Chef Montiel creates a heart-shaped appetizer.

Virginia was recently named one of the top food and wine destinations in the country and it’s easy to see why. Each region has its own delicious flavor and style to tempt travelers' taste buds. From traditional southern comfort food to seafood delicacies straight out of the Chesapeake Bay, passionate chefs are infusing dishes with local ingredients and modern flourishes to tempt the palates of hard-core foodies everywhere. Combine all this great flavor with Virginia's award-winning wines for a taste of culinary nirvana.

Virginia is in the midst of a culinary revolution and Chef Alex Montiel and other passionate foodies like him are leading the charge.

Chef Montiel embodies the heart of culinary travel in Virginia - small, locally-owned spots that combine a passion for great food with a love of local ingredients. He uses authentic Mexican and Southwestern traditions at his la Cocina del Sol restaurants in Crozet and Charlottesville, where the hip eclectic charm and delicious menu of crab cake bruschetta, calamari fritos, red snapper tacos and caramel flan excite guests with an explosion of tastes. Montiel's success has led to a second restaurant, Brasserie Montiel & Coffee House, in Charlottesville, where college kids and neighborhood friends dig into some of the best dishes around.

Chef Montiel cooks in his restaurant.

Chef Alex Montiel has traveled the globe perfecting his culinary skills. His mentors and kitchens have included:

• Five Michelin Chefs
• Boar's Head Inn, Charlottesville, VA
• Four Seasons Inn on the Park, Houston, TX
• Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, CA
• Grove Isle Club and Resort, Miami, FL

"My ability of putting things together on a plate in a form of art, plus combining the flavors of the experience that I have, really got me into the career." -Alex Montiel

Smithfield Station Waterfront Inn Restaurant

With more than 2,000 restaurants featuring tantalizing local specialties from Chincoteague oysters to peanut soup to Brunswick Stew, Virginia is full of culinary adventures. Local legends include the shrimp and grits at Croaker’s Spot in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood. Indulge in the famous baked potato soup at Allison’s in charming Abingdon in Southwest Virginia. For upscale southern flavor, order the skillet seared backfin crab cakes at the award-winning Bistro 1888 in South Boston. Take a walk on the wild side with one of the game entrees at Flamenco Restaurant in Onancock on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Enjoy sweet potato encrusted rockfish stuffed with Smithfield Ham at Smithfield Station. Satisfy sweet cravings with giant, homemade marshmallows at Dairy Godmothers in Alexandria. Dig into the award-winning barbecue at the Galax Smokehouse along Virginia’s Crooked Road while soaking in the legendary bluegrass music.