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For years, the restaurant space at the corner of North Highland and Virginia avenues in Atlanta housed burgers and fries. Soon, the longtime Farm Burger location will find new life as So. Fox, a neighborhood restaurant where natural wines fill glasses alongside seasonal plates. Named for the Southern fox grape—another name for muscadine—the restaurant marks a new chapter for the team behind Kinship Butcher & Sundry, who are bringing a polished yet community-focused vision to Virginia-Highland.
Married duo Rachael Pack, a sommelier, and chef Myles Moody have already built a loyal following in the neighborhood at Kinship, their butcher shop and cafe known for its thick sandwiches, carefully sourced meats, and artisanal products. At So. Fox, however, they look forward to returning to their fine dining roots with a more elevated approach. “We want it to be an upscale-casual neighborhood restaurant,” says Moody. “There’s this emerging kind of neighborhood casual restaurant, like Gigi’s and Talat Market, where people offer exceptional hospitality and menus and a very clear vision. That’s what we’re shooting for.”
The opportunity came through George Frangos, co-owner of Farm Burger, who encouraged the couple to take over the adjacent space. For Pack and Moody, the location offered practicality as it’s right next door to Kinship. “Our meats will be butchered and taken care of by the team over at Kinship and then we’ll utilize those on the menu here at So. Fox,” says Moody. The setup allows the couple to maintain the sourcing standards they’ve become known for while expanding into a more ambitious restaurant format.
The former fast-casual space has transformed from a burger joint to a light-filled dining room accented in pale woods, soft textures, and understated details. The couple approached the design process with the same community-forward ethos as their food, collaborating with local craftspeople including B10 Union (a furniture maker) and Silt Studios. “We’re sourcing Georgia white marble with a quarry here in Georgia for the bar,” says Moody. Even the materials reflect a commitment to grounding the restaurant in a sense of place.
That philosophy extends to the menu, though guests shouldn’t expect traditional Southern dishes. “I really want it to be a reference of time and place in the South, not necessarily Southern dishes,” says Moody. Instead, the dishes will closely follow the seasons, with Moody and his team growing much of their own produce on an acre of farmland as well as foraging. Pickled and fermented ingredients nod to his time at a Scandinavian restaurant as well as the South’s rich preserving heritage.
Muscadines, the restaurant’s namesake, will appear on the menu in different iterations. One planned dish involves Capriole Wabash Cannonball, a tangy semisoft goat cheese. “I’d like to take those muscadine leaves and put them in a brine, wrap the cheese in those fermented leaves, grill it, and then serve it with local honey as a dessert course,” says Moody. Other dishes on the menu include grilled beef with Vidalia onions and braised leeks and the grouper with pecans and cabbage.
While the food and wine program draws from the couple’s fine dining backgrounds, they want it to be a relaxed and approachable experience. Guests can pop in and grab a seat or stand at the bar if they just want a glass of wine and a snack, or stay for dinner. Whatever form the evening takes, the throughline remains the same. “Whether I’m making breakfast sandwiches or this à la carte menu, it’s going to be a reflection of time and place—us in the South,” he says.
This Pan-Asian restaurant is changing Lexington’s cocktail game and unifying downtown.
Shokudô combines bold flavors and time-honored Japanese techniques with Charleston-area ingredients for a unique dining experience.
Lexington, Kentucky will fall in love with the new go-to brunch and lunch spot, Cafe Patachou for its tasty food and shared community pride.
Set along 10 miles of pristine South Carolina shoreline, Kiawah Island Golf Resort has always shared a deep connection with both coast and cuisine. The Atlantic Ocean, Kiawah River, meandering waterways and brackish estuaries serve as a livelihood for this stretch of the Lowcountry. Here, fresh-caught seafood is pulled daily from nearby waters, finding its way onto tables that celebrate hospitality, expert preparation and sustainability. It’s a five-decade legacy that continues to inspire menus across The Kiawah Dining Collection with the bounty of the sea.
The Atlantic Room at The Ocean Course Clubhouse is the resort’s premier seafood destination, offering a modern dinner-only menu rooted in the region’s freshest daily catches sourced through close partnerships with local fisheries. Each dish is crafted with an uncomplicated approach that lets the natural flavors of the coast truly shine—complemented by a curated wine list of classic varietals and intriguing new finds.
Expect tantalizing options as iconic and expansive as the ocean views beyond your plate. Starters include Mermaid’s Kiss, the Chef’s daily dressed oyster, and Lobster and Caviar Deviled Eggs. Also not to be missed—The Atlantic Room’s Country Captain, a succulent medley of shrimp, mussels, clams, and crab in an aromatic curry broth over Carolina Gold rice, topped with curried almonds.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s longest-running event, the Mingo Point Oyster Roast and BBQ, has been cherished by generations. Fresh oysters, roasted over a crackling fire, are served abundantly around family-style tables, ready to shuck and savor straight from the shell or enjoy with melted butter, a squeeze of lemon or hot sauce. Every bite is a symphony of simple ingredients and time-honored southern cooking traditions. Slow-cooked meats, hearty sides and decadent desserts round out the experience, along with family activities, live music, and dancing under the stars.
While oysters are the star of the roast, their story doesn’t end there. Kiawah Island Golf Resort recognizes them as a valuable natural resource and works with the local community and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to collect shells from the roasts and repurpose them into living shorelines. While filtering coastal waters, these wire-bound reef structures create a vital habitat for marine life, supporting current and future biodiversity of Kiawah’s waterways.
In addition to The Atlantic Room and Mingo Point Oyster Roast, signature seafood specialties can be relished at Jasmine Porch and The Ocean Room at The Sanctuary, Tomasso at Turtle Point Clubhouse, or poolside at Loggerhead Bar & Grill, West Beach Cantina, and Night Heron Grill—all within the 16 distinctive venues of The Kiawah Dining Collection.
Beyond epicurean adventures, Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to private Resort Villas and The Sanctuary, the state’s only Forbes Triple Five-Star destination for accommodations, dining and spa. Golf on five championship layouts, including The Ocean Course, a renowned tennis center, racquet sports, and endless recreation on sand and sea await—50 years and counting.
Visit The Ocean Room at The Sanctuary to experience the only restaurant in South Carolina that has earned a coveted Forbes five-Star rating.
Check into one of these 10 hotels with luxury spas and enjoy five-star treatments to help you unwind and relax.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort spotlights a variety of culinary options designed to delight the senses for overnight guests and food lovers.
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How To Enter: Beginning at 12 a.m. ET on June 8, 2026 until 11:59 p.m. ET on June 12, 2026 (the “Promotion Period”), you may enter The Local Palate & Boot Holdings 2022, LLC d/b/a Barnsley Resort 2026 Giveaway (the “Promotion”) by visiting The Local Palate website (www.thelocalpalate.com) (collectively, the “Promotion Website”) and completing the entry requirements on the contest page. Entries must be received by 11:59 a.m. ET on June 12, 2026 to be eligible.
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How Winner will be Determined: One (1) potential Winner (the “Winner”) will be selected by random drawing and will be contacted by email if deemed a winner within the Promotion Period. Sponsor’s decision with respect to the Winner and other matters pertaining to the Promotion shall be final. The Winner may be required to sign an affidavit of release of liability and publicity (where permitted), and return same, properly executed, within five (5) days of issuance of prize notification. If Sponsor is unable to contact the Winner within three (5) days from first notification attempt, if the Winner fails to complete and return all requested forms by the specified date, or if the Winner fails to comply with any of the requirements, his/her prize will be forfeited and an alternate prospective winner shall be selected while time permits. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Prize may not be awarded if insufficient number of entries is received.
Prize: One (1) prize. Winner will receive a two-night stay in one of the newly renovated cottage suites at Boot Holdings 2022, LLC d/b/a Barnsley Resort (some blackout dates apply), dinner for two at new signature restaurant, Jules (includes one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert per person; excludes alcoholic beverages), a $100 activity credit at the resort, 2 copies of The Local Palate 2026 Road Trips Issue and a year-long gift subscription to The Local Palate Magazine.
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Sponsor: Peninsula Publishing LLC (The Local Palate), 1859 Summerville Avenue, #800, Charleston, SC 29405
Includes: a two-night stay in one of Barnsley Resort's newly renovated cottage suites, dinner for two at new signature restaurant, Jules, a $100 activity credit to be used on the resort, 2 copies of The Local Palate's 2026 Road Trips Issue, and a year-long magazine subscription.
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Prize: One (1) prize. Winner will receive a two-night stay in one of the newly renovated cottage suites at Barnsley Resort (some blackout dates apply), dinner for two at new signature restaurant, Jules (includes one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert per person; excludes alcoholic beverages), a $100 activity credit at the resort, 2 copies of The Local Palate 2026 Road Trips Issue and a year-long gift subscription to The Local Palate Magazine.
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Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains offer the intersection of Appalachian cuisine, history, and international influence.
Barnsley Resort is the perfect getaway for the adventurers and culinary seekers in Adairsville, […]
With sea-to-table fare, James Beard-recognized kitchens and beyond, Wilmington, North Carolina is as delicious as it is charming. This coastal destination’s culinary scene serves up a dining scene that punches well above its weight. Award-winning flavors are never far away, and these culinary hotspots are a must-visit during your trip to the best of the Carolina Coast.
Located in the heart of downtown Wilmington, Seabird is owned and operated by 2026 James Beard Outstanding Chef finalist Dean Neff. Devoted to highlighting the region’s diverse seafood, Seabird’s menu, which changes seasonally, serves the very best the NC coast has to offer. Some standouts–like the Swordfish Schnitzel (served with spaetzle, citrus cabbage, lemon jam and beurre rouge) and the Seafood Tower–are local favorites and menu mainstays that vary seasonally to feature fresh and in-season flavors. Dine at the bar Mondays from 5-6 p.m. for Oyster Happy Hour to sample locally harvested oysters (raw or baked) and be sure to make a reservation for the sought-after weekend brunch.
Indulge in Spanish, Italian and New Orleans-inspired dishes with delectable coastal touches at Olivero, helmed by Sunny Gerhart, a James Beard Best Chef Southeast semifinalist, and named one of USA Today’s 2025 Best Restaurants. Handmade pastas, locally sourced seafood and Gulf-meets-North Carolina flavors define the menu, which includes many of Gerhart’s family recipes. Sample these flavors in signature dishes like the Warm Dates (with n’duja, olive oil and sea salt), Twice-Cooked Pork Shoulder (featuring oyster mushroom marsala, gnocchetti and fennel salsa verde) and the Agnolotti (with butter beans, parmesan brodo, mascarpone and lemon)–one of Gerhart’s top recommendations for visitors.
At manna ave. 123, the chef-driven, rotating menu features sustainably sourced ingredients from local farmers and fisheries. A cornerstone of Wilmington’s culinary scene for more than 15 years, manna’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship and service has earned national recognition, including a 10-year run as the city’s only AAA Four Diamond restaurant and most recently being named one of USA Today’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year. Make a reservation for your visit, and if you can, get a reservation for their Beggars Can’t Be Choosers, manna’s limited-capacity, Omakase-style dining experience offered monthly.
Chef Keith Rhodes, a pillar of Wilmington’s culinary scene for more than 20 years, creatively transforms sustainably sourced local ingredients into unforgettable flavors. A Top Chef contestant and James Beard finalist for Best Chef Southeast, Rhodes owns and operates Catch (reopening soon in a new location!), the Catch Food Truck and Voyce Bistro, Rhodes ’newest venture in historic downtown Wilmington. Just steps from the Riverwalk, Voyce Bistro continues to highlight Rhodes’ seafood-centric fare and commitment to farm-to-table dishes.
This is just a sampling of award-winning bites. Wilmington’s culinary scene is fresh, innovative, deeply rooted in place and very much on the rise. Be sure to bring your appetite and discover why Wilmington continues to earn its place on the national culinary stage one unique and unforgettable bite at a time. Start planning your foodie escape today!
Sandwiched between white-sand beaches and a downtown riverfront, historical Wilmington offers a lively, timeless escape for any vacationer.
Twenty-some years ago, if you asked anyone what was so delicious about Wilmington, the immediate answer would have been Flaming Amy’s. The Fajitarito, especially with pineapple jalapeño salsa, was a culinary delight for any palate (and it’s still legit […]
Eagle-eyed visitors of ARRIVE Wilmington will catch a subtle circus-animal theme throughout the property, a nod to the building’s history.
When a friend called to tell me about the fabulous time she and her family had while exploring the foothills of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, I was inspired to take a road trip to the region with my teenage daughter, Sophie, and experience the rich culinary scene, history, and culture of Appalachia together.
With our bags packed and a playlist heavy on K-pop, we set out on the seven- and-a-half-hour journey from Charleston to our base, Barnsley Resort, near Adairsville, Georgia. The route took us down back roads surrounded by pine forests and countryside dotted with rural communities, farms, and churches. After crossing over scenic Lake Marion and into Orangeburg, South Carolina, we picked up I-95, which led to the halfway point, Augusta, Georgia, where we stopped for lunch at Frog & the Hen, an upscale sports pub located just off the highway. The next leg of the journey required navigating traf- fic in and around downtown Atlanta. That aggravation was worth it, though, as after an hour-and-a-half drive north of the city, we reached the lush Blue Ridge foothills. Home to the top-ranking farmer’s market in Georgia and George Washington Carver Park, established in 1950 as the first state park for African Americans during the Jim Crow era, the area also encompasses Red Top Mountain State Park. Once an important mining site, the nature preserve offers 15 miles of trails to hike and bike along Lake Allatoona’s shoreline, where visitors can rent recreational boats for fish- ing large- and smallmouth bass, sailing, windsurfing, or yachting.
From I-75 N, we took the exit for GA-140 to Main St. North/Old U.S. 41 South. This historic “Dixie Highway” was built between 1915 and 1927. Imprudently named for its Southern track, the road extends from Florida to Michigan and passes through the foothills into Adairsville. The quaint town, which is listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places, has a small train depot and bandstand, a clapboard church, and a town hall. At the edge of the village alongside the railroad tracks is an inn that’s been converted into The Water Tower Grille, a charming restaurant and bar that presents an impressive bourbon selection, wings that were voted Best of Georgia from 2021 through 2024, and—according to staff—a ghost. Considering that Adairsville’s history is interwoven with the Cherokee people who resided in the area before they were forced out onto the Trail of Tears, as well as Scottish settlers, Confederate suppliers, enslaved workers, builders of a massive railway line, Union spies, and Prohibition-era bootleggers, this local lore isn’t surprising.
Outside of town a few minutes down the road is Barnsley Resort, the 3,000-acre picturesque country estate where we’d booked our stay. The 55-room inn greets travelers with a lobby designed in the style of an English hunting lodge, its wood-paneled walls hung with paintings of bird dogs and horses, the furnishings upholstered in leather and plaid, and built-in shelves arranged with hard- bound books and Staffordshire dogs. With room keys in hand, we followed a map that led us from the inn to an ad- jacent hamlet of 39 bungalows laid out like a walkable European village.
There we found our designated home-away-from-home, Wheaton Cottage, a two-story house with two bedrooms, two full baths each with a clawfoot tub and black-and-white checkerboard floor, a kitchenette, a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, a sitting room, and two porches with a swing and rocking chairs. Tastefully decorated with custom block-print floral window treatments and patterned wallpaper, the cottage is outfitted with waffle robes, slippers, and plush bedding. On the back lawn are four hammocks ideal for loung- ing and reading a book in the sunshine.
After dropping our bags, we went for a walk to get the lay of the land. On a bluff overlooking spectacular formal boxwood gardens are the ruins of what was once a grand Italianate manor house, its ex- posed brick walls crawling with ivy and its ceilings open to the sky. The resort’s website acknowledges that if the bones of the house could talk, they would tell stories of a Civil War battle that ensued from Sherman’s march across this land, a Union occupation, and a devastating tornado in 1906 that tore the roof off, leaving the villa in disrepair.
As the sun began to set, Sophie and I headed to dinner at The Woodlands dining hall in the resort’s golf club over-looking its course designed by legend Jim Fazio. With menu options such
as parmesan-crusted triggerfish, beef carbonnade, fireside chili, and jumbo lump crabcake, it was difficult to make a decision. I went with chili-glazed beer-battered grouper tossed with dijon aïoli and herbs grown on-site. The heat off the back end followed by a slow sip of a crisp white Côtes du Rhône was synchronicity at its finest.
For dessert, we picked up s’mores sup- plies in the lobby of the inn. Cozying up in a couple of Adirondack chairs around one of many crackling fire pits that are positioned around the resort, we enjoyed a magical evening under the stars.
The next morning, plans called for a trip into historic Cartersville at the southern end of the Appalachian range. The half-hour drive from the resort leads through winding, wooded back-country roads and into a residential district peppered with mansions set back from the street on manicured lawns. In the 175-year-old whistle-stop downtown area, there is parking with access to boutiques and cafés. At the heart of the town is the old train depot, which has been converted into a welcome center where helpful and friendly staff introduce visitors to Cartersville attractions such as world- class museums, including the Tellus Science Museum, the Savoy Automobile Museum, the Booth Western Art Museum, the Bartow History Museum, and the Rose Lawn Museum.
Impressively, the Booth Western Art Museum, affiliate of the Smithsonian that houses the world’s largest collec- tion of Western art, is recognized as one of the best 10 art museums in the country by USA Today’s People’s Choice Awards. The institution exhibits Civil War-era sculptures and oil paintings illustrating Native American life and culture. Its Presidential Gallery show- cases a portrait of, and a letter written and signed by, every US president.
Rose Lawn Museum, a grand Victorian house known as the crown jewel of Cartersville, was once home to Reverend Samuel Porter Jones, a lawyer and famous 19th-century American evangelist who influenced the tent revival culture across the South. Of interest, a room on the second floor is dedicated to the legacy of Rebecca Latimer Felton, Jones’ mentor when he studied law as well as a champion of Georgia’s early women’s suffrage movement and the first woman to be a US Senator.
In addition to its vast history, Cartersville boasts a thriving culinary scene. We were spoiled for choice with options like the Appalachian Grill’s “Bleu” Grass burger, The City Cellar & Loft’s country fried steak, Ate Track’s taqueria-style entrees, and Table 20’s famous deviled eggs topped with bacon, scallions, and pepper jelly.
After a whirlwind day exploring the town, Sophie and I returned to Wheaton Cottage and dressed for dinner at Jules, Barnsley’s signature fine-dining establishment. Named for patriarch Godfrey Barnsley’s globetrot- ting daughter, Julia, Jules is inspired by the late heiress’ passion for entertain- ing and her flare for blending interna- tional fare with Southern favorites, all made with local and seasonal ingredi- ents. Jules’ extensive wine list also of- fers selections from around the world.
When our server introduced herself as Daisy Wheaton, it occurred to me that there are seemingly no coincidences in this region—every detail is rooted in history and meaning. I wondered aloud what the connection was between her name and our cottage. As a Barnsley historian, she explained that after Hubertus Fugger, a German prince, purchased the property in 1988, he improved the estate by clearing the overgrowth that was further destroy- ing the ruins of the manor house and commissioned plans for the cottages to be built based on the drawings of the 19th-century architect Andrew Jackson Downing, who designed the Barnsleys’ original villa. He also hired a notable horticulturist, Steven Wheaton—her father—to revive the historic gardens with more than 200 varieties of roses. Our bungalow was named in his honor.
Jules’ menu includes starters such as oysters on the half shell shipped in from Virginia, along with charcuterie served with pimento cheese made with red bell peppers and garlic that are grown in the on-site garden. For a main course, I loved the trout, freshly caught from the nearby Blue Ridge rivers, atop Marsh Hen Mills farro, swiss chard, almonds, and brown butter, paired with a crisp Spanish verdejo. And chocolate mousse with a liqueur couldn’t have capped off the meal any more perfectly.
For those who would like to adventure in place and enjoy the nature and beauty surrounding the area, Barnsley offers a range of on-campus activities such as golf, kayaking, canoeing, pickleball, swimming, spa treatments, hiking, clay shooting, bourbon tastings, and playing with goats and miniature ponies. After working up an appetite on the archery range, followed by a serene horseback ride through the forests and fields, Sophie and I enjoyed lunch at the Biergarten café, a nod to Prince Fugger’s German heritage with locally made Barnsley beer and Bavarian-themed dishes on offer.
When it was time to head back home, a half-hour detour from Adairsville took us into nearby Rome, another historic town that boasts Georgia’s largest Victorian-era district with charming shops. Once again, lunch options abounded at restaurants and cafés such as La Scala Mediterranean Bistro, Jerusalem Grill, Sam’s Southern Eatery, or the Log Cabin Smokehouse. A climb to the top of the iconic clocktower revealed sweeping views of the city’s three rivers and multi-use trails.
With the ties that bind the region’s food and drink to the land, its history, and the diverse people who have cultivated its unique culture, Georgia’s Blue Ridge foothills stand out as an annual road trip tradition.
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Chefs in Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte give us a backstage pass to one of the South’s most popular restaurant models.
In a restaurant culture that frequently identifies itself through local ingredients, at first glance omakase seems to stand out as an anomaly. Is a concept that relies on regularly imported, fresh product environmentally and financially sustainable?
Spoiler alert: The answer is yes, with caveats. J. Trent Harris, chef of the MICHELIN-starred Mujō in Atlanta, says, “I think there’s a misconception. I’m not chartering a flight specifically for my fish. There are already international flights going back and forth— cargo flights and sometimes domestic flights that have cargo space as well. We would not be able to afford to bring in an entire plane charter—even if it was all the sushi restaurants in Atlanta, it wouldn’t make sense financially.”
Chef Junior Vo recently opened Kase x Noko, a 14-seat omakase experience that is one of the most sought-after reservations in Nashville. “If people say they’re getting fish from Japan, a majority of the time, it’s not directly,” he elaborates. “There’s a distributor in the US. Through the years I’ve ordered in many different ways, and the way I’m using right now seems to be the most effective for me and the best quality. Yama Seafood out of New Jersey has been in business for about 50 years, and they have connections to Japan and everywhere in the world, literally, to get the best product.”
Harris points out that while shipping fish from the other side of the planet is “not necessarily the most sustainable practice,” we don’t blink an eye about importing other items, like coffee, olive oil, or produce that doesn’t grow in our climate. Plus, he adds, “sometimes our idea of what’s local can be a little skewed. I think we have to be asking alot of questions about the sustainability of our entire food system, and not just fish that’s coming in from Japan, because we have so many ingredients coming in from all over the world.”
Chef Robin Anthony of Omakase Experience by PrimeFish in Charlotte, North Carolina, points out that thinking of all fish as essentially the same product is also a common misconception. Along the Southern Atlantic coast, he says, “we can’t use local fish because it’s a totally different cuisine.” The exception is North Carolina bluefin tuna, which is often shipped to Japan rather than sold locally because of the higher price it can yield there. But with most other species, water temperature makes a difference; warmer Atlantic Coast waters allow for more parasites to live in the fish and also decreases fat content. Anthony hastens to add that this doesn’t make Atlantic or local seafood lower in quality. “That seafood is great for Southern cuisine. It’s not for sushi. But also the fish from Japan is not as good for Southern food because it has so much fat, it’s too greasy sometimes. The sauce cannot penetrate inside the meat. Different cuisine, different type of fish.”
There are also differences not only in environment but in handling: In Japan, the fish is humanely killed with specific procedures called ike-jime and shinkeijime, which ultimately affect flavor, appearance, and shelf life. In addition, Japan has a system of fishing and farming that has been in place for decades. The Japanese government faced issues of overfishing by passing laws to limit catch quantities, cultivated seaweed forests so wild species could thrive, and incentivized high-quality farming. Anthony says farming sometimes yields superior results: “With wild caught we don’t know what the fish are eating, but for example, at a farm in Gotō Island in the south of Japan, they feed their bluefin with sardine and mackerel. We can taste that flavor.”
Harris agrees. “We feel very good about working with Japanese seafood.
They have very responsibly managed fisheries. I don’t want to give the impression that there aren’t great American fishermen out there who really care about what they’re doing. It’s just the logistics of it here. The whole system is different than it is in Japan. It’s very hard for an individual to get us the product that’s suitable for the type of cuisine we’re doing.”
Anthony says shipping has benefits as well, because fish used for omakase is aged. And seafood from Japan is often less expensive, for at least two reasons. “The government supports them a lot,” Anthony says. “And there’s the spirit of ikigai. Ikigai means you’re never satisfied.” Japanese fish farmers employing this mindset work hard to become experts in their specific area and are constantly in pursuit of higher quality and lower cost.
Even so, Anthony acknowledges, his omakase experience isn’t the money maker among his concepts. “We are successful because of [PrimeFish] that does volume.”
This is an area where Kase x Noko is doing things a little differently. The price point on Vo’s omakase menu is $75, as opposed to Omakase Experience by PrimeFish’s $325 and Mujō’s $245.
To do this, Vo balances high quality with approachability and affordability. “I focus on tuna and spend a little more on that versus another fish that isn’t so popular. I’m also big on sushi rice and seaweed.” Then he prioritizes reducing waste: “Parts we can’t serve as the nigiri will get a second life in hand rolls or tuna tartare on toast.”
All three chefs agree that they’d like to see some changes in the industry. Vo worries that with the popularity of omakase, some concepts are focused on the spectacle more than the quality of the fish and the guest experience. Anthony says he’d like to see chefs offer one or two courses representing local seafood where it makes sense. Last summer he used spiny lobster from Florida instead of Japan, and this summer he wants to use rock shrimp from the Carolina coast.
And Harris wants to see the US develop stronger logistics and learn Japanese handling practices to meet the increasing demand for omakase. “I would hope that creates more of a market and a niche for American fishermen to provide some of the seafood domestically we’d like to be able to work with,” he says. “That’s how we make larger systemic changes—there has to be demand for it.
Over the past several years, omakases have taken over Austin about as fast as the luxury lofts rising to meet the rest of the skyline.
Our editor’s letter in our 2026 Summer Issue of The Local Palate teases cooking techniques for the hotter months from chefs around the South.
Nothing says new year like new Southern restaurants opening, and we are sharing seven you need to keep an eye on.
I had the good fortune to live on Hilton Head Island for a period of time after graduating college. To say I spent breezy, beachy evenings sipping something boozy would be an understatement. Painkillers from Coast in SeaPines, Transfusions while on the Harbor Town golfcourse, and smokey margs from Starbird were my jam.
So, when I got my hands on South Carolina Cocktails, I was met with a warming familiarity and exciting awe of the state’s vast cocktail scene. Before diving into the drinks, author Stephanie Burt (host of the incredible podcast The Southern Fork), gives us a historical foundation for why certain spirits and elixirs are so relevant to the state today. With Barbados’ Caribbean sugar rush in the mid-1600s, planters were looking for the next best place that had solid wood supplies. They set up shop in Charleston and left their touch on almost every facet of the city, the most notable touch being rum. While Charleston still maintains the state’s most robust cocktail scene, I would argue that this book proves the surrounding regions are not far behind.
With the helpful background knowledge, Burt captures drinks that make up each region of the state—the Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee and Grand Strand, and Upstate–and the restaurants and bars that make up these areas. Chef, mixologist, and distillery profiles are sprinkled throughout, from Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell of High Wire Distilling Co. in Charleston to The Rabbit Hole in The Village of West Greenville.
No type of drinker is left out. If you don’t typically put a Breville Smoking Gun to use or concoct your own rose petal syrup, don’t be intimidated. The book is chock full of simple drinks, like the Spaghtettini from Leon’s Oyster Shop, or The Payday from Fat Harold’s Beach Club. And when you feel like showing off, Burt’s simple instructions provide the gentle push out of your comfort zone.
Whether you’re a South Carolina native, grew up vacationing there with family, or have the privilege of calling it your second home like I do, this collection of drink recipes will only deepen your appreciation of the Palmetto State, one sip at a time.
I’m a Kentucky native, so surprise! I gravitated towards the bourbon-forward beverages. Despite its dominating presence in the Bluegrass, the brown water has a rich influence in South Carolina, which Burt’s historical context backs up.
Planning ahead is necessary for this “Red Wedding” from Edmund’s Oast in Charleston. I followed the proper steps for the hibiscus ice cubes on a Friday afternoon, and they were ready for a small cocktail gathering I threw the following evening. I couldn’t locate Amaro Averna at my local spirits store, so I decided to opt out, as it only called for a half ounce.
The beverage proved to be earthy, herbal, then eventually, pretty sweet. If sharing with any bourbon-wary guests like I was, strongly advise them to let the cubes melt for a bit. I will note that some stickiness from the sugar prompted some uninvited guests (mosquitos) onto the patio as we imbibed.
All in all, they were a hit with my crew and added welcomed pizazz to our early-summer Saturday. Those non-bourbon drinkers even threw the hibiscus cubes in with some vodka and were delighted with the outcome.
Phillip Ashley Rix, a Memphis chocolatier, channels Willy Wonka in his debut cookbook “For the Love of Chocolate.”
Tapas España, releasing in March 2026, explores the rich history of Spanish tapas shaped by global ingredients.
Jenny Rosenstrach’s cookbook, ‘The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple’, offers recipes manageable on weeknights suitable for the entire family.
