Decatur, GA: Leon’s Full Service
I’ll be honest. I outright envy the residents of Decatur. The folks who live in or near Atlanta’s “little sister” city have plenty of time to work their way through the deceptively simple menu at this new neighborhood spot; the single sheet sports an astonishing amount of creative, modern bar food, plus fantastic cocktails and a remarkably well-curated beer selection. From the simplest snacks (roasted cashews flavored with bourbon and bacon; bistro-inspired radishes and butter) to crispy trout fillets drizzled with apricot vinaigrette, chef Eric Ottensmeyer knows how to have fun. Fans of his crispy, pitch-perfect frites get to choose between thirteen dipping sauces, including chèvre fondue and peppercorn gravy. Bocce fanatics (there’s a court out back) can nosh on day-glo hummus spiked with carrot or crunch into a sweet-savory waffle, which comes wrapped in wax paper bag. The glass-clad dining room and bar can get loud, but the patio and bocce court offer refuge. Makes a traveler jealous… 131 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA (404-687-0500; leonsfullservice.com) —Pableaux Johnson
Greenport, NY: Frisky Oyster Bar
When the Frisky Oyster opened on the North Fork of Long Island five years ago, East Enders got a restaurant that instantly raised the sophistication level of an area better know for farmstands, vineyards, and weekenders out from the city. It felt clubby. It felt like New York, downtown New York. Now, the owners have opened the Frisky Oyster Bar, just a block down the street in Greenport. The more casual, no-reservations restaurant offers many of the same dishes as its older sibling, the kind of satisfying, straightforward food that’s not aiming to hit any culinary heights. I was happy to see the grilled skirt steak, a favorite that comes with sides of radicchio and a baby romaine salad dressed with a subtle blue-cheese dressing. I also love the crab Louie, with a creamy pink sauce that only hints at Thousand Island. Soft-shelled crabs and Montauk tuna are staples of both menus, too. So if you’re looking for the difference between the two places, just think of the main restaurant as a cozy, cool-weather retreat with red-flocked wallpaper while the bar is more Nantucket, all airy and white, with swirls of blue paint that lend a Jackson Pollock effect. 136 Front St., Greenport, NY (631-477-6720) —William Sertl