Lucille's

It doesn’t take long for visitors to Lucille’s in the Museum District to understand that family is important to Chef/Owner Chris Williams. The restaurant, which debuted in later summer 2012, pays homage to Williams’ great grandmother Lucille, who made cooking a family affair with her cookbooks and entrepreneurial spirit.

The interior of the quaint bungalow on LaBranch Street is decorated with photos of the Williams family and dark wood finishings. Here, Southern cuisine reigns supreme, with specialties such as braised oxtails, oyster sliders, fried green tomatoes and Lucille’s famous chili biscuits which she once served to Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. But many of these regional recipes have been paired with newer flavors such as chimichurri quinoa.

In true Southern tradition, a small garden for vegetables grows out back and Miss Lucille’s recipe notecards make up a mural of sorts that adorn one wall. Creative signature cocktails such as the spiced sidecar and the cumbertini make for a lively happy hour.

Lucille’s is currently open for dinner, lunch and brunch.

• Named one of 50 hot restaurants for summer by Nation's Restaurant News (2013).