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Cinco de Mayo is a perfect occasion for food, inviting tables filled with bold flavors, vibrant colors, and dishes that celebrate both tradition and creativity. From slow-simmered meats and street-style classics to bright seafood dishes and refreshing cocktails, we’ve gathered eight recipes that are as festive as they are flavorful. Lean into comforting staples like tamales and birria tacos, or explore lighter dishes like lobster aguachile and salmon tostadas that balance richness and freshness. Whether you’re hosting a lively gathering or keeping things small and relaxed, these recipes are perfect for bringing traditional flavors and dishes to your table this Cinco de Mayo.
Inspired by Yvette Jemison’s family tradition, this pork tamale recipe channels generations of flavor into every bite. The filling is rich and aromatic, with garlic, cumin, and chili flavoring tender shreds of meat that carry a warm, savory depth, while the masa brings a subtle nutty, sweet flavor that balances every bite. Wrapped in corn husks and steamed until just set, they emerge fragrant and comforting, ready to be pulled apart and served with salsa or guacamole.
Florida chef George “Tex” Jasso’s birria-style taco recipe is a rich, slow-simmered ode to bold flavor, featuring tender shredded beef bathed in a deeply spiced chile broth layered with ancho and guajillo chiles, warm cinnamon, and toasted spices. The meat soaks up that complex, slightly smoky heat before being tucked into corn tortillas dipped in the same savory jus and grilled until crisp at the edges, melting inside. Served with a side of the flavored broth for dipping, each bite is juicy, aromatic, and deeply satisfying, especially when finished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
This classic custard dessert is the perfect sweet finish to your Cinco de Mayo spread, pairing silky, gently set custard with warm notes of cinnamon and bright citrus from lemon peel. The texture is smooth and melts in your mouth, while a layer of golden caramel adds just the right touch of bittersweet depth. Served chilled, it’s a light dessert that balances out a table of bold, savory dishes with something soft and creamy.
Chef Katsuji Tanabe’s green enchiladas are a perfect vibrant centerpiece for a Cinco de Mayo spread, swapping the usual red sauce for a lush, tangy blend of tomatillos, jalapeño, and garlic mellowed with a touch of cream. The result is a bright, slightly spicy sauce that coats tender chicken-filled tortillas. The melted cheese adds richness, while a fresh frisée and lemon salad piled on top cuts through with crisp texture and acidity, making each bite layered with delicious flavor.
This elote recipe from Nashville, Tennessee, restaurant Mas Tacos Por Favor transforms simple grilled corn into a rich, delicious classic Mexican side dish. After the corn is grilled until lightly charred and smoky, it is slathered in creamy mayonnaise, rolled in salty Cotija cheese, and finished with a squeeze of lime and a dusting of cayenne. The result is an irresistible mix of sweet, tangy, spicy richness in every bite, bringing the flavor-packed street food right to your kitchen.
Rancho Lewis in Charleston, South Carolina, brings a smoky, unexpected twist to the perfect Cinco de Mayo cocktail. The hatch green chile margarita blends bright lime and agave with the subtle heat of green chile puree. The result is refreshing with a slow-building warmth that lingers just enough to keep you coming back for another sip.
Chef Katsuji Tanabe combined his Japanese heritage and classic Mexican flavors in his rendition of lobster aguachile. This vibrant, spice-forward appetizer lives up to its name with a spicy, tangy sauce made with tamarind, lime, vinegar, and fiery habanero. Tender lobster is layered over crisp corn tostadas, then soaked in the bold sauce and finished with pineapple, fresh chile, and briny tobiko. Fresh cilantro lifts everything at the end, creating a dish that’s perfect for the start of a festive Cinco de Mayo meal.
Chefs Angelina Espinoza, Carlos Quesada, and Lupe Nanbo of AltaToro in Atlanta, Georgia, share this recipe for a layered, flavor-packed bite that brings together smokiness, creaminess, and bright acidity in a show-stopping presentation. Mezcal-cured salmon is placed on a crisp tostada with fresh avocado mousse, tangy crema fresca, and a black bean purée. Topped with pickled onion, salmon roe, and a touch of salsa macha to cut through with notes of brine, heat, and crunch, this dish is vibrant and delicious.
Toast the holiday commemorating a victorious day in Mexican history with a spicy or sweet cocktail, all infused with the agave plant spirit.
Breakfast tacos wrap eggs in tortillas with everything from chorizo to regional specialties like smoked brisket, nopales, and wild game meats.
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“All right, all eyes on us now,” says Scoundrel chef and owner Joe Cash.
When his restaurant earned one star in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South, Cash reacted with the complicated emotions expected from someone who deliberately left an award-chasing career in New York to open a restaurant in his much smaller, up-and-coming hometown of Greenville, South Carolina.
“It’s this huge honor, huge privilege, and I think now our biggest thing is, how do we make sure that every single day, every single person that comes in here feels and believes these guys earned this, and they deserve it?” he says.
Cash’s response echoes that of many other chefs who learned in 2025 that two juggernauts of culinary influence, the MICHELIN Guide and Bravo’s Top Chef Season 23, were headed South with a heavy focus on the Carolinas.
“It poses an interesting opportunity,” says Kristen Hall, chef and owner of La Fête in Birmingham, Alabama, of her Bib Gourmand award. “Now we’re in the Guide. Now we have to maintain that. That’s part of the reason why I didn’t necessarily want a star. With a star comes expectations from guests.”
Places like New Orleans, Atlanta, and Nashville have long been considered culinary destinations, and Charleston’s status continues to rise through awards and the establishment of festivals the caliber of the Food & Wine Classic. Now, these dining hubs have the opportunity to share the spotlight with the region’s lesser-lauded cities.
“A lot of people for a long time have said Charlotte doesn’t have a good food scene, and I would argue to the bone that it does,” says chef Andres Kaifer of Charlotte’s Customshop. In addition to a recommendation in the Guide, Customshop was among several restaurants that hosted Top Chef judges for dinner when they were in town filming late last summer. The social media buzz from judge Gail Simmons, in particular, created immediate impact and felt validating, Kaifer says.
“I left Miami because of how attractive the food scene was in the Carolinas,” Kaifer says. “We have a very rich and diverse food scene.”
The MICHELIN Guide, inclusive of seven states, boasts 228 restaurants representing 44 types of cuisine, meaning it’s not only stereotypical Southern food or only white tablecloth, tasting menu restaurants that have caught the attention of the judges and the international dining community.
For Jeff Tonidandel of Tonidandel Brown Restaurant Group in Charlotte, it was a surprise to have three of their restaurants—Ever Andalo, Haberdish, and Supperland—included in the Guide.
“We don’t do things I typically think MICHELIN is looking for,” he says. “At every one of our places you can eat family-style and have shareable large portions.”
Hall thinks similarly about La Fête’s inclusion and the broader implications. “The assumption that MICHELIN-[recognized] restaurants are expensive and fancy—La Fête is neither of those things,” Hall says. “There are definitely more people with the awareness of what exists here beyond the stereotypical Southern food experience.”
Even with the diversity of cuisine, the secret to culinary success here is the ideal location for sourcing ingredients, says Joe Kindred, chef and co-owner of three restaurants in the Charlotte area. “You can always see my Southern roots,” Kindred says. “I think that it’s really [easy] to tell if the chef is from the South. It’s my job to really tell that narra- tive and not be afraid of that narrative.”
Joe and Katy Kindred’s restaurants Albertine, Kindred, and milkbread also served Top Chef’s host Kristen Kish and judges Tom Colicchio and Simmons, and benefited from the enhanced visibility.
Practically speaking, though, the sudden increase in reservations at each named or awarded restaurant creates logistical challenges. For La Fête, Hall immediately ordered more glasses and spoons.
“Volume creates a huge challenge,” she says. “It’s fun to be busy, but it’s only fun to be busy when you’re prepared.”
For Asheville, however, the challenge of MICHELIN-related attention is welcome after Hurricane Helene decimated the restaurant community in 2024.
“I think this concentrated attention comes at a meaningful moment,” says Eric Scheffer, founder and CEO of Scheffer Group, which operates popular neighborhood restaurants in Asheville. “This spotlight doesn’t create something new; it amplifies and codifies Asheville’s place in the culinary South. The timing also matters because people understand, at least on some level, the emotional and financial challenges that our community just endured.”
Philip Bollhoefer is vice president of food and beverage for Parks Hospitality Group, which notably includes Soprana Rooftop Cucina, now a MICHELIN-recommended pizza restaurant on the roof- top of Embassy Suites in Asheville. He says Soprana’s additional obstacle of being located inside a hotel pushed the team to focus even more on sourcing the best local ingredients possible and ensuring the staff was ready to engage guests.
“We do feel a pressure and a responsibility now that there is a different clientele coming to the South with different expectations,” Bollhoefer says. “We’re excited to give everyone that learning opportunity to see what the South is all about.”
Many within the region are encouraged that the Guide and Top Chef attention and impact aren’t isolated to only those restaurants making the lists.
“A rising tide lifts all ships,” says Frank Scibelli, owner of FS Food Group and seven concepts in North Carolina, including MICHELIN-recognized Little Mama’s. “For sure it’s good for everybody. I think it’s obviously motivation for people who didn’t make it.”
For Mark Bolchoz of Cane Pazzo in Hanahan, South Carolina, his restaurant was too recently opened to be considered for the Guide, and that was okay, then. “In the immediate I wasn’t super focused on it,” he says. “We had just opened, but it’s hugely important for next year.”
Katy Kindred, who trained for such awards for many years alongside her husband in San Francisco restaurants, welcomes the pressure the industry may experience.
“Having accountability outside of Yelp is important,” she says. “Having the MICHELIN Guide here is having a similar effect [to a restaurant critic]. It gets everyone on their game.”
As to the long-term effects of both the Guide and Top Chef on the Carolinas and beyond, it remains to be seen.
“The way that I see it, we don’t really know how deep or wide the impact of MICHELIN being in the South will be,” Hall says. “As long as we see it as an opportunity for positivity, then it’s a good thing.”
Find the complete guide at michelin.com
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Shuai and Corrie Wang, husband-and-wife owners of Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ in North Charleston, South Carolina, recently came into the spotlight with Shuai’s appearance on Top Chef. “I had a really wonderful experience,” says the chef, who was a finalist. “I met a lot of great chefs and lifelong friends, learned a lot about myself, and I think the chefs really pushed me forward, creative-wise.” When they’re home, the Wangs, in Shuai’s words, “eat like f—ing children,” with chicken fingers a staple. “Corrie makes really, really amazing salad. Besides Chinese food, we make a lot of [Latin] food, particularly Mexican food, so a lot of beans and rice. We’re also big fans of a snacky girl dinner with just cheeses and tinned fish,” he says. For a midnight snack, Shuai reaches for peanut butter and dates, while Corrie says she goes for “some kind of ice cream, and I’ll just take spoonfuls and eat it over the sink.”
Grocery stores are kind of like our version of wandering a bookstore. We are a little addicted to Lowe’s Foods, because you can also grab a beer while you shop around.” —Corrie Wang
Corrie: I can’t help it. We’ll have some kind of Chinese- or Korean-style noodles, and I’m like, you know what this needs?
Shuai: We actually buy it by the jug, because that’s how much mayo we go through.
Shuai: When we have time, we love getting the CSA bag from Rooting Down Farms.
Corrie: People like to gift us hot sauces, and we never defer from opening them until we finish something else.
Corrie: We eat a lot of salads, and we’ve started putting them with a tortilla base so that we can still have the burrito fix.
We sat down with Darius Rucker to discuss the 5 things he absolutely can’t live without in his refrigerator.
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Art, wellness, and food lovers can choose their own adventure in North Carolina’s most charming mountain town.
Asheville has always punched above its weight in the food and beverage field—the tiny-but- mighty mountain town was long ago branded Beer City and counts multiple James Beard nominees and winners.
Among those trophy holders are Cúrate (Spanish tapas and wine) and Chai Pani (Indian street food), 2022 James Beard Award winners for Outstanding Hospitality and Outstanding Restaurant, respectively. In 2025, chef Ashleigh Shanti’s first cookbook, Our South: Black Food Through My Lens (Union Square & Co.), won a Beard media award; find her cooking up hot fish sandwiches, sweet potato cabbage pancakes, trout bologna, and shrimp burgers at Good Hot Fish in South Slope, a downtown neighborhood full of local craft beer taprooms. MICHELIN Guide’s first American South issue in late 2025 recognized multiple eateries, including Luminosa, Mother, Little Chango, Tall John’s, The Admiral, and Leo’s House of Thirst. You can also go behind the tanks and see how it’s all done on a 90-minute production tour (with tasting samples) of New Belgium Brewing, perched above the French Broad River in West Asheville. Sierra Nevada in Mills River has a flight of tour opportunities, from 45 minutes to the three-hour Beer Geek Tour.
Willy Wonka was make-believe; Asheville’s world-famous French Broad Chocolate factory is for real, and the proof is in the daily Bean to Bar Chocolate Factory Tour, which includes a chocolate tasting. Eat, drink, and walk your way through downtown with insider info and quirky history from local experts with Asheville Food Tours. Three different specialized itineraries with up to seven stops are coursed out over three hours. While appreciating art in the River Arts District, enjoy breakfast at ButterPunk, lunch at Piccolina, and dinner at Crusco, three chef-owned newbies on Depot Street.
Western North Carolina has long been a siren call for artists of every medium. The Penland School of Craft, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Haywood Community College have prestigious programs for craft, an expression of form and function inherent to Appalachia. Building the Biltmore Estate beginning in 1889 required legions of skilled craftspeople, artisans, and artists—many emigrated from Europe and then settled in the area.
The gorgeous drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway sets the tone for visiting the Folk Art Center, home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the work of hundreds of makers for purchase. Visit Grovewood Village tucked away on wooded acreage adjacent to the Omni Grove Park Inn for art, craft, architecture (100-plus- year-old English cottages clad in pebbledash), and history. The site once housed the weaving and woodworking operations of Biltmore Industries, currently home to Grovewood Gallery, working artist studios, and the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum.
Take a linear gallery stroll on downtown Asheville’s main artery; Biltmore Avenue and Broadway Street meet at the Asheville Art Museum at Pack Square. And side streets are abundant with galleries representing local, regional, national, and international artists. Momentum Gallery has a select display of glass pieces and serigraphs by Dale Chihuly. The River Arts District (RAD) along the French Broad River was one of the areas hardest hit by Helene flooding in September 2024, but there is much reason to celebrate the return of artist studios and reopening of the 50,000 square foot Marquee, a design-centric market.
Since the early 1800s, Asheville has been revered as a wellness and healing destination. For nearly as many years, entrepreneurs have packaged ancient and state-of-the art practices to offer visitors invigorating refreshes, inner adventures, and soothing breaks from the daily grind.
Namaste in Nature’s microretreats are a trifecta of hiking wooded trails through quiet forest, meditation and centering at the base of a waterfall, and yoga with mountain views; select sunrise, sunset, or high noon. Balance body, mind, and spirit through a three- step circuit of contrast therapy: heat, chill, relax. Sauna House is intentionally structured with traditional cedar dry and aspen wood wet saunas, a stainless-steel cold plunge, and heated lounge furniture. Shoji Spa and Retreat is Asheville’s only alfresco spa, located 2,500 feet above stress level, immersing guests in Japanese culture and practic- es. Wrap yourself in a yukata (bathrobe) and walk the serene garden path to a private saltwater hot tub, with one open wall to soak in the lush view. Massage treatment packages and lodging options are available to make a weekend of it.
Shed your clothes and let go, supine on the surface of Still Point Wellness’ private Float Lab tank, filled with skin-temperature water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt that draws all the tensions, aches, and pains from your body. A float specialist walks novices through what to expect while immersed for 60 or 90 minutes in the darkened and soundproof pool; slowly reenter with a cup of herbal tea under a weight- ed blanket in the Integration Lounge.
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For a town of slightly more than 14,000 people, Bardstown punches well above its weight when it comes to hospitality. Known as the Bourbon Capital of the World, this historic Kentucky community welcomed more than a million visitors last year, many traveling the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Situated about 45 minutes south of Louisville and an hour from Lexington—right in the heart of the “amber triangle”—Bardstown boasts 11 distilleries within a 16-mile radius. For years, bourbon pilgrims would make their rounds among the rickhouses and tasting bars before heading back to larger cities for dinner and overnight stays. Today, a wave of standout restaurants, bars, and boutique lodging makes a compelling case to stay a little longer.
What makes the shift remarkable is the way Bardstown balances old with new. As Kentucky’s second-oldest city, Bardstown remains rooted in historic small-town charm. “We’ve grown—which we needed—but we’ve also kept our character,” says Hannah Medley with Bardstown Tourism. At longtime favorites like Mammy’s Kitchen, the owner still makes the rounds with a warm “how y’all doing?” while just a few miles away, the clubby speakeasy at the newly opened Trail Hotel would feel at home in a major metro. It’s this mix of authenticity and ambition that’s transforming Bardstown into one of the South’s most exciting culinary towns on the rise.
Best Bakery: Hadorn’s
Two words: Yum Yums. Locals know it’s worth arriving early at this third-generation family-owned bakery to snag a box of these braided pastries, their gooey cinnamon-coated centers still warm and glazed golden twist stopped with generous drizzles of vanilla and chocolate icing.
Best Upscale Southern Fare: Toogie’s Table
In late 2022, Kentucky-based Common Bond Hotel Collection reimagined a former roadside motel and eatery into the retro-chic Bardstown Motor Lodge and neighboring restaurant, Toogie’s Table. The transformation infused new life into both the rooms and menus, with elevated takes on down-home dishes like country ham fritters, cast iron salmon over rice with kimchi, and when it’s on special, some truly great fried chicken.
Best Newcomer: Oak and Ember
Helmed by executive chef and cookbook author Marvin Woods—twice featured at the James Beard House—The Trail Hotel’s open-concept restaurant serves modern Southern fare with style. Highlights include burgoo, tuna sashimi, cornmeal-dusted catfish with chowchow, and a thick-cut ribeye with fried potato wedges, all backed by a deep bourbon list and expertly crafted cocktails.
Best Place to Drink Dusties: NEAT Bourbon Bar and Bottle Shop
The Bardstown counterpart to NEAT’s original Louisville location lives up to its tagline of “history by the pour.” Housed in a renovated century-old building, the intimate lounge, along with its knowledgeable bartenders, invites guests to settle in and explore a whiskey list that spans the decades.
Best Place for a Beer in a Bourbon Town: Scout & Scholar Brewing Co.
Bardstown’s first craft brewery pours housemade beers in a range of styles—from pilsners and IPAs to stouts and sours—paired with a gastropub-style menu. Try the cheese-studded sausage balls (made with local favorite Jake’s Fresh Country Sausage) and the indulgent, double-decker Southern Fire smashburger.
Best Egg-Salad Sandwich: The Bar at Willett
You can’t go wrong with any of the small plates at Willett Distillery’s tidy on-site restaurant—it was a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist, after all—but the standout is its egg salad: made with smoked Duke’s mayonnaise, lightly sweetened with yolk jam, and layered between pillowy brioche crowned with a delicate layer of shredded parmesan.
Best Before-Dinner Drink: Liam Ash Cocktail Emporium
This cozy lounge sets the tone for an evening out with a wood-paneled, leather-accented vibe, a light menu of charcuterie boards and flatbreads, and of course, excellent cocktails like a classically made sazerac and a Manhattan riff with Cynar and Benedictine.
Best Meal on the Go: My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
Step aboard a restored 1940s dining car for a two-and-a-half-hour round-trip journey through the Kentucky countryside paired with a four-course menu prepared by the train’s chefs. Reservations go quickly, especially for the popular Bourbon Excursion.
Each September, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival transforms Bardstown into bourbon’s epicenter. This year, the four-day event drew guests from 47 states and 15 countries, with roughly 5,000 daily attendees and more than 60 distilleries represented on the Great Lawn outside the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026, the festival has recently been revamped to include a ticketed grand tasting, educational and culinary events, bottle sales, and unlimited reentry. “Being in Bardstown is such a key part of our festival, and we want our guests to experience all the city has to offer,” says festival president and COO Randy Prasse.
This downtown market is a one-stop shop for stocking your hotel room or rental for a weekend on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with a variety of Kentucky Proud products, prepared meals, meats and cheeses, and snacks. It’s also the launch point for exploring town via one of its two walking tours.
Yes, it’s a liquor store, but this employee-owned shop doubles as a community hub, offering half-ounce pours of rare whiskies at its tasting bar, a broad selection of single-barrel picks, and a large retail space stocked with hard-to-find bottles.
Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience
Most distilleries have gift shops, but the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience stands out with its curated mix of apparel, barware, books, décor, and bottles—including, on many days, an allocated release or two.
Billed as the world’s first bourbon-centric hotel, The Trail opened in May 2025 and is built on the bones of a historic Holiday Inn. Its 95 guest rooms—many of them centered on a courtyard pool with an oversized hot tub—include eight bourbon-themed suites. Guests can dive into whiskey culture with five bars, a private speakeasy, Par & Pour golf simulator lounge, and even a Bourbon Butler service to help curate excursions. For recovery, the Rejuvenation Room offers a welcome retreat.
Lexington, Kentucky, boasts hoppin’ craft breweries, an array of dining options ranging from downhome to highbrow, and some seriously locavore chefs.
From Southern barbecue to Korean fusion, Kentucky offers a diverse range of restaurants that you can’t miss when you visit next.
New and exciting aromas fill the old, industrial streets of the Gateway to the South. Come for Bourbon, and leave with artisan bread.
Nashville hosts the meet cute between two world-famous eggs.
The inspiration for the jammy deviled egg on Fancypants’ opening menu, says general manager Jake Mogelson, is the Japanese tradition of curing a ramen egg combined with the Southern tradition of deviling one, answering the call of New American and Asian flavor blending at the celebrated Nashville restaurant. “This was one of the first bites that we knew we wanted on the menu,” Mogelson says of himself and executive chef Josh Homacki. “The launching point was wanting to have something familiar and nostalgic but in a new and different way that felt in line with our Asian-influenced menu. I think everybody has a fond memory of eating deviled eggs, especially in the South.”
Mogelson has long appreciated the magic of deviled eggs. “I was the chef in my family at a young age, and I made deviled eggs once when I was nine, and every holiday party, every potluck, I had to make and bring deviled eggs. So it’s almost like a love-hate relationship with them. I love eating them and I hate making them,” he says. The jammy egg yolk gives echoes of the creamy deviled egg texture without the work of separating eggs and yolks, with furikake providing a salty crunch and a Fresno chile relish adding “that perfect balance of heat and flavor.”
makes 8 bites
Place chopped peppers in a jar or bowl and pour brine over them. Make sure peppers are fully submerged. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or refrigerate for a few hours for more flavor.
Nashville is a city fueled by music, steered by history, and revved up with a dynamic food and drink scene.
Fancypants, the fancy not fussy concept from the minds behind Butcher & Bee and Redheaded Stranger, makes its debut in East Nashville.
Fancypants in East Nashville lives up to its name, equal parts elegant and playful, flirtatiously self-aware and unself-conscious.
Azaleas and rhododendrons aren’t the only things catching our attention this time of year in Jackson County, North Carolina. From award-winning bites to exciting new restaurants, spring in the Western North Carolina mountains brings even more reasons to get outside and savor the season.
Tuna and blood orange carpaccio. Duck confit agnolotti. Heirloom carrots and local mushrooms. Pork meatballs made from a secret family recipe. You’ll find it all at Ilda, a rustic Italian-Appalachian kitchen on Sylva’s Main Street. With an ever-evolving seasonal menu from husband-and-wife duo MICHELIN-trained chef Santiago Guzzetti and Sommelier Crystal Pace, Ilda honors the local landscape and community and is a standout destination for foodies.
Jackson County is home to many restaurants and chefs whose menus have turned heads and satisfied taste buds nationwide. Dalaya Thai is the culinary masterpiece of Chef Kanlaya Supachana. Hailing from Chiang Mai, Supachana’s flavorful, cooked-to-order Thai cuisine earned her a James Beard Foundation nomination for Best Chef in the Southeast. We recommend snagging a table outside overlooking Scotts Creek and opting for the daily curry—a spicy special that rotates based on what’s in season.
Just a few miles from Sylva, Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro was named one of the “Top 25 BBQ Restaurants in the Country.” It’s famous for its tender brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and expertly smoked specialty meats, but don’t skip the sides—or the homemade pies.
Speaking of treats, at High Hampton’s Dining Room in Cashiers, Pastry Chef April Franqueza adds the sweet touch to the end of every meal—earning her a 2025 James Beard Award® semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Together with her husband Executive Chef Scott, they create southern favorites with Blue Ridge flavor. Start your day with biscuits and gravy or poached eggs with local greens, and enjoy dinner favorites like local North Carolina trout or Elysian Fields lamb. Relish each bite as you take in High Hampton’s unforgettable views of Rock Mountain.
Whether chasing bold new flavors or fresh spring adventures, every meal offers more peak moments to celebrate the season in Jackson County
Plan your trip at DiscoverJacksonNC.com.
Discover the secret recipe to the perfect winter getaway during Jackson County North Carolina’s secret season.
Picturesque Jackson County, North Carolina, is filled with art, beauty, and award-winning restaurants in a setting of rolling hills.
From powerful Japanese cuisine to classic American dishes, North Carolina has a restaurant selection sizzling with flavor.
This past February, The Local Palate joined a gathering at the iconic Fearrington Village to celebrate the debut cookbook of Spring Council, Southern Roots: Recipes and Stories from Mama Dip’s Daughter. Hosted by McIntyre’s Books, the luncheon brought together food enthusiasts, culinary historians, and Southern hospitality during a memorable afternoon that blended generational storytelling with exceptional comfort food.
Daughter of Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, Spring grew up in her mother’s Chapel Hill restaurant, Mama Dip’s Kitchen, where a legacy of hospitality became foundational to her understanding of food and family. Southern Roots weaves together beloved recipes with personal narratives, candidly capturing the heart and soul of the Council family’s culinary traditions, specifically the Council women. The cookbook isn’t just a collection of recipes, it’s an homage to the Southern table, the women who cooked it and through that created a medium for connection and community.
The event began with a guided discussion led by the renowned food historian Marcie Cohen Ferris who spoke with Council about Mama Dip’s profound influence on Southern food culture, as well as her personal journey as both a daughter and culinary heir. Council sat in a soft and regal fashion as she read excerpts from her book that painted the picture of an older Chapel Hill surrounded by historical Black communities. The conversation bellowed with the memory of how Mildred Council became an iconic figure in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and beyond. Her restaurant opened in the early 1980s, and became a beloved fixture that served up traditional Southern fare, introducing generations to the intersectional flavors of Carolina cooking. As Ferris and Council shared memories of Mama Dip’s influence on their lives and careers, they also highlighted the importance of storytelling in Southern cuisine.
Fellow Carolinian culinary luminaries sat in celebration of Council, including food historian and writer Dr. Cynthia Greenlee, renowned chef and author Bill Smith, and the award-winning chef Vimala Rajendran of Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe in Chapel Hill. These culinary voices echoed the sentiments shared by Council and Ferris, underscoring the significance of food as a cultural bridge that celebrates history, femininity, and placement.
After the conversation, attendees were treated to a classic family-style lunch that embodied the heart of Southern comfort food, including crowd pleasers like shrimp and grits, creamy mac and cheese, crispy fried green tomatoes, and perfectly roasted salmon. Each dish was a tribute to the flavors that Mama Dip made famous, refreshed with Council’s personal touch.
The luncheon was a tribute to the legacy of a mother, the richness of Southern Black food traditions, and the bonds that grow around the table. The cookbook, meanwhile, is sure to become a treasured addition to the culinary canon, sharing a piece of Chapel Hill and Mama Dip’s Kitchen with the world.
serves 8
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