2025 was a year marked by delicious road trips, hidden culinary treasures, and making space to learn more about sustainable innovation initiatives in the South. Find our top 10 most-read articles from the year below.
Get To Know Roanoke, VA
A small town tucked within the Blue Ridge Mountains near the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley, the culinary scene in Roanoke, Virginia is garnering attention, with fans shouting out Bloom Restaurant and Wine Bar in the comments.
A First Look at Bayonet
Rob and Emily McDaniel’s second concept, Bayonet, made quite the splash in Birmingham this year. Read about the origins and intentional design of the restaurant with our First Look piece.
In the Fridge with Alton Brown
Who doesn’t love Alton Brown? We took a look behind his refrigerator doors to find out he regularly stocks everything from liver mush to champagne.
10 Southern Dishes from Iconic Female Chefs
What began as an article highlighting Southern female chefs for Women’s History Month quickly turned into a year-long reference point for some of the best recipes on our site. Besides, we all know Southern matriarchs are the true flavor masters.
The South’s Top Culinary Towns of 2024
Our first-ever Culinary Towns issue was a goldmine for finding some of the best hidden culinary gems across the South. With over 10,000 votes, you selected Lafayette, Louisiana as the top culinary destination, but this landing page provides access to all 20 featured towns.
10 Splurge-Worthy Burgers
Our Summer issue was marked by supremely good burgers. This list of 10 splurge-worthy burgers surmises all of the burgers that are worth a road trip (and photo) all on their own.
Culling a Wild Boar Population
Sustainability topped interests in 2025, and this article on Chef Toffer Jacob and his work in Florida to craft a charcuterie program around wild boar in Sarasota, Florida is one of our favorite stories highlighting sustainable innovators in the South.
5 Things Darius Rucker Must Have In His Fridge
Multiplatinum musician Darius Rucker shares five things you can always find in his fridge around the holidays. And yes, these include everything from sweet potato pie to sushi takeout.
8 Restaurant Openings to Jumpstart 2025
While January can feel a little stale following the holidays, we started 2025 on a high note with eight restaurant openings that felt particularly notable including Seahorse from our friends at Chubby Fish in Charleston and Peregrine in Raleigh.
Southern Oysters 101
Our most notable feature of the year, A Comprehensive Guide To Southern Oysters from our Winter issue, gives an overview of farmers, practices, sustainability trends, as well as your basic guides on how to shuck, eat, and enjoy oysters all over the South.
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