With unprecedented choices filling our tables these days, how do you define a truly distinctive dining experience? By its unusual fare? The presentation? (Think airborne knives or flaming shish kabobs.) Maybe it’s the eclectic décor or the historic building. “Uniqueness” is certainly a broad and subjective concept. With that in mind, we’re serving up a handful of eateries in the Southeast that are in some way singular and unforgettable.

Alabama

So the boss is coming to town? Reserve a table at Cotton Row Restaurant in downtown Huntsville. Occupying a three-story brick building that dates to 1821—along the city’s former cotton exchange—Cotton Row has an impressive culinary pedigree. Its founder is celebrity chef James Boyce, whose résumé includes Le Cirque and the Phoenician Resort and a regular spot on NBC’s “Today” show. Order the grilled Black Angus steak with a bottle of 2003 Ciacci Brunello from the Cedar Pipe Cellar, and show the boss just what you’re made of.

If you really want to get fresh, Birmingham’s Hot and Hot Fish Club is the ticket. Its namesake is a 19th-century dinner club founded by a distant relative of chef/owner Chris Hastings. Long before “locavore” entered the vernacular, Hastings and his wife Idie were extolling the virtues of local, seasonal food; watch it being prepared in the open kitchen. The menu changes daily, so if you miss the fried green tomatoes, you’ll just have to come back again—and again.

Florida

You half expect to see Mimi and Rodolfo launch into a song, while Musetta waltzes around the dining room at Orlando’s Café Tu Tu Tango. Here, artists paint at easels (yes, their creations are for sale), or jugglers and magicians perform—while you dine on small portions billed as “food for the starving artist.” Wash it all down with a rum-infused Dandy Warhol cocktail, or, in the tradition of La Bohème, a bottle of wine.

Speaking of wine, choose from hundreds of vintages at Columbia Restaurant in Tampa’s Ybor City. Built in 1905 for local cigar workers, this gem boasts multiple rooms, including an Andalusian-inspired patio and a stage for flamenco shows, and a bar of polished wood that practically speaks history. Try the arroz con pollo and the famous “1905 Salad,” tossed right at your table.

Georgia

Don your stretchy pants before you go to Eddie Mae Gunn’s Country Buffet in Pine Mountain, near Callaway Gardens. Then follow the smell of barbecued pork that’s been cooking since early morning, and sit down to supper. “Not for the faint of heart,” recalls one sated fan, referring to the buffet, which changes daily and may include collards, corn bread and endless amounts of tea.

From down-home to upscale, or just plain up—723 feet high—the revolving Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View, at Atlanta’s Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, is – well, tops. The panoramic view of the city’s skyline includes CNN Center, Centennial Olympic Park and, in the distance, Stone Mountain. With that kind of ambiance, the food could be secondary. Fortunately, it’s not. Give serious consideration to the Vidalia-stuffed chicken breast.

North Carolina

What’s the scoop on Raleigh’s dining scene? The Raleigh Times Bar, located downtown in the building that once housed the capital city’s afternoon paper. Capturing the bustle of a bygone newsroom, the restaurant has hollowed-out spaces where printing presses once stood, and a décor of old clippings, staff memos and a 20-foot photo of newsboys, circa 1912. Choose from a vast selection of Belgian beers, the ideal partner for the grilled cheese, tomato and avocado sandwich.

Famous North Carolina barbecue and most anything else can be had in Asheville, a.k.a. “Foodtopia.” Each of its independent restaurants is unique, so we recommend an old favorite: the Sunset Terrace at the famed Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. Walk through the stunning Arts and Crafts lobby, dine al fresco on steak Diane and savor the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

South Carolina

Charleston teems with culinary headliners. But if you need a break from touring “the Holy City” (thanks to its many churches), slip into the Parisian-style bistro, Gaulart & Maliclet. G&M’s “fast and French” fare consists of soups and sandwiches, and a daily lunch special. Take a seat at the counter, elbow-to-elbow with locals, and enjoy the refreshing gazpacho with a cheese plate—and the house French white. Can you say, “ooh la la”?

Yes, there’s fine cuisine beyond the Lowcountry. Try Columbia’s funky Five Points neighborhood, home to The Gourmet Shop. Stop by for a brunch of the hot breakfast panini and a cup of Illy coffee, and browse the cheery selection of cookwares and wines. Then pick up some lip-smackin’ Palmetto State staples for the road—chicken or egg salad, whose key ingredient is Duke’s mayonnaise, made down the road in Greenville.