Inside: Whitfield's

Inside: Whitfield's

At first glance, the menu seems a compendium of culinary trends from the past two decades. Shrimp with fried green tomatoes or grits, crab cakes, salads in wedge and chopped versions and sesame-seared tuna compete with classic French onion soup in a crock, Caesar salad and filet mignon.

But there are a few surprises, and most items are prepared with enough care to grade them as classics rather than ordinary fare.