Alden & Harlow

This list would not be complete without Alden & Harlow’s (not so) Secret Burger. After years of accolades, it's finally made it on the official menu. The eight-ounce Creekstone brisket burger, doused with Thousand Island-esque sauce, lettuce, and tomato, and plopped on a housemade roll, is brought to you by chef Michael Scelfo, who is known for whipping up bold dishes laced with the freshest ingredients in town.

A dinnertime table is still hard to snag, so start with the slightly more accessible Sunday brunch featuring dishes like pickled corn pancakes, croissant toad in the hole, and hickory smoked pig tails with grits and a poached egg. The spicy Bloody Mary is a hangover cure like no other, although the rotating cast of cocktails proves consistently invigorating. Oh, and psst: the secret burger is available on the brunch menu too, although it proves just as elusive as its nighttime counterpart.