The Midtown Grille, Raleigh

At Midtown Grille, bowl-shaped chandeliers cast a warm glow over the dining room dressed in crisp white linens with cream walls. The elegant environs compete with equally elegantly plated seafood and locally snagged seasonal veggies. The kitchen enhances his succulent cuts of swordfish and short ribs with house-made pastas and sophisticated flourishes such as blue-cheese crema, pinot-soaked raisins, or miniature monocles that can be enjoyed in the dining room or on the restaurant's patio, weather permitting.