Trying the Tasty Fried Chicken at The Angry Five in Morgantown, WV



I’m often asked to name my picks for the best restaurants in Charleston and, sometimes, even in the state. It’s almost always a gut-churning challenge, because there are so many more worthy contenders than there used to be.

But come up with a list of my favorite restaurants in the country? No way.

Yet that’s just the monumental task Eater’s restaurant editor Bill Addison tackled last year, after logging nearly 100,000 miles from coast to coast in a quest to find the nation’s “most essential” restaurants. His culinary trek took him to 48 cities — from obvious food towns (San Francisco, Austin) to off-the-beaten-path locales (Montana) — to come up with an honor roll of just 38 restaurants.

Making the cut were such high-brow spots as Alinea in Chicago, Cafe at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, FIG in the other Charleston, Husk in Nashville and Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York, and casual joints like Franklin BBQ in Austin, Guerrilla Tacos in Los Angeles and Poole’s Diner in Raleigh.

I’ve only been to one place on this list: the one-of-a-kind Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, an elegant old-world steakhouse complete with fabulously ornate décor, deep maroon walls, chunky dark mahogany tables and here chairs, flickering candles and servers dressed to the nines.

It’s also home to one of the world’s largest wine cellars and an internationally known “dessert room” — which you’re escorted to after dinner via a pass through the kitchen. The place opened back in 1956 and it feels like time has stood still since then.

The wonderful ambiance, food, service and overall experience make it worthy of Eater’s “National 38” list. If the other 37 places on this list are just as memorable, I may have some travel planning to do.

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Another place that made Eater’s list is Prince’s, a Nashville joint known as the holy grail for the culinary phenomenon known as “Nashville Hot Chicken.” For the uninitiated, this tongue-searing scorcher consists of fried chicken that’s coated in a fiery cayenne paste and served atop plain white bread with pickles.

I don’t get it.

Nashville is a super-cool place that is quickly becoming known as one of the nation’s best food cities and I’ve been to more four-star restaurants there than I can count. But despite its undeniable popularity, Prince’s has never been a draw for me.

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