Word’s spreading fast about the fried chicken at SS Gai — it’s some of the best in town. You’ll find the Thai chicken shop in bay three of the Wash, a restaurant incubator in East Nashville. There are two versions of the bird on the menu: gai tod (fried) and gai yang (smoky grilled). Both come with sticky rice, fried shallots and garlic, tamarind chili and fish sauce, chili vinegar, and a generous portion of local veggies on the side. Start with some of the grilled peanuts or the spicy mango in fish sauce before diving into the main course.

The Vandyke Bed and Beverage is no more. In its place: Reunion, a high-end dive bar and restaurant from the Tusk Brothers (Never Never) located in Five Points. The U-shaped bar on the ground floor is surrounded by plants, funky wallpaper, and tufted green banquettes perfect for munching on flatbreads, smash burgers, and Japanese fried chicken sandwiches while sipping on signature drinks like the Atlantic Sour with rye, port, Angostura, and lemon.

This fast-casual spot in East Nashville offers a build-your-own-bowl experience with your choice of masala rice, turmeric rice, naan, or mixed greens as the base; lamb, chicken, paneer, and chickpeas for proteins; and a variety of curries, sauces, and vegetables as toppings. You can also opt for one of Gully Boyz’s customizable kathi rolls — just make sure to follow it up with some gulab jamun (honeyed milk-dough balls) for dessert.

The Four Seasons has a new rooftop hang for swanky gatherings and views of the sun setting over downtown Nashville. With subtle influences from the French Riviera, the all-day menu veers on the lighter end with oysters, watermelon gazpacho popsicles, carrot salad, and a vegetable-packed ratatouille panini. (For more robust appetites, the Wagyu burger and coconut rum cake will hit the spot.) Adding to the chic European vibe: French pop and disco music playing on the airwaves and a rotating list of guest DJs.

Nashville loves a good steakhouse, but Harper’s in SoBro has a different energy than your typical chophouse with vibrant floral wallpaper, cozy dining nooks, lush greenery, and intricate stonework and archways. The buzzy, see-and-be-seen atmosphere is mirrored in a showy menu of tuna crudo on a cloud of dry ice, delicate slices of elk tenderloin in a blackberry demi-glace, and massive desserts (like a creme brulee that’s torched tableside) that feed four to six people.

Before settling into dinner at Yolan, you’ll want to stop by the Joseph’s newest cocktail bar for interesting drinks in a visually arresting space: picture hide on the walls, fringe hanging from the ceiling, and a long blood-red, Rosso Levanto Italian marble bar. The cocktail menu here features nine different negronis and a selection of kicky aperitivos — like cheddar farfalle crisps and Nashville hot corn nuts — to tide you over until your next meal.

After testing out its concept as a pop-up, St. Vito’s is finally situated in its permanent home inside the former Colt’s Chocolate factory in the Gulch, where it’s doling out handmade focaccia and filling Sicilian fare. Led by Chef Michael Hanna, the pizza — which uses sfincione dough — takes its inspiration from foods baked and served on the streets of Sicily by nuns of the monastery of San Vito more than 700 years ago. Early standouts include the Ripieno Vito focaccia filled with porchetta, mustard onions, garlic, and herbs, and the strombolis.

Elevated Japanese cuisine is on deck at Midtown’s newest offering: Ichigo Ichie. Located in the former Caviar and Bananas space, the sushi bar/cocktail lounge is helmed by a Bay Area chef with over 20 years of experience with delicate slices of raw fish. Expect classic makis and sashimi, signature rolls like the Angry Fish with spicy bluefin tuna, avocado, escolar, fried onion, and eel sauce, and chef’s specials that include monkfish liver with ponzu, Wagyu tataki, and kanpachi truffle.

Wedgewood-Houston’s on a roll this year with another new opening, this one courtesy of chefs Ryan and Matthew Poli. This time, the brothers are laser-focused on Italian cuisine with a 70-seat main dining room centered around a large open kitchen. From there, guests can watch as the chefs prepare housemade brioche garlic bread with whipped cheese, Maine crab tortellini, and seaweed garganelli with Japanese green chiles and scallop bottarga. Gluten-free pasta is also available as a substitute for most dishes.

Owned by Wes Taylor (Patterson House and M Street) and Matt Ramos (Yolan and Red Pebbles Hospitality), Common Ground’s new Berry Hill location is the second for the enterprising duo. Situated near Geodis Park, the restaurant is poised for pre-game sips and snacks like a seasonal bruleed peach dish with goat cheese and black cherry vinaigrette, arancini with duck confit, and Black Hawk Wagyu smash burgers. Cocktails include the Don’t BNA Hole with bourbon, amontillado sherry, lemon, cinnamon, watermelon, orgeat, and mint, and five varieties of espresso martini.

The adult beverages in Capri Sun-like pouches might seem like irreverent fun, but the Asian tapas at Mi Kitchen have serious culinary chops. Situated in a strip mall in Franklin, the warm, modern interior is lined with booths of boisterous customers sharing plates of crispy fried chicken in a Korean-inspired sweet and spicy sauce, tsi-ran dry rub lamb chops, edamame truffle dumplings, and bowls of japchae (stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles) with mushroom and shredded chili skin.