US South - Best Food & Wine

1. Galatoire's, New Orleans. A French Quarter legend that hopefully won't ever change. You'll know you've reached an authentic spot when you see the locals gladly standing in line with the tourist likes of you—and you'll know your first impression was dead on when you see the elegant dining rooms and taste the impeccable French-Haute-Creole cuisine. In keeping with tradition, reservations are not accepted; they have started taking credit cards, however. Call 504-525-2021.

2. Peaches, Byron, Georgia. Do you know whether peach trees are more closely related to cherry trees or to rose bushes? Or how to remove the fuzz? To learn the answers to these burning questions, exit I-75 at the giant peach and head to Byron for the Peach Festival (June 9-11), where you can sample the world's largest cobbler, participate in peach-bin races, or just cram fruit into your face until the juice drying on your face gives you a mean case of lockjaw. Call 912-825-3733.

3. Old Ebitt Grill, Washington, D.C. This capital institution is the place to witness those infamous lobbyist-Senator schmoozefests known as power lunches. Dark mahogany tables, velvet booths, and subdued lighting combine with location, location, and location—across the street from Treasury, a block away from the White House, and minutes from Capitol Hill—do all but scream inner sanctum. Reservations, needless to say, are highly recommended; call 202-347-4801.

4. Soft-Shell Crabs, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Arguably the greatest gift to man from the Chesapeake are these not-so-thick-skinned crustaceans. When in season, there's no shortage of demand for the sweet, delicate meat, though we'd argue that the novelty of eating a crab whole—legs and all—also has something to do with its extreme popularity. While there's no shortage of restaurants serving up this delicacy, take it from us: Beach Pub, Henry's, and Rockafellers are consistently good. Call 800-822-3224.

5. Lexington, North Carolina. The art is BBQ, and the artists are the denizens of this town 110 miles west of Raleigh, who have taken the backyard cookout to another level. The secret is slowly cooking the entire hog over hickory coals for ten hours. And forget that tomato-based sauce; here it's water and vinegar with just a dash of pepper. Most local barbeque joints are...well, dives, but the service is rapid-fire and the food is m-mmm-mmmmmm. For more information, call the Barbeque Center, sponsor of late October's Barbeque Festival, at 336-248-4633.