The Cardinal (CLOSED)

North Carolina native Curtis Brown (Bubby's, Endless Summer) nods to his home state at this southern spot, which is named after the state bird and adorned with the official flag. Dig into down-home plates like fried chicken, pulled pork and lard biscuits, made with ingredients from local purveyors like Fleisher's Grass-Fed and Organic Meats and Ottomanelli & Sons Meat Market. To drink, choose from old-timey sodas, including Dad's Root Beer and North Carolina's cultish cherry-flavored Cheerwine.