"Chef Lawrence Weeks earned a 2024 James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist nod for this Germantown spot. At North of Bourbon, Weeks cooks eclectic Southern food, drawing particular inspiration from Creole and Cajun cuisine and the food of Louisiana and Mississippi. Shrimp yakamein is a popular pick, a mix of gulf shrimp sausage, local spaghetti, Louisiana chili crisp, scallions, crispy onions, and shrimp broth that’s said to cure a hangover. Speaking of which, North of Bourbon also boasts an extensive bourbon selection and a creative cocktail menu that earned it a place as one of America’s Best Bourbon Bars, according to The Bourbon Review in 2022. Must-try dish: Regulars love the crawfish boudin balls, based on a popular dish at gas stations in southwest Louisiana. Weeks’s version is a rice ball made with onions, bell peppers, and celery, served with Creole mustard aioli." - Lennie Omalza