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Get To Know Fayetteville, Arkansas

Posted on by TLP Editors

For years this funk Northwest Arkansas city lived in a shadow of its own making, once known best to students and outsiders as the home of the University of Arkansas or as the heart of Hog Country (“Wooo Pig Sooie!”). But today Fayetteville has officially taken its rightful seat at the proverbial grown-ups’ table of the culinary world.

A steady influx of new chefs, artisan coffee roasters, and entrepreneurs— including many passionate graduates who have chosen to stay—has redefined the city and turned it into a year-round playground for refined palates. Even its dive bars and college hangouts have, in recent years, matured their menus to include seasonal cocktails with zero-proof options and bespoke bar snacks, like popcorn seasoned with cumin or made-to-order elotes—meaning Fayetteville’s culinary scene has never been more exciting.

Sidecar cocktail lounge bartender
Sidecar Cocktail Lounge

Best Places to Eat, Drink, and Explore

BEST NONALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS

Sidecar Cocktail Lounge

Bartender Trey Fincher takes a chef’s approach to cocktails at this vinyl bar where sober hour is daily and his full- and zero-proof creations change seasonally. 

BEST BRUNCH

The Farmer’s Table Café

Farmers are the rock stars of this vegan- friendly brunch, alongside legendary breakfast tacos made with housemade vegan “sausage” or with pork from Bansley’s Berkshire Ridge Farm.

BEST LATTE

Pink House Alchemy

The entire range of Pink House Alchemy syrups, shrubs, and bitters are fair game for custom latte concoctions at its flagship café; even the pastries are syrup-infused. 

BEST SWEET FIND

Crème Ice Cream Co.

Southern cornbread and saffron pistachio are perennial favorites at this small-batch creamery, but it’s worth ordering the ice cream flight to sample their rotating specialty flavors.

BEST PATIO HANG

City Park

Fayetteville’s community-oriented and nature-appreciating spirit combine at this expansive patio restaurant—an extension of the city park—where weekends are reserved for slow- smoked barbecue and lawn games.

ice cream flight at creme ice cream co
Ice cream flight at Crème Ice Cream Co.

Where to Shop

Hotvine Wine Shop

Hotvine Wine Shop fayetteville
Hotvine Wine Shop

More than a bottle shop, this little yellow building is filled with pros who also curate vibey playlists and local snack pairings. They stock boutique wines from around the world, with a great selection of zero-proof and non- alcoholic beverages, and sell 2-ounce pours from their on-site tasting room. 

Fayetteville Farmers Market

Fayetteville Farmers Market, one of Arkansas’ longest running, is the heartbeat of the city. From handmade leather goods and gluten-free pastries to farm-fresh skincare products and seasonal produce, the year-round market is a vibrant celebration of all things local. 

Bloom Cheese Collective

The husband-and-wife team behind this cut-to-order cheese shop regularly stocks 100 cheeses at any given time. Brooks (a trained chef) and Ali Cameron (a cheesemonger) source their products from around the world, serving in- house charcuterie boards with curated wine or beer pairings and BYOT (Bring Your Own Tray) for charcuterie to go. 

The Stonebreaker hotel
The Stonebreaker

Where to Stay

The Stonebreaker

This 78-room hotel tapped a James Beard-recognized restaurant design firm to ideate its industrial farmhouse aesthetic, opening just after the 2024-2025 football season. The hotel’s interior gives the feel- ing of an adult summer camp, with rustic minimalist furnishings and plenty of communal gathering spaces all accented in earthy greens and creams. The hotel also includes an award-winning restaurant, bar, and a members-only club that’s housed in a restored Victorian house on the property.

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Recipes From Our 2025 Fall Issue

Posted on by Amber Chase

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Charleston Wine + Food Presents From the Roota to the Toota

Posted on by TLP's Partners

Join the fun at Charleston Wine + Food’s From the Roota to the Toota, supported by The Local Palate.

Step into the kitchen with award-winning chef and writer Amethyst Ganaway for a lively, hands-on class rooted in the traditions of her upcoming cookbook, From the Roota to the Toota. Inspired by the Southern phrase “from the rooter to the tooter,” this experience celebrates cooking with intention and making the most of what we have while honoring history, culture, and sustainability. Learn the art of preparing wild game, offal, and more, with Chef Ganaway leading the way through technique, story, and flavor.

Hands-on Classes take place at Culinary Institute of Charleston Palmer Campus (downtown Charleston) in a teaching commercial kitchen. All Charleston Wine + Food classes are led by a chef or expert and our guests get involved in the fun. Hands-on classes are supported by Culinary Institute Culinary Arts students and Culinary Institute of Charleston faculty to ensure that your experience is top-notch. Classes are complimented with paired beverage offerings and a spread to enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

As part of our continuing education + workforce development initiatives, Charleston Wine + Food provides scholarships and funding to support Culinary Institute of Charleston students. Your ticket purchase is vital to our partnership with Culinary Institute of Charleston. Charleston Wine + Food has donated over $500,000 to culinary + hospitality scholarships and charitable initiatives since 2006.

Learn more and get tickets at on their website.

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Image courtesy of Charleston Wine + Food

Expert Seafood Tips For Home Cooks

Posted on by Amber Chase

For many, seafood is the thing they feel most hesitant about touching in the kitchen. Whether you’re nervous about preparation, sourcing, sustainability, or serving, Ari Kolender’s How To Cook the Finest Things In the Sea is your guidebook for uncharted waters. Kolender walks you through everything from crudo to clam chowder and has step-by-step guides for preparing fish that is simple and elegant. Read our full Cookbook Review of How To Cook the Finest Things In the Sea here!

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Amber Chase: What was the impetus for writing a cookbook on preparing and enjoying seafood?

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Get To Know Hendersonville, North Carolina

Posted on by Trisha Boyer

From the sandy dunes of the barrier islands to the majestic peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina is filled with charming towns. Among them, Hendersonville stands out with its sweeping mountain vistas, cascading waterfalls, and a pedestrian-friendly downtown brimming with more than two dozen locally owned restaurants and bars.

Whether you’re seeking snow-covered winter days, spring blooms, warm summer sunshine, or apple picking beneath the fall foliage, the City of Four Seasons offers a weekend escape any time of year. Head over to Main Street, lined with eclectic local shops and galleries, where a diverse dining scene promises something for every palate. Sip wine at a scenic vineyard in the countryside or explore the Cheers! Trail—the state’s only trail that showcases five types of craft beverages. With more than a dozen tasting rooms, it’s a toast-worthy trek. For a sweet finale, follow the Ice Cream Trail and get your fill of frozen treats from homemade scoops to banana splits, perfect for cooling down after a day exploring this vibrant mountain town.

Best Places to Eat, Drink, and Explore

RootAndBoneEastVillageNYC
Root and Bone

MOST INDULGENT SOUTHERN SUPPER
Root & Bone

Here, James Beard-nominated chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth prepare elevated comfort food using local ingredients. Indulge in signature, large-format dishes like the barbecue spareribs and sweet tea-brined fried chicken for a “hands-on” Southern feast you won’t soon forget.

SWEETEST BAKESHOP

Mini Batch Bakery

Stacy Fields went from selling baked goods at the farmers market to opening this petite shop of irresistible treats. Don’t miss the seasonal raspberry sonker, a cobbler-pie hybrid made with Autumn Bliss raspberries from her family farm. 

BEST COCKTAIL (WITH A VIEW)

Shine

Shine’s historic space—with brick walls, warm wood, and ample light— sets the tone for an eclectic menu fea- turing everything from duck fat fries and escargot to the aptly named Big Ass Bowl of Mussels. Hit the seasonal rooftop bar for a refreshing craft cocktail with sweeping views. 

COZIEST COFFEE SHOP

Black Bear Coffee Co.

Since 1993, Black Bear Coffee Co. has been fueling locals and visitors alike. The welcoming shop is anchored by a pet-friendly patio that’s perfect for enjoying a Counter Culture coffee paired with a freshly baked scone, bagel, or sandwich. 

Sweetest Bakeshop Pies
Mini Batch Bakery

MOST DELIGHTFUL DINNER

Postero

Postero’s open kitchen offers a front- row seat to new American fare. Dishes like johnny cakes with honey butter and scallions, peach gazpacho, and hanger steak with chimichurri highlight simple execution of super fresh ingredients. A curated list of libations rounds out the experience.

CREAMIEST ICE CREAM

Celtic Creamery

Celtic Creamery serves more than 14 rotating ice cream flavors daily—all churned on-site in small batches with premium ingredients, including select imports from Ireland. Whether you’re craving the Irish-inspired butter pecan or a classic vanilla, each scoop delivers rich flavor with a velvety texture. 

HOPPIEST BREWS

Oklawaha Brewing

Oklawaha Brewing located just off Main Street (part of the Cheers! Trail) pours hoppy IPAs, crisp lagers, and locally fruited sours. Enjoy live music seven nights a week, along with a tasting flight, and discover why this dynamic nanobrewery has become a cornerstone of the downtown experience. 

Where to Shop

Souther Williams Vineyard October Drone Images ()
Souther Williams Vineyard

Souther Williams Vineyard

At this boutique winery you can sip old and new varietals in an open-air pavilion overlooking 35 picturesque acres. Walk-in flight tastings and self-guided tours are available Thursday through Monday, and luxury picnics, guided tastings, and overnight cottage visits can also be arranged. Curated cases of wine make an excellent gift—for yourself or a friend.

McConnell Farms

This year-round farm offers more than seasonal picking. There’s a produce market that varies by month, with strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, and other fruits, veggies, flowers, and plants. They also make traditional ice cream, cider, doughnuts, preserves, jellies, jams, and salsas on-site. Pro tip: Order an ice cream sampler and sit beneath a shady tree.

Bone & Bottle Butcher Shop

In late 2024, Bone & Bottle Butcher Shop made its debut on Main Street, offering locally sourced meats, housemade sausages and meatballs, and a curated selection of jams, oils, and accoutrements. The shop also features a tightly edited wine collection, along with expert advice on pairings. 

Claim to Fame

Apples

Henderson County’s fertile soil coupled with warm days and cool nights makes it perfect for apple growing. The county grows a majority of the apples in the state and is one of top 20 apple producers in the country. From August to October, orchards offer U-pick, cider, doughnuts, and family-friendly activities, highlight- ing different varietals throughout the season. Every year, the town celebrates its rich apple-growing heritage with the four- day North Carolina Apple Festival that includes a lively fair along Main Street. 

Where to Stay

The Horse Shoe Farm

Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 85- acre Horse Shoe Farm is designed for relaxation and connection. Guests share communal meals at The Silo Cookhouse, digging into dishes like radishes with tallow and Joyce Farms chicken with creamed greens and black garlic. The spa, set within a beautifully reimagined barn with the sounds of farm animals in the distance, creates a sense of connectedness to the rich North Carolina land. Evenings end with a bonfire and s’mores beneath the stars. 

The Horse Shoe Farm (CourtesyofTaylorHeeryPhotography) () ()
Horse Shoe Farm, Image Courtesy of Taylor Heery Photography

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Meet 3 Unexpected Guardians of Legendary Southern Restaurants

Posted on by TLP Editors

Restaurant openings may dominate dining news headlines, but zoom out a bit and you’ll notice long-standing concepts with a cultivated audience quietly staying the course. These iconic restaurants anchor the towns and cities they serve without relying on chef-driven menus or culinary trends, and across the South, they are being taken over by new owners—not to change them, not to modernize them, but to preserve them just as they are.

Napoleon House BAR
Napoleon House in New Orleans, Image courtesy of Chris Granger

On the surface, saving generational restaurants makes for a heartfelt story, and there is a good dose of nostalgia involved, but it’s equally true that a known commodity can be a good investment. This is where local restaurant groups can offer a palatable succession plan. Three such landmarks include Napoleon House in New Orleans, H&H Restaurant in Macon, Georgia, and Venus Pie Pizzeria in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Their stories are as unique as the towns they serve.

In the French Quarter, Ralph Brennan stepped in to secure not only the American birthplace of the Pimm’s Cup but also a pair of buildings dating back to the 1700s. Napoleon House was once the home of Mayor Nicholas Girod, and later a sailors’ tavern and a corner store, before it became New Orleans’ celebrated spot for a toasted muffuletta sandwich.

The Impastato family was ready to sell the restaurant they had run for a century but wanted the brand to live on. That was 10 years ago, and Brennan says it’s a credit to his team that few people have noticed the transition. “We changed very little, and all the art and photos are on loan from the family indefinitely.”

The restaurant group is accus- tomed to the challenges of an antique building at their flagship restaurant, Brennan’s. At Napoleon House, they upgraded the HVAC and re- wired the back-of-house. To this day, staff carefully clean around the 200-plus-year- old chipped-paint walls, and shoring up the structures is a constant expense.

“You see people buy historic buildings and change them a lot. I wasn’t interested in that,” Brennan says. “It’s like the muffuletta. Before we took over, we ate a lot of them to make sure we knew what we were getting into. The heat makes a huge difference, with the melted cheese and the olive salad. We have that recipe. I feel so lucky. We even have the same mixing bowl to make the olive salad by hand.”

H&H restaurant in Macon, sign

Georgia icon H&H Restaurant closed its doors in 2013 before current owner Wes Griffith could connect with its legendary surviving founder, “Mama” Louise Hudson. Griffith’s Moonhanger Group is best known for Dovetail, a polished date-night concept. Months after the closure, the idea of Macon without H&H didn’t sit right with him, and he reached out to the owner of
the building to initiate a conversation.

For more than half a century, the restaurant has been a pilgrimage for Southern rock devotees, its walls covered in memorabilia. Hudson fed The Allman Brothers and later cooked for them on tour. In between, she served fried chicken, H&H’s signature dish, and other steaming plates of comfort food to Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, and other Capricorn Records musicians.

Moonhanger Group reopened H&H in cooperation with Hudson in 2014. Griffith says the absence of such an institution would have left a hole in Macon’s cultural fabric. “H&H is a testament to a lot of things—to Black excellence, to great food, to Macon’s music culture, to early race relations. It wouldn’t be forgotten, but it’s not the same if you can’t go there and keep experiencing it.”

In Spartanburg, restaurateur Kenneth Cribb grew up with Venus Pie Pizzeria as a prominent player in his childhood highlight reel. He remembers hunting for coins with his friends to bike into town for a giant slice. When he heard the iconic pizzeria might be for sale, he jumped at the chance to keep it in its historic location.

With Cribb’s help, Hub City Hospitality took over Venus Pie in June 2025. Cribb has built concepts from scratch with his partners, including four locations of Willy Taco, but he never expected to operate what’s considered a gateway business to downtown. “The fear was that we were going to change it,” says Cribb, “and we did, in lots of small ways: We updated the bathrooms and changed out the ceiling tiles and added some six-person booths for families to sit together.”

The books looked good when Hub City bought it, and the investment has already begun to pay off. They attribute the continued success to the staff, 90 percent of whom stayed on. “Venus Pie is part of our community’s DNA,” says Cribb. “Restaurants are places where we go to enjoy life over food and beverage, and if it’s an experience you can’t get anywhere else, then keeping these concepts going is an act of historical preservation.”

Venus Pie Pizzeria in Spartanburg SC
Venus Pie Pizzeria

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West Texas on a Plate: Big Flavor and Independent Spirit in Odessa

Posted on by TLP's Partners

Cork and Pig Odessa
Cork and Pig Tavern

In Odessa, Texas, food is not about spectacle. It is about presence. It is about walking into a room that feels lived in, ordering something generous, and staying longer than planned. Across the city, a new generation of independent restaurants is shaping a dining scene rooted in confidence, hospitality, and West Texas flavor.

Rather than chasing trends, Odessa’s kitchens lean into what works here. Bold menus, unfussy spaces, and a strong sense of place. You can taste it in the way local chefs blend comfort with creativity, honoring familiar flavors while pushing them just far enough to feel fresh.

At Cork and Pig Tavern, a local favorite with a loyal following, the menu balances approachability with polish. Wood fired pizzas, hearty pastas, and steaks anchor the experience, while seasonal specials keep things interesting. The restaurant has earned statewide attention for its consistency and crowd-pleasing style, making it a go-to for both locals and travelers passing through West Texas.

Nearby, Homemade Wines offers a different kind of gathering place. Part tasting room, part neighborhood hangout, the space pairs locally produced wines with small plates and an easygoing atmosphere that encourages lingering. It is the kind of place where conversations stretch into the evening, and visitors quickly feel like regulars.

Odessa’s food story also reflects the region’s deep cultural roots. Café San Blas is known for its warm service and comforting Mexican dishes, where soups, house specialties, and time-honored recipes are treated with care. The focus is on flavor that feels personal and familiar, the kind that keeps people coming back.

Don Bolos Discover Odessa Local Palate West Texas Food Photographer Rikki Delgado
Don Bolos

For a distinctly West Texas take on barbecue, Brantley Creek BBQ delivers smoked meats with patience and purpose. It is a straightforward approach that lets the craft speak for itself, rewarding those who arrive hungry and stay awhile. 

On the lighter, more playful end of the spectrum, Don Bolos has earned a following for its rolled tacos and crave-worthy comfort food, offering a quick stop that still delivers big flavor.

What ties these restaurants together is not a single cuisine or concept, but a shared sense of intention. Odessa’s food scene is shaped by people who believe in building something lasting. Places designed for conversation, celebration, and everyday meals done well.

That sense of authenticity makes Odessa especially appealing for travelers seeking more than a checklist dining experience. A road trip stop here comes with character. Pair a great meal with a stroll through downtown, a photo with the iconic Jack Ben Rabbit, or a visit to the Stonehenge replica at the University of Texas Permian Basin, and the city reveals itself as both playful and grounded.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Odessa feels like a fitting reminder of what makes road trip dining memorable. Independent restaurants. Big flavors. Welcoming tables. 

This is West Texas on a plate, generous, welcoming, and deeply local.

For more places to eat, explore, and stay, visit Discover Odessa.

Discover Odessa graffit photo

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A mural in Odessa, Texas
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Odessa

Under the wide open skies of West Texas, Odessa greets visitors with a spirit that feels both bold and inviting.

A colorful array of dishes and drinks at a restaurant in Odessa, Texas.
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Partnered

West Texas Eats: A Foodie’s Guide to Odessa 

From award-winning comfort food to authentic Mexican cuisine, there’s something to satisfy every palate in Odessa, Texas.

A spread of dishes at Don Bolos and an airplane carrying shots
Partnered
Dining Out

Don Bolos

Don Bolos is a celebration of Mexican heritage, blending tradition and innovation in every aspect in Odessa, Texas.

Asheville Ceramist Pulls From His Japanese Heritage

Posted on by TLP Editors

When Akira Satake left Japan for the United States in 1981, he brought his banjo and cameras to San Francisco with the intent to continue pursuing a career as a musician and photographer. “In high school I played guitar and mandolin, but banjo became my main instrument,” he says of his youth in Osaka. “Being a banjo player in Japan did not seem like a good career choice, so I went to photography school, worked, and saved my money to go to the United States.”

Akira Satake ceramics
From left: Potter and ceramist Akira Satake; mugs in his unique style. Opposite: A kohiki teapot

When he and his wife, Cynthia Pierce, arrived in Asheville in 2003, he brought his banjo, his cameras, and a growing concentration—some might say obsession—with the art and craft of ceramics. “I was 42 years old when I started learning and practicing, and people thought I was crazy,” he recalls. “I had a very successful career as a musician and producer. But I couldn’t stop. I loved it.”

The music business career began in earnest when he moved from San Francisco to Greenwich Village in 1983, settled in Brooklyn, and started a music production company for a large Japanese firm in a state-of-the- art studio in Manhattan. He had a large staff—and so much stress he couldn’t sleep. He thought about trying meditation or practicing yoga, but the notion of making pottery had always appealed to him, so he signed up for a three- hour class. “That day I thought, ‘Wow, this feels so good. I think I’m going to do this for my life’s work.’”

Pinching pots didn’t help him sleep, but it did calm his stress and pique his passion so much that he took a three-month course in pinching pots and then a three-month course in the wheel. “That was pretty much my formal education,” he admits— enough to set him on a professional path. Within a year of the first time he touched clay, he was accepted at the prestigious Lincoln Center Crafts Show. “My work was much cheaper then,” he says with a laugh.

Seeking room to grow and proximity to nature, he took the advice of a sculptor acquaintance and visited Asheville; his now-22-year residency vastly expanded his portfolio, adding sculptural work to his functional pottery. He built a home studio and a wood-fired kiln, and opened two galleries in the River Arts District, where visitors were introduced to the Japanese style and ethos he brings to his work.

“Whatever I make there is a Japanese influence because I grew up there, but in the Japanese sense, it is finding beauty in the imperfect,” he explains. “Not simply imperfect, but meaningfully and skillfully imperfect. Nature is beautifully imperfect, and living amid the nature of this area influences me every day.”

Akira Satake home studio wood fire kiln
Akira Satake’s home studio and a wood-fired kiln

On September 27, 2024, nature took a tragic turn when tropical storm Helene wreaked havoc on Western North Carolina; Asheville’s River Arts District was devastated by flooding, including Satake’s Gallery Mugen in Riverview Station. His equipment and furnishings were destroyed, but with the help of many hands and after five days of washing, 60 percent of the pottery was saved. A friend offered room in her space in the upper portion of RAD, and in November 2024 he opened the current iteration of Gallery Mugen.

Mugen translates to “infinite” in Japanese, and indeed, the collection of visually arresting, unique ceramics seems limitless in its expressions.

His ikebana containers, or vases, are both sculptural and functional, designed as vessels for the ancient Japanese style of flower arranging that Satake describes as “making art of space.” His sculptural work includes natural wood ash—unglazed pieces go into the wood kiln for a 50-hour firing, and flying ash falls onto and fuses into the clay, making a natural glaze. His tanka pieces are fired in a gas or electric kiln, then fired again with charcoal in a closed saggar box; the vapor carbonation makes the clay black. And his traditional kohiki pieces involve brushing a white slip onto dark clay; Satake’s technique stretches the clay in such a way that it cracks and distorts the brush marks.

“When I was a music producer, my job was to bring artists to the studio, find their talent and beauty, and do
as little as possible to let them shine,” Satake says. “I feel the same way in making pottery—let the clay shine. It is a collaboration with clay, fire, and me. It is serendipity, and it is beautiful.”

Where to Find Akira Satake Ceramics

Satake’s Gallery Mugen is open every day at 10:30 a.m. and he sells his pieces online. Look for Satake’s hands-on workshops, during which he demonstrates his various techniques for groups of 20 ($900 per person). 

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Our Weekend Guide to Greenville, South Carolina

Posted on by TLP Editors

Greenville’s bustling beverage scene is setting a new tone for the city.

methodical coffee downtown
Methodical Coffee, Greenville, South Carolina

Fresh off a hectic two years of living the nomad life, I was eager to plant roots in a new town. I eventually decided on Greenville: a small city in South Carolina’s Upstate backdropped by the Blue Ridge Mountains. What charmed me initially was its sprawling green spaces and quaint downtown. As I traversed the city’s suburban pockets, I discovered an equally rich food-and-beverage scene.

From upscale Georgian cuisine to eclectic Southern bistros, there’s a reason People recently named Greenville one of the top new foodie cities in America. (It’s also one of the locations Top Chef will be filming in for its 2026 season.) But while the food has gotten plenty of deserved acclaim, the city’s cocktail scene remains underrated. For those eager to try those libations, here’s a taste of what’s available to sip on.

FRIDAY:

My foray into Greenville begins by checking into The Westin Poinsett: a historic hotel in the heart of downtown. This year marks its 100th in operation, so it’s the perfect time for a stay.

A short walk from the space is Sum Bar, where chef Khailing Neoh’s rotating dim sum plates pair perfectly with seasonal cocktails made with baijiu, a traditional Chinese liquor. Bejeweled is my personal favorite, with génépy Le Chamois, house orgeat, lime, and butterfly pea flower.

Right around the corner from Sum Bar, and on my list to visit next time, is Swordfish Cocktail Club, a speakeasy with sophisticated cocktails. But this time I’m headed to Camperdown Plaza and upstairs to Juniper, a garden- inspired gin joint with panoramic views of the city. The lush decor and cocktail menu change with the seasons but always pull me into the moment.

The Rabbit Hole, Greenville, South Carolina
The Rabbit Hole, Greenville, South Carolina

An invigorating walk through Falls Park is a natural next step. After admiring the city’s waterfall, speakeasy Vault & Vator on the other side of the Reedy River is the place to go for a nightcap. Here, the mixologists craft drinks based on a list of words customers choose from the menu. Tonight, an elusive blend of floral and fizz sounds just right.

SATURDAY:

To shake off the late night, I start the day with a trip to Methodical Coffee, then take a walk down Main Street to Reedy Rides to rent a bike. Following the path of the famous Swamp Rabbit Trail, the city’s 28-mile urban green- way, brings me to local grocer and food stop Swamp Rabbit Café. The store’s signature stecca bread tastes better at the picnic tables. Afterward, it’s time to scour their vast assortment of local pro- duce, craft-brewed beer, and souvenirs, then haul the loot to nearby Unity Park. For lunch, it’s Indian curry or Spanish tapas at the neighboring food hall The Commons, then a stop at Golden Brown & Delicious for the house bloody mary.

After some responsible imbibing, I bike back to the hotel to reset. Later on, The Village of West Greenville calls. Drifting through the neighborhood’s art galleries ends with a stop at Bar Margaret for a Damn Good burger and cOlá Fashioned cocktail. (It’s a tradition.) To end the night, I cross the street to The Rabbit Hole, Greenville’s Alice in Wonderland inspired craft cocktail bar. Rum in a teacup. Charmed!

SUNDAY:

Before checking out of The Westin Poinsett, I grab breakfast at their 1920s-inspired café Spoonbread, where drinks like a lemon drop martini or mimosa are available from the attached hotel bar, then explore the rest of Greenville’s quaint downtown. Exotic finds await at Vintage Now Modern, while the popular M. Judson Booksellers is housed in a stunning Beaux Arts-style courthouse. Aching feet is the signal for lunch, and it’s time to reflect at Pomegranate on Main. With the restaurant’s signature pomegranate martini in hand, I wonder how such a small city has so much to offer.

Swamp Rabbit Food image
Swamp Rabbit, Greenville, South Carolina

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Interior of People's Tap part of Greenville's culinary scene
On the Road

Greenville’s Expansive Culinary Scene

We’ve mapped out some of the participating chefs, artisans, and restaurants who continue to make Greenville’s culinary scene shine year round.

Liberty Bridge in Greenville, South Carolina
On the Road

Greenville

Tucked in the folds of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville has been quietly gaining momentum as a Southern food town worth knowing.

CAMP adobespark
On the Road

Snapshot: Greenville, South Carolina

Dozens of restaurateurs, brewers, winemakers, and entrepreneurs opened their doors in Greenville since 2020, proving there’s still plenty to celebrate.