The Local Palate

Spring Council Celebrates Her Debut Cookbook Southern Roots

Posted on April 28, 2026April 28, 2026 by TLP Editors

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.

Spring Council’s Collards and Italian Sausage Lasagna

Collard Greens and Italian Sausage Lasagna from Southern Roots Cookbook

Recipes and Stories from Mama Dip's Daughter by Anita "Spring" Council, copyright ©2026, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved

recipe

yields

serves 8

ingredients

9 (8 ounces) wide lasagna noodles
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 spicy Italian sausage links, removed from casing
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 egg yolks
2 cups cooked collard greens
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
8 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

steps

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Drain and add cold water to cool. Drain and place the noodles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a kitchen towel.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium–low heat in a large skillet until the onion is soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the oil from the sausage. Add the tomatoes, pasta sauce, basil, and oregano to the sausage mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and egg yolks. Line the bottom of a 13–by–9–by–2 baking pan with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread half of the ricotta mixture first, then half of the meat sauce, half of the collards, a layer of mozzarella, and a layer of provolone and top with 3 lasagna noodles. Repeat laying the ricotta mixture, meat sauce, collards, mozzarella, and provolone. Finish by topping with 3 noodles and ending with a layer of provolone cheese on top.
Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. Your lasagna is ready when everything is heated through and the cheese is completely melted. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.

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Texas Chef Jason Ryczek Gets His Caviar Straight From the Source

Posted on April 27, 2026 by TLP Editors

n 2015, when Jason Ryczek was executive chef at San Francisco’s Farallon, he was called out of the kitchen to meet a diner. Expecting a purveyor trying to sell him something, he was surprised to find Deborah Keane, founder of California Caviar Company, who was so impressed with his preparation of sturgeon that she invited him to join her lauded caviar program.

Known in the culinary world as the Caviar Queen, Keane began by teaching caviar classes before founding her own sustainable sturgeon farm in California’s Sacramento Delta. When she launched her invitation-only Caviar Camp, Ryczek was among the first chefs asked to participate. What began as a passing interest has turned into nearly a decade-long tradition of returning each year to hand-select the sturgeon that will define the caviar program at Little’s Oyster Bar in Houston where he now helms the kitchen.

“The first time I got into a tank with a sturgeon, it was a little frightening because they are huge,” Ryczek says. “It’s not about being bitten. They are so strong and flexible because their entire skeleton is made of cartilage. I’ve been lifted off my feet and pushed back down into the water by a sturgeon. When you come out of the tank, you’re definitely a little beaten up.”

While the farm-raised white sturgeon Ryczek is interacting with are between six and eight feet long, in the wild, the prehistoric fish, considered the largest freshwater species in North America, can grow to be more than 20 feet long.

“Anytime I can participate in a program that really stands for something, it is a big deal to me,” the chef adds. “This prehistoric animal is facing extinction, and caviar is what is paying for the farms to raise them and restock the native areas where they are from.”

Each year, Ryczek selects his fish through a careful process but says there is no magic formula because “it all comes down to the roe.” Using a one-inch scalpel, he makes a small incision near the reproductive area and extracts a sample of roe with a straw. “Sturgeon are bottom feeders, so they have very little feeling on the bottom of the bel- lies,” he explains. “Once I have the roe, I clean it with water, look at the size and color. I pinch it to test the texture and then taste it.”

For Ryczek, the texture of the roe matters as much as taste: “I like when the fat coats your mouth, close to creamy, nutty butter. I like to say that the taste and smell should be reminis- cent of its native waters, like standing on a jetty and getting a face full of mist.”

Tasting the roe at Caviar Camp is an approximation of what the caviar will turn into nearly two months later once it arrives in Houston at Little’s Oyster Bar. While the curing process is top secret, Ryczek says that he strives for the lowest sodium content with the best texture. “I want to get the right cure so that the skin has the perfect burst, almost like you’re popping bubbles.”

For Ryczek, part of producing his own caviar is also about educating diners and sharing his process. His well-versed staff walks diners through the story of each selection.

While some chefs compare them- selves to artists, Ryczek considers himself a craftsman. He uses as much of the fish as possible, including filets, skin, and even marrow, building dishes that evolve with each year’s catch. “I try to think about the fish and where it is from, and how I can translate that on the menu,” he explains. “I try to be respectful of this creature while finding the flavors that come through.”

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Spring’s Top Culinary Trends of 2026

Posted on April 25, 2026April 27, 2026 by Amber Chase

As spring makes its way into the sticky heat of a Southern summer, we’re looking for ways to refresh the season ahead. We’ve kept a close eye on new and unexpected ingredients on menus, notable strides in design, and the hot trends that keep us excited for what’s happening in the South right now..

Trend 1: Statement Bathrooms

Some might scoff when they see this trend is about pretty bathrooms. But, let’s be realistic, if you’re visiting a restaurant, the washroom is an essential part of the experience. And restaurateurs are taking notice. The washroom acts as an extension of a restaurant’s design, and attention to detail matters too, like offering small mints or flossers for guests as thoughtful touches.

A cult favorite is the bathroom at Vern’s in Charleston. Perfectly aligned with Vern’s laidback, welcoming atmosphere, their bathroom is overgrown with foliage and a signature scent that prompts most bathroom guests to check the candle label.
The restrooms at Albertine in Charlotte have a whole vibe. Naturalist wallpaper with muted tones are contrasted with the showstopping marble veined sink. Another thoughtful touch is stalls with doors that actually reach the floor for ultimate privacy.
Omakase Sushi & Sake Bar in Lexington, Kentucky, has heated toilet seats. Enough said.
For an insider’s catalog of some of the best washroom art across Charleston and beyond, follow @waterclosetart.

Trend 2: Kosho

A menu ingredient we’ve seen on a rapid rise is kosho. Kosho is a fermented paste made from citrus zest, chili peppers, and sea salt. It adds a vibrant, fresh boost to any dish but lends itself exceptionally well to fish and hearty proteins.

At Japanese tavern Shokudô in Charleston, chef-partner Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya incorporates multiple uses of kosho into his dishes including black cod with misodare and a lime kosho, and a beef short rib with amarodare, shiitake, and a lemon kosho.
The raw bar at newly-opened Lion’s Share in Nashville features a housemade mandarin kosho delicately paired with a shima aji (striped jack) marinated in glaze from its own bones.
A crowd-favorite signature nigiri at O-Ku in Atlanta is their “Snow King” that incorporates blue crab, garlic butter, and a yuzu kosho.

Trend 3: Burrata Brine In Cocktails

Egg white might be dethroned as the king of frothy cocktails and mocktails.

At Glasshouse Kitchen in Durham, beverage manager Greg Dreyer is using burrata brine. “The cheese’s strained liquid is creamy and slightly salty which acts as a foaming agent adding unmatched body and visual appeal,” he says.

Dreyer’s Beet Me To It mocktail showcases the burrata brine alongside Little Saints St. Juniper Non-Alcoholic Gin, housemade beet apple shrub, lemon juice, and mint.

recipe

yields

Makes 1 mocktail

ingredients

1.5 ounces Little Saints St. Juniper Non-Alcoholic Gin infused with juniper, lion’s mane mushroom, and cucumber
1 ounce of house-made beet apple shrub
0.5 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
0.75 ounces strained burrata liquid
5 mint leaves, muddled

steps

Shake and strain into a tall mason jar with ice
Garnish with a mint sprig

Trend 4: Classic Desserts Go Savory

There’s a long-standing debate about whether it’s better to finish a meal with something sweet or savory. No matter which side you’re on, chefs are now experimenting with classic desserts with a flamboyant savory spin.

At Perso in Louisville, Kentucky, executive chef and owner Emil David and chef Drake Aldrich have launched a Berkshire pork éclair with fermented ramps, horseradish, sorghum, and mustard. Trust us, you’ve never tried an éclair like this.
If you’re looking for a more subtle integration of savory flavors, Post House Inn offers a goat cheese crème brûlée with goji berries, pine nuts, arugula, and a fermented strawberry vinaigrette.

Trend 5: The Rise of English Pubs

The English Cotswolds are taking over the South, and we’re here for it. Whether it’s cozy wood-burning hearths, artfully hung taxidermy, or classic British dishes like fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding, these newly-opened pubs will have you transported abroad in one bite.

In Louisville, Kentucky, chef Lawrence Weeks opened Murray’s Creole Pub, an homage to the British pub that integrates his Creole and Cajun roots. Read the full First Look article here.
Robbie Wilson and Emily Perry Wilson returned to Nashville opening Lion’s Share, a contemporary take on an English tavern with a timeless aesthetic that is both historic and trendsetting. Read the full First Look article here.

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Our 10 Favorite Southern Bakeries

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Sara Hattaway

Across the South, bakeries are doing more than just serving bread and pastries; they’re shaping community, preserving tradition, and reimagining what it means to gather around food. From nonprofit kitchens rooted in cultural identity to century-old institutions still baking the same loaves by hand, each of these spaces tells a story that goes beyond the counter. Together, they highlight how baking can honor old-world traditions and bring people together one baked good at a time. Here are 10 of our favorite Southern bakeries to try.

Sugar Bakeshop

Nestled in the cozy Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood in Downtown Charleston sits Sugar Bakeshop, a neighborhood gem that bakes fresh desserts every morning. Started almost 20 years ago by couple, Bill Bowick and David Bouffard, Sugar has become wildly popular in the Holy City. The pair were originally architects in New York City, but moved to the Lowcountry to start their bakery inspired by Bill’s grandmother’s baking. Each day, you can find a dazzling selection of moist cupcakes and soft cookies that have the perfect amount of crunch. If you’re not in the mood for either of those, you can also browse their other desserts, such as glazed cinnamon rolls, chewy brownies, and creamy yet tart lemon bars. With all the options, you could spend hours deciding what to choose, and it’s impossible to leave the store without toting one of their iconic white and teal cupcake boxes. Sugar Bakeshop is a Charleston staple and a must-visit if you are in the area.

Kuluntu Bakery

Inspired by South African flavors, Kuluntu Bakery is a small-scale commercial bakery operating out of Stephanie Leichtle-Chalken and her husband Warren’s home on the outskirts of Dallas. Meaning “community” in isiXhosa, a South African language of the amaXhosa people, Kuluntu functions as a nonprofit bakery to create a more equitable food system and community by connecting the food industry, consumers, and partners to uplift women and recognize the humanity of all food workers. The bakery began as a way to alleviate the stress of grad school. Eventually, Leichtle-Chalken went on to train at some of New York City’s top bakeries, where she also gained firsthand insight into the industry’s darker side, which included the persistent gender inequalities that affect many commercial kitchens. When establishing Kuluntu, she aimed to help end gender inequality in the culinary industry. She now hosts programs that teach women skills to help them navigate these issues in the workplace. She also offers baking classes and custom preorders, which you can pick up in her own backyard.

Leidenheimer Baking Company

New Orleans has a rich bread history, and Leidenheimer Baking Company has been central to shaping it. Since opening its doors in 1896, Leidenheimer has been serving the New Orleans area with delicious crusted French bread. Now operated by the fourth and fifth generations of the family, their bread is still made using the same time-honored process, over 120 years later. While they specialize in Po’boys, they also serve muffulettas and gourmet hamburger buns. Po’boys originated in New Orleans in the 1920s, created as affordable sandwiches for striking streetcar workers and later becoming a staple of the city’s food culture. Whether you’re grabbing a classic Po’boy or a muffuletta, a stop at Leidenheimer is a must to taste a true piece of New Orleans bread tradition.

The Bakehouse Texas

Joy Wilson wanted to get to know her Bellville, Texas, community more, so she thought, what better place to do it than her own backyard? The Bakehouse Texas is a monthly pop-up bakery from Joy the Baker, baked straight from her garage workshop and backyard cottage kitchen. This small-batch bakery was born of a simple love for bringing people together through everything sweet. Each month, she offers seasonal Bakery Boxes featuring a rotating selection of pastries, breads, and baked goods. Her famous Texas Bakehouse chocolate chip cookies loaded with Guittard chocolate are included in every box. Still, the rest is a surprise, ranging from giant cheddar scallion scones with hot honey butter to lemon poppyseed kolaches. Joy and her husband Will are expecting their first child this spring, so they have paused the monthly pop-ups but plan to hit the ground running on the first Saturday in September.

La Farm Bakery

Lionel Vatinet really takes the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” to heart. After years of traveling the globe to find the secret to good bread, Vatinet, along with his wife and partner Missy, fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening a Bakery in Cary, North Carolina. La Farm’s founding philosophy is rooted in Vatinet’s training and mentorship within France’s prestigious artisan guild, Les Compagnons du Devoir. A distinctive three-day process shapes the breads, enhancing both their flavor and texture. Each loaf is handcrafted daily with unbleached, unbromated flours. Vatinet produces 15 different bread styles and an additional 20 seasonal breads throughout the year, using a European-style hearth oven. Each bread is hearty yet light with a crunchy exterior and soft insides. There is a reason La Farm is so successful, and you can taste it in each bite.

Croissants Bistro and Bakery

Croissants Bistro and Bakery has been a local favorite since 1995 and is still the perfect first stop of the day for beachgoers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Owned by South Carolina Restaurateur of the Year and South Carolina Chef Ambassador, Heidi Vukov, this coastal brunch spot serves everything from in-house freshly roasted coffee and mimosas to homemade soups paired with sandwiches. Vukov aims to combine the freshest ingredients with outstanding service to create a memorable experience for every guest. Some menu favorites include baked brie topped with a refreshing lemon-blueberry compote, gooey Bananas Foster French toast, and the melty fried green tomato and pimento cheese melt. Whether you’re looking for a quick grab-and-go coffee or a place to sit for as long as you want, Croissants is the perfect place to pop in.

Continental Bakery

While in Birmingham, Alabama, Continental Bakery is a great place to start your day. The spot is a local favorite known for its artisanal breads and pastries made daily from scratch. Their signature loaf is their sourdough, which takes 48 hours to produce. The process begins with a 30-year-old wild yeast starter cultured right in the Magic City. The loaf is crafted into a traditional, hearty 4½-pound loaf inspired by the French countryside, but they’re happy to cut it into halves or quarters for guests. They also offer other baked goods such as vegan yeast rolls, flaky twice-baked sweet croissants, and a Southern favorite, Queenies. If you’re in Birmingham, stop by Continental Bakery to experience some of the city’s best European-style breads and pastries in a cozy, local setting.

Flora and Fauna

In the same storefront that housed the iconic Back in the Day Bakery by Cheryl Day, the fifth concept of the FARM hospitality group, Flora and Fauna, is now open. The name is a nod to the restaurant’s connection to local farms and purveyors in the Savannah, Georgia area. Flora and Fauna preserves the spirit of Back in the Day by offering fresh-baked bread, French-inspired pastries, and a curated selection of locally sourced lunch options. The menu blends classic Southern charm with timeless French influences, with items like a crispy fried chicken and pimento cheese breakfast sandwich next to a baguette packed with Parisian ham, spicy Dijonnaise, arugula, and gruyere. Alongside the bakery is a supper club-style dinner service designed to evoke the emotions of a nostalgic family meal, but with more elevated dishes. Flora and Fauna bridges past and present, honoring a beloved legacy while introducing a fresh, elevated vision for Savannah’s bakery scene.

Le Bakery & Cafe

Le Bakery & Cafe in Biloxi, Mississippi, is a Vietnamese-influenced bakery led by Sue Nguyen and her family, where tradition and community go hand in hand. Customers line up daily to snag their classic French bread and pastries, as well as bánh mì, Vietnamese Po’boys, and refreshing bubble teas. Inside, the space is simple, with most of the emphasis on the freshly made treats that line the main counter display. Nguyen’s goal is for the bakery to feel approachable and welcoming when customers walk in. The outstanding service and delicious baked goods are what keep people coming back again and again.

Zak the Baker

Now located in the colorful Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, Florida, Zak the Baker is a destination for a wide variety of traditional breads and pastries. Zak Stern opened his bakery with the hope that the place could connect the community with the spirit of tradition, and its success is evident when, as he puts it, “You have these moments when you see people transcending beyond their ideology and their beliefs and their tribes,” and all walks of people are enjoying his goods. Menu standouts include his classic Jewish rye and olive za’atar batard as well as the flaky hazelnut croissant and buttery guava and cheese pastelito. Zak the Baker is more than just a bakery and has become a place where tradition, culture, and community come together in every loaf and pastry.

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Get To Know Knoxville, Tennessee

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Trisha Boyer

In Knoxville, it won’t take long before you hear an enthusiastic “Go Vols” or see University of Tennessee’s iconic orange on display. But this vibrant college town is more than football games and frat life. The walkable downtown boasts historic architecture, eclectic shops, arts and entertainment venues, and dozens of bars and restaurants—most locally owned. The pedestrian-only Market Square anchors the city, with a bustling Saturday morning farmers market and a long list of independent restaurants, including James Beard Award-winning chef Joseph Lenn’s celebrated J.C. Holdway. On Gay Street, you can grab a scratchmade doughnut from Status Dough and explore 10 blocks dotted with historic theaters, galleries, and dining options. And across the bridge Old City hums with creative energy against a backdrop of beautiful Victorian buildings. With the Great Smoky Mountains to the east, Cumberland Mountains to the west, and miles of urban trails and greenways, it’s easy to enjoy the breathtaking East Tennessee landscape surrounding this independent-spirited food-lover’s town.

Best Places to Eat, Drink, and Explore

Best Lunch: Sticky Rice

A dopo Pizza Credit Caroline Trotter Knoxville Tennessee — A Dopo Pizza

Take a short drive from downtown—and don’t let the long lines deter you. This family-run Laotian restaurant is worth every effort. Make sure the fried chicken skin (with Grandma’s seasonings), crispy rice with sour pork sausage, and coconut sticky rice with mango are in your order.

Best Pizza: A Dopo

A Dopo’s woodfired Neapolitan-style pizzas start with sourdough that’s made fresh daily, with toppings ranging from housemade ’nduja to local honey. The pies are the main event, but creative starters, seasonal vegetables, a curated wine list, and gelato complete the experience.

Best Bakery: Wild Love Bakehouse

Locally and regionally sourced eggs, milk, and flour are the building blocks of this North Knoxville bakery’s delectable scratch-made croissants, pastries, bars, and savory fare. The supremely flaky, buttery hand tart (a gourmet Pop Tart-like treat) is a must.

Best Deli: Potchke Deli

What began as a pop-up by Laurence Faber and Emily Williams to support Ukraine grew into a much-loved brick-and-mortar deli cherished for its babkas, blintzes, bialys, and other traditional fare. (Don’t miss their new bagel shop in West Knoxville.)

Best Tamale: Good Golly Tamale

Paysan Baguette Bread Knoxville Tennessee — Paysan

At Good Golly Tamale you can choose from more than a dozen flavor-packed parcels. Go classic with the queso poblano, filled with Sweetwater Valley buttermilk cheese and roasted peppers, or sample a seasonal favorite, like the curry chicken with onion, ginger, and coconut.

Best Brewery: Pretentious Beer Co.

Craft beer lovers will appreciate the rotating selection of lagers, IPAs, sours, and browns served in handblown glasses made specifically for your chosen brew. Not into beer? No problem. There’s a refreshing seltzer on tap, too.

Best International Influence: Tarik’s North African

Tarik Becha’s culinary journey began in the Algerian village of his youth and continued across continents before he and his wife opened Tarik’s. Entrees layered with steamed couscous, spiced meats and vegetables, fresh parsley, plump raisins, and pickled bites reflect the rich culinary traditions of his home.

Best Bagel (and Bonus Canelé): Paysan Bread and Bagels

Paysan is known for its sourdough loaves and shiny bagels in a variety of flavors, stuffed with various fillings or served with a classic schmear. But the delicate canelés—with a Tennessee twist, subbing whiskey for rum—are a delight.

Claim to Fame

The Petro

Joe and Carol Schoentrup debuted The Petro—a Fritos bag sliced open and piled high with chili and toppings—at the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville. Three years later, brothers Dale, Keith, and Randy Widmer developed a restaurant concept building on the portable snack’s popularity. Over the years, the paper cup “barrel” replaced the Frito bag, and new menu items were added, but you can still enjoy the original Petro, along with their signature Hint-of-Orange iced tea, at all locations, including Knoxville’s Market Square.

Petros Chili Chips Knoxville Tennessee — Petros Chili Chips

Where to Shop

Central Bottle

The inviting Old World-inspired space sets a warm and welcoming tone for tightly edited shelves lined with biodynamic, small-batch wines from family-owned producers around the world. The friendly staff members go above and beyond to help you discover your next bottle.

Red Panda Grocery

This compact city market has all the weekly shopping necessities: fresh vegetables, organic meats, and rows of sauces, spices, snacks, and
accoutrements. For visitors, it’s the perfect stop for picnic prep—grab beer from the cooler plus whatever they’re serving at the counter.

Market Square Farmers Market

Wednesday and Saturday mornings, May through November, this open-air, producer-only market showcases goods grown, raised, and/or made by vendors within 150 miles of Knoxville. Seasonal items range from fresh fruits and vegetables to pasture-raised meats and artisan crafts and foods.

Where to Stay

The Tennessean Hotel

Within walking distance of downtown, the University of Tennessee, and World’s Fair Park, The Tennessean stands out for its service and
amenities as much as its premium location. Sip the hotel’s signature smoked old fashioned before tucking into one of 82 spacious suites. On Sunday, treat yourself to a British-inspired tea service in the hotel’s elegant restaurant, The Drawing Room, before setting out to explore the hotel’s black car service, executive golf cart, and electric bikes make getting around a breeze.

Meet a Local

CHEF JOSEPH LENN, J.C. HOLDWAY

Following an accomplished decade at Blackberry Farm, James Beard Award winning chef Joseph Lenn returned home to open J.C. Holdway. In the open kitchen, Lenn crafts Appalachian inspired dishes like scallion hushpuppies and whole grilled Sunburst trout. Indulge in the intimate five-course chef’s tasting menu for the best bites of the season.

Chef Joseph Lenn Illustration Portrait — Chef Joseph Lenn

What is unique about what you offer at J.C. Holdway?

A big part of it is having the woodburning ovens in the kitchen. And many of the dishes relate back to my childhood, growing up in East Tennessee—at the chef’s counter, I can share those stories.

How has this community shaped your business vision?

The farmers market is a block away, so it makes it easy to stay seasonal and local. I started building relationships with farmers between jobs, before I ever even opened the restaurant. It’s a luxury to have it so close.

How are you involved in community-building events?

We do a lot of charity work for the arts: Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville Opera, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and we support the Women’s Fund of East Tennessee, too. After Helene we hosted a dinner and raised $40,000 for World Central Kitchen. Those are proud moments for me, being from here and being able to use accolades to drive fundraising and seeing how impactful it can be.

Plan a perfect day in Knoxville for us.

Start the morning at Mahalo Coffee, then stroll through Market Square and Old City and grab a second coffee at Old City Java. Next check out the East Tennessee History Center and the Knoxville Museum of Art, two places that show a lot about Tennessee. After that, [take] a walk or hike close to town at Ijams Nature Center. It’s beautiful and we are lucky to have it so close by. For lunch, head out of town to Sticky Rice. (You have to get crispy rice with sour sausage.) We have excellent authentic Sichuan at Asia Kitchen, too. Before dinner, grab a drink at Peter Kern Library. It’s a speakeasy-type bar with cocktails that are just on a different level. Of course, you’d have to have the chef’s tasting menu at J.C. Holdway for dinner. After dinner see a show at Tennessee Theatre or Bijou, then grab a drink at PostModern Spirits or Schulz Brewery.

J C Holdway Pasta Dish Knoxville Tennessee — J.C. Holdway

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Good Times Are Always on Tap in Little Rock

Posted on April 22, 2026 by TLP's Partners

When people talk about Little Rock, the conversation often leads back to a memorable meal. After all, food has always played a central role in Southern culture, and in Arkansas’ capital city, our restaurants are the perfect opportunity to connect with the stories, traditions, and people who shape the close-knit community here.

The Oyster Bar in Litle Rock Arkansas — The Oyster Bar

From historic neighborhood institutions to newer kitchens experimenting with regional ingredients, Little Rock has built a dining scene that locals take seriously—and visitors quickly come to appreciate. Across the city, you’ll find classic Southern cooking, inventive farm-to-table fare, neighborhood bakeries, craft breweries, and cocktail bars that turn dinner into a full evening out on the town.

Take, for example, one of our local institutions: The Oyster Bar. Located in the Historic Stifft Station neighborhood, it’s been serving locals since 1975! The Oyster Bar building was originally built in 1924 and once housed a neighborhood grocery store. Now, it’s the city’s go-to spot for freshly-shucked oysters, lobster rolls, and grilled catfish.

If you enjoy dining with a view, you won’t want to miss Cache Restaurant in the River District, where you can enjoy captivating views of the Arkansas River and the nearby Riverfront Park. This New American fine-dining establishment focuses on locally sourced ingredients and sustainable products to create elegant dishes such as filet mignon, sea bass, and shrimp & grits.

And of course, you can’t fully cover Little Rock’s food scene without giving a shoutout to our Black-owned restaurants. Whether you’ve got a taste for BBQ, chicken n waffles, soul food, or just classic southern fare, you’ll find it all here. Just to name a few: enjoy pork chop sandwiches and seafood boil Saturdays at K Hall & Sons Produce, or gourmet pizzas at Certified Pies.

Beyond the food itself, Little Rock is also home to one of the South’s best craft alcohol scenes! For example, Rock Town Distillery is the state’s first (legal) distillery to open since Prohibition. Make sure to drop by for a tour, where you’ll learn about the entire process of making spirits, as well as get to sample a flight.

Spend a few meals exploring our dining scene, and you may leave with a new favorite restaurant—not to mention numerous reasons to come back and Love You Some Little Rock.

Cache Restaurant in Little Rock — Cache Restaurant

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8 Sourdough Cookbooks to Level Up Your Bread Baking

Posted on April 21, 2026 by TLP Editors

Whether you’ve never baked a loaf of bread or you’ve been doing it for decades, the act of baking can be a new experience every single time. Baking with sourdough, in particular, requires a commitment—from building the starter to maintaining and feeding it to incorporating it into a baked good, it can be a labor of love and patience. Don’t let that overwhelm you, though, because baking can be meditative and healing, while also offering connection—to those you’re baking for and those who are teaching you as you go. Just starting out? We recommend leaning on these eight expert cookbook authors who are here to help you live a life guided by sourdough.

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Road Trip From Charleston to Columbia

Posted on April 21, 2026April 22, 2026 by Tate Jacaruso

South Carolina from the Coast to the Midlands

Most people knock out the drive from Charleston to Columbia, South Carolina, in two hours, possibly stopping at a fast food joint along the way. But if there’s no rush, why not make a day of it? Start with breakfast and a waterfront stroll in the Holy City before getting on the road, stop for a standout lunch with lake views in a lesser-known stretch of the state, then finish with a riverside walk before dinner in Soda City.

Stop 1: Charleston

For a classic Southern diner experience, slide into a booth at Early Bird Diner, a local favorite in West Ashley. They don’t take reservations, so get there early (especially on the weekends) to enjoy classics like the pecan fried chicken and cinnamon waffle with honey mustard barbecue sauce or the corn cake Benedict with green tomato salsa. Round it all off with a serving of warm blueberry cobbler.

Walk off breakfast downtown along the Battery, pausing to watch sailboats cruise through the harbor and possibly spot a pod of dolphins. Wander historic homes lit with gas lanterns south of Broad and peek through wrought-iron gates into secret gardens with bubbling fountains. The Gateway Walk is another scenic stroll that leads through a lush courtyard between King and Meeting streets.

The Gibbes Museum of Art is nearby on Meeting Street, with rotating artwork, special exhibitions, and free admission on the first floor. Browse paintings at Reinert Fine Art Gallery and don’t miss the picturesque sculpture garden in the back. Pop into shops on King Street like Blue Bicycle Books for used reads and Record Stop for vintage albums before hitting the road.

Stop 2: Holly Hill, South Carolina

Leave Charleston around noon and punch Sweatman’s Barbeque into the GPS, an hour drive that lands you about halfway to Columbia. The barbecue joint, located between Holly Hill and Eutawville, South Carolina, has the late-great Anthony Bourdain’s blessing—appearing on an episode of No Reservations. Dig into whole hog barbecue with a side of hash and rice for a much more exciting meal than McDonald’s takeout for the tenth time.

Stretch your legs after lunch at Indian Bluff Recreation Park, an 8-minute drive from Sweatman’s. The park offers views of Lake Marion and has picnic tables, trails, and a playground.

Stop 3: Columbia, South Carolina

Motor Supply Co Dish jpg — Chef Wes Fulmer’s swordfish dish at Motor Supply Co.

Get back on the road and arrive in Columbia in about an hour. Wander through lush, blooming gardens at Riverbanks Zoo, a 170-acre zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden. On Main Street, Columbia Museum of Art, which recently celebrated 75 years, offers stunning artwork from around the world as well as special exhibitions and events.

There may be time for a river walk before dinner. And luckily there are lots of great restaurants to choose from—try Hendrix for a beautiful rooftop view and craft cocktails. Terra offers fresh, simple dishes with local ingredients like the domestic shrimp remoulade with fried green tomatoes and Benton’s country ham. Or, opt for Motor Supply Company Bistro for a rotating, sustainably sourced menu with bites like Manchester Farms seared quail and SC swordfish.

Mast General Store offers a nostalgic shopping experience perfect for loading up on old-fashioned candies and snacks for future road trips. Staying in Columbia on a Friday night? Wake up and head to Soda City Market, held Saturdays from 9 am to 1 p.m., to shop goods from local artisans in the heart of downtown, before starting to plan the next trip to COLA already.

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Naomi’s Garden in Miami Serves Up Traditional Haitian Cuisine

Posted on April 20, 2026 by TLP Editors

Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood has been on edge. During the summer of 2025, the Miami Police Department signed an agreement to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Human traffickers had started to smuggle Haitians from South Florida across the Canadian border. People were in hiding. “Our community is facing a lot of uncertainty,” says Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “We know Trump is going to come for us.”

Still, on a sunny Monday morning this past November, there was life to attend to, breakfast to eat, and a day of work ahead—especially inside Naomi’s Garden. A worker there scooped Haitian menu favorites, like mayi kole and hot dog-laced espageti into takeout containers as regulars appeared on the sidewalk outside. Visible behind a picture window, waiting in line were workers in landscaping T-shirts, a fire department inspector, and a man in a gray suit, crisp white shirt, and tie. Later, during the lunch rush, someone called out, “I love you, Mami,” to a woman named Melissane, who has worked at the restaurant for 41 years.

Little Haiti neighborhood Naomis Garden restaurant — Image courtesy of M.B. Koeth

When I arrived at Naomi’s, employees Clair, Jacqueline, and Wislaine attended to 40-quart pots. The women, who preferred to only give their first names, chopped cabbage and carrots and lifted aluminum foil from hotel pans to check on braises bubbling in a double-decker oven. They have cooked at Naomi’s for 26, 20, and five years, respectively, and they all landed at the restaurant within a year of emigrating from Haiti to America.

A brand-new worker, Imani, walked into the kitchen for her first day. She wore a smart floral dress and cork sandals. The women found her a pair of nonslip shoes. Clair brought out giant bowls of boiled eggplant, chayote, and green papaya. Imani didn’t need instructions on how to prepare legume, one of Naomi’s most labor-intensive dishes. She picked up a masher and proceeded to purée the vegetables by hand, splashing bits onto her apron.

Naomi’s sits at the corner of NW 71st Street in Miami, and its steam table holds some of the city’s finest Haitian food: sos pwa, poisson gros sel, stewed oxtail, épinard, diri kole, and blé chock- ful of epis, garlic, and frizzled onions. There’s also a vegan sampler—curried or jerk jackfruit, legume (this version made without meat), chickpea stew, and tofu stroganoff—which co-owner Noam Yemini suggested to a young family with a stroller in tow. Most days, between its takeout window and online orders, Naomi’s workers feed 500 to 600 people.

Yemini’s parents, Yaron and Shula, traveled to Miami in the late 1970s to attend a festival and never left. They founded a spiritual community and vegan food truck, the latter of which evolved into a catering operation and then a commissary that supplied local grocers with prepared foods. The family lived in the garden behind their commercial kitchen; Yemini was born there with Melissane at his mother’s side. It was an only-in-Miami kind of dream: immigrant Israelis and Haitians building a business together amid ackee trees and a flock of chickens.

In 2006, the Yeminis shuttered their wholesale business and fully converted Naomi’s to a Haitian restaurant—albeit one with vegan and Caribbean leanings. Since then, Naomi’s has primarily served the community of Little Haiti. Its lush, palm-lined garden and affordable meals are an oasis in a food dessert. The most popular order is a $5 plate of starch— choose rice, mayi, or bulgur—topped with any gravy.

But in 2018, the restaurant’s clientele started to change, says Yemini, after President Donald Trump derided Haiti as one of the world’s “shithole” nations. Whether it was out of solidarity, defiance, or curiosity, a greater swath of Miami diners started to frequent Naomi’s. Melissane started to see even more unfamiliar faces during the 2020 election campaign, during which Trump claimed that Haitians in an Ohio town were eating cats and dogs.

Naomi's Garden in Miami cook Image courtesy of M B Koeth — Image courtesy of M.B. Koeth

But that support, no matter how well intentioned, won’t protect half a million Haitians whose Temporary Protective Status (TPS) was scheduled to be terminated on February 3, 2026 (although the status of this change was in flux as we were going to press). TPS work permits are available to individuals from countries the United States deems unsafe, and since the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, violent gangs have taken over 90 percent of Port-au-Prince. There’s been a nearly 500 percent rise in violence against children and a resurgence of cholera. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, however, says Haiti does not meet conditions for TPS.

As courts litigated TPS lawsuits last year, Yemini and the ACLU hosted a Know Your Rights event in the garden. The Florida Immigrant Coalition (FIL) coached immigrants on what to do if they were detained by law enforcement. In the fall, though, FIL started preparing families of mixed and uncertain status for repatriation. “There’s less hope when it comes to advocacy,” Petit tells me. “What people don’t realize is the dehumanizing part of being arrested, being put in shackles. You don’t want to be humiliated when you didn’t do anything except seek to survive and protect your children.”

Haitian immigration has always been subject to America’s racially tinged political whims. Some of Naomi’s workers arrived in the United States with green cards, thanks to family members who settled in Miami before them. They were among the Haitians who fled dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier’s violent rule, and built Little Haiti, between 1971 and 1990. One young employee arrived just last year. Her parents forced her to leave Port-au-Prince after two cousins were kidnapped.

Another worker traveled by plane with her husband and infant daughter to Brazil. Depending on the terrain and day, they rode or walked north until they reached Mexico. Her family waited in that foreign country for three months and then flew to Miami. “It was hard, very hard,” she says, leaving detail to the imagination.

Even as a safe haven, there are plenty of things left unsaid inside Naomi’s. “That has always been something that struck me, the silence,” says Yemini. “I’ve always known the vibrancy of Haitian culture, art, and food—and also how quiet it is. Because of the silence on their side, because they’re just living their lives, people don’t understand them. It’s the same with other immi- grant communities. We want guests to actually come and see who we are.”

“How do you know when sos pwa is ready?” I asked Jacqueline as she over- saw a pot of Haiti’s ubiquitous and silky bean gravy. It was still simmering on the stove and had an orange Scotch bonnet bobbing at the surface. She spooned a fat drop on the back of her hand, tasted it, looked me in the eyes, and nodded.

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Spring Council’s Collards and Italian Sausage Lasagna

Recipes and Stories from Mama Dip's Daughter by Anita "Spring" Council, copyright ©2026, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved

recipe <img decoding="async" class="card2__section__icon" src="https://thelocalpalate.com/wp-content/themes/local-palate/assets/images/icons/plus.svg" alt="heading-plus-icon" data-eio="l" />

yields

ingredients

9 (8 ounces) wide lasagna noodles

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 spicy Italian sausage links, removed from casing

1 (14.5-­ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (24-­ounce) jar pasta sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 egg yolks

2 cups cooked collard greens

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

8 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

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1.5 ounces Little Saints St. Juniper Non-Alcoholic Gin infused with juniper, lion’s mane mushroom, and cucumber

1 ounce of house-made beet apple shrub

0.5 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice

0.75 ounces strained burrata liquid

5 mint leaves, muddled

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Stop 1: Charleston

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Stop 3: Columbia, South Carolina

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recipe

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce

recipe