As someone who values novel experiences over routine, mundane ones, I love discovering new restaurants and trying as many different dishes as possible.

This being said, I rarely make a decision without doing my research first — especially when it comes to food. In addition to reading reviews and checking out a restaurant’s menu online in advance, I also like to ask for recommendations. And, in my opinion, there’s no better person to ask about the menu than the chef who created it.

If you’re someone who takes their culinary choices as seriously as I do, you’re in luck. CharlotteFive spoke with chefs from top local restaurants to get the inside scoop on what’s trending on their menus right now, what dish they think is the best and their favorite places to eat when they’re off the clock…

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