Local flavors come in for celebration at Bluegold, a lush eatery “where traditional farm-to-table culture is renewed beneath the California sky.” LSXO, a smaller and separate concept sharing the same space, serves as a hideaway to explore chef Tin Vuong’s Vietnamese roots.

Website: dinebluegold.com

Address: 21016 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Phone number: 714-374-0038

Number of seats: 235 at Bluegold, 28 at LSXO

Entrée price range: $5-$18

Popular dishes: Uni risotto with hijiki, egg, and truffle vin; paella of rice and noodle with prawns, scallop, chicken, clams, mussels, octopus and sofrito; lamb Chop “frites” with roasted eggplant purée, ratatouille and persillade; salt and pepper lobster with butter fried shallots, fried chiles, garlic.

What others say: “No matter what dining room you select, it'll be a change from what you've come to expect from the local dining scene.” — Anne Marie Panoringan, OC Weekly

Pan roasted sea bass

Mexican food is not hard to come by in San Antonio, Tex., but this new destination represents a mindful, creative step up from the norm by the Empty Stomach restaurant group (behind the Asian eatery Hot Joy and artisanal pizza place Barbaro).

Website: eatchisme.com

Address: San Antonio, Texas

Phone number: 210-530-4236

Number of seats: 125

Entrée price range: $12-$23

Popular dishes: Cochinita Pibil: Yucatán-style smoked pork shoulder with Gulf salsa, pickled red onions, black beans and rice; carne asada tacos with grilled beef steak, charred onion crema, crispy shallots and green onion; Queso con Chisme: house queso with barbecue sauce, refried beans, guacamole and cilantro.

What others say: “Sure, you can get a carne asada platter with rice and beans at a crosstown taquería for half that price. What you won’t get is steakhouse-quality beef seared medium-rare in smoky chile pasilla the way chef Mara Serna does it at Chisme, and suddenly that Cadillac carne asada platter becomes a steak plate with rice, beans, charred onions, steak fries and handmade tortillas at a hell of a bargain.” — Mike Sutter, San Antonio News-Express

In Vancouver, Wash., about a 40-minute drive from Portland, artisanal pizzas of the Neapolitan persuasion share the spotlight with distinctive frozen custards at this lively addition to the shopping-and-dining development The Mill.

Website: rallypizza.com

Address: 8070 East Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Wash.

Phone number: 360-524-9000

Number of seats: 55, plus 20 at the bar

Entrée price range: $15-$19

Popular dishes: Margherita pizza with hand-pulled mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil; The Bolognese pizza with tomato sauce, smoky béchamel, slow-cooked beef and pork meat sauce, hand pulled mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano; tocco di verde pizza with house-made ricotta, hand-pulled mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, fennel/chile/garlic oil and salsa verde.

What others say: “Rally Pizza gives Portlanders a reason to drive to Vancouver [Wash.].” — Kelly Clarke, Portland Monthly

Celebrated chef Scott Conant brought his touch and finesse with pasta (and other fine Italian fare) to an eagerly awaiting audience in Phoenix, Ariz.

Website: moraItalian.com

Address: 5651 N 7th St., Phoenix, Ariz.

Phone number: 602-795-9943

Number of seats: 165

Entrée price range: $13-$35

Popular dishes: Grilled octopus ceci with bean purée, crispy potato, cured olives and mint; ricotta fritters with spiced honey peperonata; fettuccine with mushrooms, roasted garlic and escarole; grilled pork chop "Milanese" with mustard seed crust and spring bean insalata.

What others say: “While we’ve no shortage of culinary talent, it would be disingenuous to deny that the Valley’s pulse quickened slightly when Scott Conant came to town.”  — Dominic Armato, The Arizona Republic

Cavatelli

In Sacramento, Calif., this casual offshoot of a more fine-dining-focused Hawks restaurant in nearby Granite Bay features gastropub fare with a mix of approachability and refinement around the edges.

Website: hawkspublichouse.com

Address: 1525 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento, Calif.

Phone number: 916-588-4440

Number of seats: 52

Entrée price range: $11-$33

Popular dishes: Ciccioli (pork cakes) with pickled vegetables, Dijon mustard and grilled bread; Public House burger with wagyu beef, brioche bun, French fries, aïoli and dill pickles; housemade bucatini with smoked mozzarella stuffed meatballs and roasted tomato sauce; buttermilk fried chicken, pommes purées and country gravy with pickled jalapeño coleslaw.

What others say: “There can be no greater argument for the growing stature of Sacramento’s food community than the owners of Hawks, which has maintained one of the most sterling reputations in the region since it opened in 2007, wanting to be nearer to it.” — Carla Meyer, The Sacramento Bee

In Kansas City, a family restaurant called Chocolate Frogs morphed into this more stately upscale barbecue-and-whiskey destination to accompany a movie theater under the same roof.

Website: cfrogs.com

Address: 3935 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, Kan.

Phone number: 913-601-5250

Number of seats: 200

Entrée price range: $9-$26

Popular dishes: Burnt ends with hand cut fries, house smoked barbecue beans and Hillsdale Bank barbecue sauce; frog legs slow smoked and fried with lemon butter sauce and fried banana peppers; KC Classic sandwich with brisket, sausage, ham, cheddar cheese, tomato, ranch and Hillsdale Bank BBQ sauce on grilled Texas toast.

What others say: “They've come a long way. … Very attractive suburban restaurant attached to a theater. Previous concepts were lacking. New broad menu with emphasis on BBQ. … This restaurant finally has its act together and deserves your business. You won't be sorry.” — comment on Trip Advisor

BBQ Ribs

In Bend, Ore., this spirited home for Spanish and Latin American street fare moved to a new location to more than double its size while maintaining the sizzle that made it a favorite in the first place.

Website: barriobend.com/

Address: 915 NW Wall St., Bend, Ore.

Phone number: 541-389-2025

Number of seats: 126

Entrée price range: $6-$24

Popular dishes: Seared Halloumi with Strawberry-tomato salsa, pomegranate and pistachio; Tacos on grilled corn tortillas with lettuce, onion, cilantro, cotija cheese, Colorado and verde salsas, plus choice of pork carnitas, beef barbacoa, beef lengua, pineapple and bacon, chicken tinga, mushroom and corn, grilled rockfish or grilled salmon; paella with Spanish rice seasoned with sofrito and grilled corn tortillas plus chorizo and chicken, chorizo and chicken and seafood, veggie and seafood, or vegetarian.

What others say: “The amount of passion people express when discussing Barrio is really what makes this Bend favorite one to put on the bucket list of downtown dining experiences.” — The Source Weekly

Shuttered after three years in La Jolla, Calif., for remodeling and then a reopening staged in grand fashion, this destination plays home to globally prepared seafood and locally sourced fare served up with magnificent ocean views.

Website: thehake.com

Address: 1250 Prospect St., Ste. B10., La Jolla, Calif.

Phone number: 858-454-1637

Number of seats: 197

Entrée price range: $29-$36

Popular dishes: Hamachi tiradito with miso, sliced jalapeño, garlic chips and cilantro; tuna carnitas with ponzu, caramelized shallot, serrano chile, Manteca and mashed avocado; grilled Spanish octopus with potatoes, smoked paprika, olive, chipotle, watercress and grapefruit.

What others say: “The Hake did a fantastic job with the remodel. Situated in prime coastal territory, first and foremost, they now have the ocean view that has always been missing! But beyond that, the interior is beautiful.” — comment on Yelp