“What are some of your favorite restaurants?” As the editor of a food and culture magazine, I get asked this question just about every day. Most times, they’re asking me about the ones I love where I live in Nashville, but often it’s Charleston, Atlanta, Birmingham, Houston, or Richmond. It’s a tough question that usually leaves me hmm-ing as I consider what’s my favorite right now. The cozy, woman-owned bistro with an ever-changing menu that’s been open for two decades? Or the sleek, 12-seat omakase spot that opened a month ago where the fish is hand-sliced and prepared in front of me?
Instead of waiting for me to make up my mind, we bring you our first-ever Ultimate Dining Guide to the South. In years past, we’ve focused solely on new restaurants, highlighting the spots that are knocking our socks off with that very first meal. But this year, we’ve given our 15 regional correspondents the task of rounding up their favorite restaurants around their states—whether it be a new spot or a tried-and-true favorite. It was no easy task, especially when some of them started with a list of 15 or more and we asked them to narrow it to 10 (sorry, guys).
What you’ll find here is a truly personalized list of the best dining you can find in the South right now, from the experts who know it best. Jet-setting writer Jenn Rice always finds her way home to North Carolina where favorites like Mission Pizza in Winston-Salem and Mother bakery in Asheville are on her list. In Tennessee, Margaret Littman traverses the state and beyond, doing research for Moon guidebooks; she swears by spots like Easy Bistro & Bar in Chattanooga and the doughnuts at Gibson’s in Memphis. Contributor Lia Picard covers the length of Georgia for us frequently, including in our monthly Snapshot Atlanta newsletter, and highly recommends Kevin Gillespie’s new spot, Nadair. And in Arkansas, chef Micah Klasky at The Hive in Bentonville has caught Kristy Alpert’s eye for his signature style of cooking.
You’ll also find recommendations from chefs and mixologists for their favorite spots throughout these pages. And I can’t forget our cover stars, Melissa Araujo, Effie Richardson, Caitlin Carney, Erika Flowers, and Breanne Kostyk, an all-female lineup of the restaurant pros who are shaping the New Orleans dining scene. Their restaurants and cafés will be at the top of my list next time I’m in the Crescent City, and the first ones I’ll recommend to anyone who asks.
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Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.