Chef Frank Stitt, Birmingham

Close your eyes, and imagine sweet, plump scallops, perfectly seared and paired with a succotash of garden-fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, and lima beans. Or creamy grits against a bite of pork tenderloin sweetened with a touch of fresh peach relish.

When dining with chef Frank Stitt, you don’t have to imagine. You just enjoy.

Using commonplace, seasonal ingredients flavored with traditions from France, Italy, and the Mediterranean, this chef makes palates sing. He and his wife, Pardis, operate four restaurants with distinctive personalities and cuisines. Luscious foods, complemented by gracious service and extraordinary attention to detail, make each place a fabulous experience.

“Pardis is obsessive about details and about the dining rooms being as warm and inviting as possible,” Frank says. “There’s also that tingle of excitement. The pop of the Champagne bottle and the action of the bar add to the dining experience.”

Author John Egerton pegged the first restaurant, Highlands Bar and Grill, quite nicely. As Frank recalls, “John said that when he first started coming here he used to think, ‘This is like my favorite restaurants in New Orleans. This is like Galatoire’s and Commander’s. Now I’ve come to realize that’s not it at all. It’s Rick’s Café in Casablanca.’ ”