National recognition tends to be a game-changer for any restaurant, bringing with it heightened expectations and a mad dash for reservations. (Remember how hard it was to get a table at Little Donna’s last year after it was featured in The New York Times?)

Following the news that Easton’s own Harley Peet has won the James Beard Award for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region, interest in Bas Rouge — the restaurant where he works — is likely to soar.

But it’s just one of a number of Easton restaurants worth your time. Many of them, including Bas Rouge, are owned by the Bluepoint Hospitality Group, an influential if sometimes polarizing presence for their work transforming once-sleepy Easton into a haven for foodies with money to burn.

P. Bordier

P. Bordier could be considered a gateway drug to Bluepoint Hospitality fandom.

The elegant patisserie serves crepes, galettes and mind-bogglingly beautiful treats like this peach-shaped confection I snacked on last summer. Take them away or sup next door at Bonheur, Bluepoint’s pie and ice cream shop, which also serves afternoon tea on Fridays.

5a Goldsborough St., Easton

Bas Rouge

On a budget? Here’s my hack for dining at Bas Rouge: have lunch.

Going at midday will likely be much more affordable than during the evening hours, when you’re locked into a menu that starts at $125 for three courses. During my lunchtime visit I happened to see Barbara Mikulski, the former senator and apparently noted foodie.

Then again, Bas Rouge isn’t the place to hold back. The Viennese-inspired shrine to fine dining has a wine list with bottles that cost more than many cars. It’s so fancy, staff don’t just replace your napkin when you go to the loo; they fluff your pillows, too. The place exudes wealth and luxury and caviar.

19 Federal St., Easton

The Wardroom

Can’t get a table at Bas Rouge? Another Bluepoint joint, The Wardroom, offers fine fare and wine to take home from the market or eat on the premises in the bistro. (I scooped up some life-changingly good squid ink pasta from Bona Furtuna.) Taste wine to your heart’s content at a wall featuring futuristic self-serve Enomatic dispensers.

103 N. Washington St., Easton

Rude BBQ

In a sign of just how much Easton has become a foodie capital in recent years, the town is home to not just one but multiple competing restaurant groups. Check out some of the offerings from Rude Food Co., owned by brothers Brett and Timothy Cureton. (Timothy also owns the popular local coffee shop, Rise Up, while Brett, the executive chef of the company, was trained at Baltimore Culinary College). There’s Rude Burger, Rude Bodega and Rude BBQ. But don’t worry about the name — staff won’t start insulting you upon entering.

I can vouch for the ‘cue. I tried the rude sampler, which included a fatty and flavorful brisket and spare ribs that are among the best I’ve ever had.

216 E. Dover St., Easton

Out of the Fire

Indie-minded foodies will fall hard for Out of the Fire, located in a 19th-century home on South Washington Street. Plates of Mediterranean-influenced food are just as vibrant and fun to look at as the art on the walls. Don’t miss the pizza.

111 S. Washington St., Easton