FRESCO'S – Restaurant

Downtown Lakeland's Southern room on Kentucky Avenue, where chef Tina Calhoon has been plating since 2009 and the weekend starts with bottomless mimosas. The permanent fixtures earn their keep: spicy chicken and waffles under chorizo gravy, shrimp and grits carrying the same chorizo heat, the FSKB burger, and apple bourbon monkey bread to finish. Short ribs over cauliflower mash come up often in the praise, as does a from-scratch gluten-free biscuit -- the kitchen labels what is safe. Bourbon nights, brunch crowds, cocktails with real thought behind them. Southern cooking that dresses up without losing the plot.

Cuisine: Restaurant