A Good Restaurant at the End of the Rainbow

We went out to dinner the other day, and I had to accept a painful truth that had been fairly clear since some time ago:

There are very few good restaurants in the region where I live. (Yes, that is a Popeye's in the photo. No, we were not going there.)

How, in a country with cities full of good food, can there be entire regions with few restaurants that offer food, service, and atmosphere that are worth paying money for? And why must I live in such a region?

I wonder what it takes to have a good restaurant. It doesn't have to be super expensive ingredients, just honest food, thoughtfully prepared...