In a romantic setting in Alabama’s Orange Beach Marina, Fisher’s has two restaurants under one roof: the more casual Dockside and the smarter Upstairs, which is upscale without being pretentious. Here you can dine on seafood, meat and produce from local fishermen and farmers next to the twinkling lights and boats of the marina, while enjoying quirky design details like the reclaimed 19th-century hard pine floors, antique cypress tables and an onyx bar top.

An understated local favourite, La Baleine Café in Homer has amassed glowing reviews from the likes of Condé Nast Traveler. The café with a conscience opens daily at 5am to serve locals and fishermen with free coffee and delicious breakfasts made with farm-fresh, organic ingredients: reindeer sausage, local chorizo and fish caught that day are among the highlights.

In Sierra Vista, Arizona, Tanuki Sushi Bar and Garden is a cosy, charming place to get your fill of high-quality, inventive Japanese food. The interiors are quirky, with Asian art and trinkets covering the walls, and the management, including the owner Maggie, who has run the place for over twenty years, couldn’t be friendlier. Plus, the food is delicious, with a wide selection of dishes to choose from, such as tempura, teriyaki chicken and fresh sashimi.

Located inside a former church on quaint Bentonville Square in downtown Bentonville, The Preacher's Son is a striking place to eat. The dramatic architecture of the Gothic Revival-style church, staggeringly high ceilings and painted glass windows make a beautiful place to eat. The chef, himself the son of a Methodist preacher, changes dishes seasonally and prioritises locally sourced ingredients (often in gluten-free dishes). There’s also a speakeasy-style bar in the basement.

For an incredibly romantic date location with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, head to Sierra Mar, part of the Post Ranch Inn hotel in California’s Big Sur. With floor-to-ceiling windows, a prime location on a rugged cliff and a luxurious outdoor patio, it’s one of California’s most romantic spots. When you tear your eyes away from the scenery, enjoy choosing from the enormous wine collection (more than 14,000 bottles) and the sophisticated tasting menus.

If cosy, snowy, wintry charm is what you seek, make sure you visit the USA’s highest restaurant. Alpino Vino, in Colorado’s Telluride Ski Resort, is as picturesque as it gets at nearly 12,000 feet. Inside the quaint building surrounded by snow-capped trees, you'll find a wood-burning fireplace and sheepskin throws, an outdoor wine bar and a menu of gourmet Italian comfort food. You can visit even if you’re not a skier, as a snow coach transports visitors to the snug spot.

In a picturesque waterfront setting in New Haven, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill is all about great seafood and steak, plus superb cocktails, wine and beer. The decor has a nautical theme, there’s a big brass and steel bar where you can enjoy drinks and there are both indoor fireplaces and outdoor fire pits, making for a cosy, romantic meal whatever the weather.

The House of William & Merry, in Hockessin, is not just one of Delaware’s best-loved restaurants, but is the actual home of husband and wife team William Hoffman and Merry Catanuto. When the chefs were looking for their first restaurant, they found a 1922 farmhouse and decided to create a restaurant on the first floor, place tables for outdoor dining on the front porch, and live with their growing family on the second floor. They serve creative dishes made from local, often foraged ingredients.

For a taste of France in swanky Palm Beach, head to Chez Jean-Pierre. Opened by Normandy-born Jean-Pierre Leverrier and his wife Nicole in 1991, the bistro continues to be a family-run business, with the couple’s younger son, Guillaume, cooking with his father and the older son David running the dining room. They serve classic French food with generous portions, attractive presentation and great flavours. There’s also an excellent wine selection.

Visitors have likened the experience of eating in Cartersville’s cute Appalachian Grill to dining in an alpine cabin. Set in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains, the mountain chalet-esque establishment has a cosy vibe thanks to antique artwork, exposed brick walls and skis and poles mounted on the walls. The menu is just as tempting as the decor, with plenty of sophisticated comfort food such as creative burgers and seafood dishes.

With a beautiful oceanfront location in Hilo Bay’s on the Big Island, Hula Hulas is a newly-opened, casual restaurant specialising in farm-to-fork cuisine with a creative twist. The open-air restaurant not only offers panoramic ocean views and nightly live music but also varied, seasonal menus with ingredients sourced from local farmers and fishermen. Look out for the colourful, floor-to-ceiling mural by Kim Taylor Reece.

For gargantuan portions in a cosy, mountain lodge setting, head to McCall Pancake House in the resort town of McCall. The rustic family-owned restaurant has an endless supply of delicious comfort food to pick from, including enormous pancakes, burgers and sandwiches. If you manage to tear your eyes away from your plate, check out the quirky collection of food-related antiques displayed above each booth.

Deemed a “neighbourhood treasure” by The Chicago Tribune, the cute Café Marie-Jeanne is the place to go for upside-down meals, like breakfast omelettes for dinner, half a smoked duck for lunch and sautéed calf brains at breakfast. Run by a husband-and-wife team in Chicago, the restaurant also serves homemade bread and pastries, house cured and smoked fish, and a range of creative specials every day.

Celebrate Jasper's rich German heritage by grabbing an authentic German meal at Schnitzelbank. Owned by couple Larry and Betty Hanselman since 1961, the restaurant is a truly family-run affair, with their six children and many grandchildren also helping out. Their top dish is the 'bratzel' – a jumbo salted pretzel covered with sauerkraut, two bratwurst sausages and honey-mustard sauce – which was voted the number one sandwich in Indiana. There’s even a glockenspiel playing every half hour.

For a meal combined with a modern artistic experience, head to Waterloo restaurant Galleria de Paco, in which artist Paco Rosic has painstakingly recreated the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling using only spray paint. If you manage to drag your eyes away from the intricate ceiling design, enjoy dishes with a European twist. There’s also a jazz bar downstairs.

Bon Bon!, located in the trendy Warehouse Arts District of Lawrence, is a sweet local favourite. The charming café is set inside a renovated fireworks warehouse and is owned by Codi and Simon Bates, who live in the neighbourhood and created a quirky menu inspired by their world travels but using local ingredients. To make space for as many people as possible to sit down, the kitchen is located in a food truck on the patio. There's also a fantastic selection of creative cocktails.

First opened as a little grocery store and post office in 1869, Boyce General Store in Alvaton, just outside Bowling Green, prides itself on providing great Southern hospitality. Serving comfort food such as grilled sandwiches, bacon biscuits, giant burgers and delicious pies, it’s a simple, rustic and authentic family-run joint that locals love. Don’t miss the delectable 'nest pie', which has a coconut macaroon crust with a fudge brownie filling.

Located in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the oh-so-chic Angeline offers a fresh take on Southern cooking with Spanish and Italian twists. The seasonal menu might include crispy oysters or fried chicken and biscuits for brunch followed by braised oxtail for dinner. All dishes are incredibly tasty and beautifully presented, while the decor is simple yet refined. 

A landmark in Maine’s Bar Harbor, local favourite Geddy’s has a colourful history, changing hands multiple times over the years. Once a somewhat dingy waterfront dive frequented by shady characters, it’s now a family-friendly restaurant. Its history is celebrated throughout, with walls adorned with historical photographs and memorabilia. The food is perfect for all the family: you can create your own pizza, enjoy lobster fresh from the restaurant’s tank or opt for one of the huge burgers.

Located in historic Old Ellicott City in central Maryland, the popular Manor Hill Tavern sits in a mid 19th-century building that once served the area’s livery trade. The decor has a rustic feel with plenty of original architectural elements, including exposed stone walls, barn doors and wooden beams. The eclectic menu features a wide range of choices, best of all the pizzas topped with quirky ingredients and baked in the restaurant’s brick oven.

In the beautiful city of Cambridge, down a cobbled path in the heart of Harvard Square, is Harvest. This elegant restaurant presents the best of New England cuisine, with seasonal menus devised by working closely with local farmers to source the freshest ingredients. The interiors are smart, with dark woods and neutral tones. There’s also an outdoor terrace, a lovely spot full of flowers and heaters for cooler nights.

Downtown Clarkston is home to The Fed, housed in a former bank building. The super-cool restaurant is modern without being soulless, its interiors full of charm, from the rustic hanging lights and cosy armchairs to open shelving and colourful rugs. There are even two private dining rooms within the old bank vaults. Popular items on the menu include the 'double double' burger, tempura tuna rolls and red snapper ceviche.

For a romantic date in Minneapolis, head to the atmospheric Café & Bar Lurcat. The elegant comfort food here is made with fresh, artisanal ingredients, while the setting is magical, its dining room boasting sparkling chandeliers, exposed brick walls and high ceilings. There’s also a lovely bar with over 200 wines to choose from. 

With a picturesque setting on the Gulfport waterfront, The Chimneys combines Southern architecture and plenty of greenery to make an incredibly charming place to dine. As you look out across the water, enjoy fresh seafood dishes such as crab claws, fried oyster salad, baked seafood eggplant and excellent fish tacos.

Run by husband-and-wife team Todd and Lori Jansen, the warm and welcoming Sugar Leaf Bakery and Cafe in Branson serves plenty of sweet treats that look as good as they taste, as well as many savoury dishes. Highlights include their panini sandwiches and tasty salads, while the bakery's incredible selection ranges from cobblers and pies to cupcakes and cookies.

With two Montana locations, one in Butte and one in Dillon, Sparky’s is a firm state favourite with a vintage vibe. As former garages now turned into restaurants, hints of the buildings’ former lives remain, with vintage cars outside, road signs and other automotive memorabilia. There’s even an old Chevy truck you can dine in. The menu is big on comfort-food classics such as barbecue sandwiches, big burgers and thick steaks.

Nebraska City’s wonderfully quaint The Keeping Room has been reincarnated many times over the years since 1870, functioning as everything from a grocery store to a dentist’s office. It’s now a great place to eat, drink and shop. Alongside the café, there’s a boutique selling cute antiques, clothes and home decorations. Dishes include paninis, wraps, salads and a mouthwatering selection of desserts.

Located in the Wild West town of Virginia City, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the boutique Café Del Rio serves tasty, homemade, southwestern food. Once a grocery store and rooming house, the restaurant still has lodging rooms above, with its very own resident ghost, Margret. Menu highlights include Yucatan enchiladas with crab, shrimp, artichoke hearts and chilli cream, and roasted Brussels sprouts with pumpkin seeds, lime and chipotle.

For comfort food in a beautiful setting, head to Max’s Restaurant and Pub at the Snowvillage Inn. Originally built as a summer home by Frank Simonds, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, the inn has welcomed guests since 1948, with its restaurant a particular highlight. Here you'll find sweeping views of Mount Washington, as well as tasty, fresh dishes such as garlic potato gnocchi, rack of lamb and Maine crab cakes.

Sea Girt’s Scarborough Fair Restaurant has all the ingredients for a wonderfully romantic meal: rustic interiors, atmospheric lighting and a number of private dining alcoves on their own levels, making you feel you’re the only ones in the restaurant. It's housed in a former 1850s farmhouse with countless quirky design touches, from the curved brick staircases to the brass lamps imported from Turkey. The food is eclectic and delicious, with a particular focus on fresh, sustainable seafood.

It's hard to find fresher dishes than at Campo, located at the Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm in Albuquerque. It's located on an organic farm and dishes are created from seasonal organic ingredients from the property’s own fields, as well as local farmers and herdsmen. The restaurant is housed in a renovated barn, with an open kitchen and amazing views of lavender fields and the Sandia Mountains.

For a bright and airy meal in an elegant setting, head for the recently opened Blue Hen in Saratoga Springs’s Adelphi Hotel. Housed in a gorgeous, 1,200 square-foot glass conservatory, the restaurant enjoys plenty of light with splashes of colour in the decor. The menu is seasonally inspired, with highlights including sourdough crusted trout with Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage and horseradish, and duck breast with kabocha squash, swiss chard and spiced honey.

Enjoy a fairy tale dining experience at Winston-Salem’s magical Ryan's Restaurant. From the cosy spot deep into a forest, gaze out at large oak trees and a stream, while inside the comfy sofas and crackling fireplace will keep you snug. The outdoor deck and windowside tables are great places to enjoy the restaurant’s selection of seafood, steaks and soups while enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings.

Housed in a 1917 building in Fargo just behind the Fargo Theatre, Mezzaluna is well-known for its excellent food and elegant decor. With high-backed banquettes throughout the dining room and plenty of original architectural features, it’s definitely a charming spot. The menu has something for everyone, too, with plenty of vegetarian dishes as well as fresh seafood and inventive meat options.

For a memorable meal in a historic venue, head to Liberty Township’s Cozy’s Café and Pub. A former home converted into a family-run restaurant, the restaurant offers a range of gourmet comfort food with a twist for dinner, from lobster mac and cheese to buttermilk fried chicken. For breakfast and lunch, head next door to Cozy’s Cottage, a homely former cottage serving dishes prepared with farm-to-table ingredients.

Cheever’s Café in Oklahoma City brims with charm. Once an old floral shop, then a house and now a restaurant, the café retains many original features, including the terrazzo floors and the glass-walled flower case that now displays desserts and wine bottles. The menu is stuffed with delicious options, from healthy salads to creative pasta dishes, but the best-selling dish is the chicken fried steak with jalapeño gravy and garlicky red-skinned mashed potatoes.

For beautiful views and delicious food, visit the Stephanie Inn Dining Room, about 80 miles from Portland, in beautiful Cannon Beach. With breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Haystack Rock and the Tillamook Lighthouse, it’ll be hard to tear your eyes away from the surroundings, but when you do, you’ll enjoy the open kitchen, wood-burning fireplace and dishes full of fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Part of the family-owned Ledges Hotel in Hawley in the Pocono Mountains, Glass has wonderful views of the neighbouring waterfalls as well as an eclectic menu of small dishes perfect for sharing. Choose from plates such as cheese boards, crispy shrimp tacos and wild boar sausage, and enjoy the ambience of the panoramic dining room and outdoor terraces.

Believed to be the USA’s oldest tavern building, and one of America's most fascinating historic restaurants, Newport’s White Horse Tavern is a real slice of history, established in 1673. Today the focus is fresh, local food: fish, clams and lobsters caught in Narragansett Bay and artisan cheese, honey and beef sourced from nearby farms. 

For a truly family-run restaurant, head to Lexington’s Momma Rabbit’s Nibbles and Sips. Eight siblings – Will, Sarah Grace, Spencer, James, Webb, John, George and Richard Allen – created the restaurant, drawing on their background of raising animals and growing crops organically. When you pick up a sandwich, soup or salad, have a look at the walls which are covered in retro movie posters that formerly hung in the home of the siblings’ grandmother, Momma Rabbit.

With a more casual vibe during the week and fine dining during the weekend, the romantic Sioux Falls’ restaurant Parker's suits all kinds of diners. The menu changes each season, with locally sourced, organic ingredients and a variety of dishes, while the decor is tasteful and smart, with soft lighting, flickering candles and exposed brick walls.

For a memorable meal in a historic building, choose to have breakfast, brunch or lunch at the Readyville Mill Restaurant, a family-owned joint in Cannon County, Tennessee. Established in the early 19th century, the mill has undergone several renovations over the years and is still functional: corn and wheat are still stone ground into flour and meal for the restaurant’s wholewheat pancakes and corn cakes.

Enjoy fairy tale dining in a rustic treehouse at The Laurel Tree in Utopia, Uvalde County. It’s not just any treehouse, either, but a beautifully quaint dining room complete with antique furnishings perched in a 450-year-old oak tree. It's an intimate experience, too, with just one table sitting up to six people. Dishes are prepared by a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, with ingredients sourced from the garden and from local markets.

Located in Boulder, one of the most remote towns in the USA with a population of only a couple of hundred people, Hell's Backbone Grill & Farm isn’t the easiest place to get to, but it’s definitely worth the journey. It might get its name from Hell's Backbone Road, a scenic backway from Boulder to Escalante, but the setting is anything but hellish. The restaurant has its own organic farm and a varied menu with a wide selection of sustainable dishes.

Settings don’t get much more picturesque than The Inn at Weathersfield in the tiny town of Perkinsville. Tucked into the woods in an 18th-century house, the restaurant has a close relationship with local farmers, with over 75% of ingredients coming from within a 25-mile radius of the inn or from the on-site heirloom vegetable garden. The dining room is incredibly cosy, with wood-burning fireplaces and plenty of big windows to gaze from.

If you’re heading to Virginia, don’t miss a meal at charming, Belgian neighbourhood bistro Cock & Bowl, in the riverfront town of Occoquan, Prince William County. The restaurant has a beautiful outdoor patio, over sixty Belgian beers on offer and plenty of fresh European specialities such as crispy Belgian fries, steak au poivre (steak in a pepper sauce) and asperges aux prosciutto (asparagus with prosciutto).

Built in 1905 and originally used as a train station for the Clam Shell Railroad, The Depot Restaurant is a charming establishment with plenty of history. Run by chef Michael Lalewicz and his wife Nancy Gorshe, the restaurant is just blocks away from the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy fresh seafood, salads, vegetarian dishes and steaks while people-watching through the former ticket window.

Set in a beautiful historic mansion on the banks of the pretty Elk River, Sutton’s Cafe Cimino Country Inn is run by husband-and-wife team Tim and Melody Urbanic. The inn isn’t only home to the picturesque restaurant, but also ten lovely guest rooms kitted out with antique furnishings. Dishes have a focus on southern Italian cuisine using organically grown herbs and vegetables plucked from the family farm.

For an authentic German dining experience, head to the quirky House of Gerhard in Kenosha. The owner, Gerhard Dillner, opened the quaint restaurant in 1964 and decades later his family is still running the establishment and serving his original recipes. There’s an Oktoberfest weekend every September and plenty of authentic dishes, including a delicious selection of schnitzels served by staff wearing dirndls.

For dishes with the wow factor and a relaxed but cool atmosphere, visit Jackson Hole’s Snake River Grill. The dining room decor is smart but rustic with wood and brick details, roaring fireplaces and flickering candles, and the food is seriously creative. A particular highlight is the steak tartare pizza topped with black Angus New York steak, garlic aioli, capers, parsley and red onion.