“And though the modern Southern standards on the menu—fried chicken, shrimp and grits, as well as the hazelnut-studded Brussels sprouts—came highly recommended by many, this Northerner, feeling flush on the first warm day she’d felt all year, was leaning toward a smorgasbord of appetizers as her meal instead of one big blowout dish. Cracking open a bottle of Albarino with my lady-dates, I cleared the table for a parade of seasonal specials.”