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A new season of restaurant openings is in full swing as the weather continues to heat up, and dining out with good company is top of mind. Scattered throughout the South, delicious and innovative places have opened their doors, allowing guests to experience one-of-a-kind menus and intimate settings, and to make new connections over handcrafted dishes from renowned chefs. New openings are popping up from New Orleans to Naples, Florida, and up through the Carolinas to Washington, DC. We chose five new Southern restaurants you’ll want to keep on your radar this spring.
Kenji Kazoku
Old Metairie, Louisiana
Kenji Kazoku opened back in April, and since then, has given Old Metairie a taste of their signature approach, completed with dry-aged Japanese fish, sushi dishes, and a family-style experience. The moody interior offers an intimate setting with an elegant Japanese-inspired design. The restaurant is the newest addition from former Louisiana State University football player Malachi Dupre and chef Matthew Nguyen. After previously opening Kenji Omakase in New Orleans, the pair took Nguyen’s knife work and Japanese technique to Kenji’s newest sister restaurant. They pride themselves on the restaurant’s accessible, relaxed setting.
Fortuna Cucina Italiana
Wilmington, North Carolina
After opening its doors in May, Fortuna Cucina Italiana in Wilmington, North Carolina, continues to pride itself on its organic approach, craftsmanship, and respect for ingredients. This contemporary Italian restaurant offers guests a cozy, welcoming dining experience personally crafted by acclaimed restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias, with a kitchen led by executive chef and partner Chris Lewnes. You’ll notice both authenticity and intention in every bite.
Rye Bunny
After closing Tail Up Goat in DC last year, husband-and-wife duo Jill Tyler and Jon Sybert filled the space with Rye Bunny, offering a casual counter service experience with a fine dining twist. The new restaurant opened in April as it sought to set a new standard for elevated counter-service. The menu, curated by Tyler and Sybert, features hyper-seasonal dishes that change on a weekly basis to showcase different ingredients to guests. Apart from the evolving dinner menu, the restaurant also offers a hefty drink list, featuring cocktails, beers, wines, and zero-proof drinks for its mocktail-loving guests.
Heyday Cookshop
Naples, Florida
Florida chef Kayla Pfeiffer opened Heyday Bookshop back in April after premiering on Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Food Fight and securing her spot as a semifinalist in the 2025 James Beard nominations for Best Emerging Chef. The concept features rotating chef residencies and a hi-fi bar as it looks to take on a more “cultural clubhouse” vibe. Heyday is located in Naples, Florida, where the current chef in residence is Jorge Luis Pabon. Guests have the option to experience Pabon’s tasting menu being offered for a limited time, and includes a multi-course tasting menu curated by chef Pabon with wine and vermouth pairings by Alexis White. This is a rotating event with each chef in residence.
Safta’s Table
It’s no secret that The Local Palate loves an all-day café, and as of March 9, Safta’s Table has joined the list. Claiming their status as an all-day Mediterranean café, this New Orleans restaurant offers an inviting indoor eating space, filled with calming colors and chic diner vibes as guests enjoy breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner options. James Beard award-winning chef and partner Alon Shaya opened the restaurant alongside restaurateur Emily Shaya. The red-and-yellow-tiled café offers an assortment of beverages, ranging from coffees to pick you up and cocktails and wine to wind you down. And, for those who don’t feel like dining in, grab-and-go items are available along with to-go meals for the entire group.
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Emilee Calametti
Emilee Calametti is Assistant Digital Editor of The Local Palate. As a Southern native who calls Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home, she values both good food and good people. She holds a B.A. in English from Louisiana State University, an M.A. in English from Georgia State University, and an M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Her work has appeared in EntertainmentNOW, inRegister, Houstonia Magazine, The Center Square, Yahoo! News, AOL, MSN, The Shreveport Times, Bookstr, Planetly Vegan, and other publications. Outside of The Local Palate, you can find her teaching a barre class, baking bread, or spending time outdoors with her husband and their three dogs.
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