Our 2026 Spring Issue is Here!

What I love about Southern food right now is its ability to eschew all boundaries. When I moved back to the South after living away from it for much of my adult life, I noticed that the tide was already shifting in this direction—away from hard and fast traditional dishes and ever-faster toward modernity and global influence. This was back in 2012, and it’s been a tidal wave of momentum ever since.

Today, author Von Diaz points out, flavors from the Caribbean are having their moment in Southern food. Like many trends, though, she notes, “The current Caribbean moment is really something older finally coming into focus.” Read more about the chefs who are bringing their Caribbean influences to tables around the South, including our magazine’s home city of Charleston where chef
Shaun Brian puts accents from his home island of Saint John into the dishes he puts out at CudaCo. Seafood House.

That feature is giving me wanderlust, as are the stories in “Table for One”, which comes from a few of our star writers about what it’s like—and how meaningful it can be—to travel solo. “There’s a particular kind of joy in attempting something new alone,” writes Eric Barton, who traveled to Bonaire, the island oasis on our cover. If you’re looking for more ways to try new things, get to know our new column called The Guide, which breaks down the best ways to see a city (in this issue, it’s Asheville) from three different angles.

Speaking of new, please help me welcome columnist Jolyon Helterman, who happens to be based in Asheville and will be penning our Dining Out column this year, starting with a look at Judith in Sewanee, Tennessee (talk about boundary pushing). We’re also introducing two fresh columns: Front Burner , which will explore some of the many challenges the food and hospitality industries are facing today, and Good Spirits, which is a deep dive into the beverage space.

Thanks, as ever, for joining us on our storytelling journey—here’s hoping 2026 is full of exciting bites at every turn.

What I’m Reading

SERVICE READY
A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality, by Molly Irani

Visionary cofounder of Chai Pani restaurants, Molly Irani and her husband, Meherwan, are out to build an intentional empire of Indian food businesses (including their popular spice brand Spicewalla), and her new book chronicles their journey while also offering a road map for others. Personally, I’m in it to glean notes on effective female leadership as well as how to incorporate hospitality into all aspects of a business, food-focused or otherwise.

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