sauce (a spicy mayo). They were good, but could've used a few more minutes in the oil. Good selection of local beers, including beer floats, as well as local brews in cans and bottles. In fact, almost everything they use--from beef to the buns to the exemplary pickles--is sourced from farms/artisans in western N.C., eastern TN, and north GA. This will be a great place to soak up the booze late on a Sat. night. (They'll need to stay open past midnight, though.) Talked a bit with the manager while we were there, too. Great guy--very receptive to customer feedback. We will be back.

Which food truck? Neue?

Limones. Yes! (Get the ceviche of the day and a margarita and go from there.)

I've only been to the Local Taco in Greenville. Nice enough folks, but I'm sorry to report their food offerings are nothing special.

Danna: Have you tried the Korean Beef Taco at White Duck? Much better than the one at Local Taco, if you ask me. (The house-made kimchee they put on it pretty great, too.)

I think you mean Drew Maykuth, who was number two man under Elliot Moss at Admiral.

Depends on what you're looking for, but the Fresh Market on Merrimon has a decent selection of picnic supplies, including deli sides and made-to-order sandwiches. As for beer bars, you've come to the right town! Besides Wicked Weed and Thirsty Monk, there's Barley's, Jack of the Wood pub, Asheville Brewing Company, Green Man Brewing, Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain), and Wedge Brewing in the River Arts District.

Agree with Miss Piggy's recs, except I'm not a big Bouchon fan, and Corner Kitchen is just okay.

Admiral and Curate are delightful. I predict you will be pleased.

Thanks for the detailed review. I hope to try FB this weekend!

Farm Burger open, you say? I am so there...probably this weekend.

Agree. And not a business plan for success.

The Hendo location closed, what, two years ago? Anyway, sadly, it's gone, gone, gone...

Butcher & Bee: Yes! (Forgot that one.)

Taco Boy (Folly Beach) is fun for drinks and munchies, but the food is nothing special, IMO.

Plenty of good choices on all fronts...and plenty of recent chat on this board. Just plug "Charleston" into the search window above.

My personal faves:
1. F.I.G. (the best in town--reservations a must)
2. Two Boroughs Larder
3. Grocery
4. MacIntosh
5. McGrady's
6. Gin Joint (cocktails and munchies)
7. Bowen's Island Seafood Restaurant (oyster season only)
8. Hominy Grill (breakfast and/or lunch)
9. Jestine's Kitchen
10. Glazed (awesome donuts)
11. Glass Onion
12. Al Di La (Italian)
13. Poe's Tavern (burgers and tacos--very casual)

Major buzz on Mike Lata's The Ordinary, but I haven't been.

We've now been twice post-Elliot. The only discernible differences are that service is slightly slower and the food is served slightly warmer.

Still the best restaurant in Asheville.

Thanks so much for the detailed report, Miss Piggy. Can't wait to try this place.

Crap! Just as I'm headed out of town. We expect a full report after! <winky smiley>

Sounds great. Only: Is the food any better? I mean, it was never bad, just nothing particularly special.