Best Chef: BJ Dennis
Okatie
BJ Dennis is first and foremost a cultural historian, working to preserve Gullah Geechee heritage in the Lowcountry. “It’s bigger than cooking,” he says. “For me it’s about being one of the few who are maintaining—and being a representative of—our culture, and I do that through foodways and agriculture.” The personal chef, husband, and father, featured in Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and Netflix’s High on the Hog, has garnered national and international acclaim but stays focused on community, working with local farmers to grow heirloom produce from collard greens to Carolina Gold rice. He hopes to find an event space and official kitchen while continuing to work on his forthcoming cookbook. “It’s going to be culture through food and not surface-level Gullah Geechee food,” says Dennis. “It’s the agrarian roots of the foodways, and the lost crops, and the history of Carolina Gold and benne seed.”
BJ Dennis’ Recommendations:
Breakfast: Albany General Store
They do breakfast only on Saturday and you can still get traditional dishes that are rarely seen in restaurants these days like stewed oysters, stewed shrimp, smothered crab, and catfish stew.
Lunch: El Comal Chiapaneco and Taqueria la Parrilla Grill
Both serve some of the best authentic Mexican food in the area. Great places to feed your family and get your money’s worth of food.
Dinner: FARM Bluffton
FARM Bluffton has been one of my favorite restaurants in the Lowcountry since before I moved down this way from Charleston. Seasonal ingredients done right.
Drinks: Ma Daisy’s Porch
We love that you can sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine and my son can run around the space. They have the old-school fruit wines that are a big part of Gullah Geechee culture and my favorite wine to drink.
Best Beverage Pros: Liz Dowty Mitchell and John Mitchell
Camino Wine Merchant, Soby’s, Greenville
Liz and John moved from New Orleans just last year, but already they’ve made a mark on the city’s wine culture. Advanced sommelier Liz heads up Camino Wine Merchant, part chic bar with its own signature label, part welcoming bottle shop. John is beverage director at Soby’s, with its renowned cellar, and brought the team across the finish line for the Wine Spectator Grand Award in 2025. But they’re a package deal: Liz consulted with Soby’s, and John is a founding partner in Camino. Both felt that Greenville offered a unique opportunity. “I’ve always wanted to open something in a neighborhood,” says Liz. “Here we could be a pioneer in a smaller community, but one that is very open minded and excited to learn.” John, who’s originally from nearby Travelers Rest, adds, “It’s just phenomenal what has happened to Greenville over the last 25 years.”
Liz Dowty and John Mitchell’s Current Favorites:
SOUTH CAROLINA PRODUCT
Liz: I’m getting a Camino track-suit made—mostly so I have something to wear.
John: Wildly Loved Mushrooms, a gourmet mushroom provider we use. Mushrooms stand up to many types of wines for pairings.
BEVERAGE TREND
Liz: Chilled reds have surprised and excited me—more fruit, less alcohol, and a lighter style, and people are loving it.
John: Esoteric grape varietals [like] cinsaut are real work-horses of a certain region but relatively unknown. You can make beautiful wines and it’s relatively inexpensive.
DRINK SOMEWHERE ELSE
Liz: Coffee Coffee at Sum Bar. Their coffee program is so unique and high quality.
John: I really love the cocktails at Swordfish. From the glassware to the hospitality, they do a tremendous job.
The Best of South Carolina
Best New Restaurant: Shokudô, Charleston
With chef Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya at the helm, Shokudô’s menu marries Japanese techniques with Southern ingredients, creating surprising and delicious plates that bring much-anticipated variety and international flare to downtown Charleston’s restaurant scene. Dishes are plentiful and meant to be shared, like the crab-fried rice with blue crab, ikura, Carolina Gold rice, and Tokyo negi sesame, and pair well with cocktails like the I Shishito You Not, a peppery play on a margarita.
Best Epic Date Night: Scoundrel, Greenville
Anyone lucky enough to snag a reservation at MICHELIN-starred Scoundrel, led by chef-owner Joe Cash, should book a table for two. The warm interiors of this vibe-y French restaurant—plus shareable plates like the dozen oysters, deviled blue crab artfully served in a half-crab shell, and quadruple-stacked chocolate cake—mean you’re in for a romantic evening.
Best Dining Reboot: Motor Supply Co. Bistro, Columbia
Motor Supply Co. Bistro has served the Columbia community for nearly 40 years. In 2024, Columbia native Thomas Hardenbergh rejoined the team, this time as executive chef. Hardenbergh’s daily menus feature regional, sustainable plates like the SC wild-caught shrimp and the burrata with local fig jam.
Most Worth the Drive: Crave Kitchen, Salem
In a small mountain town on Lake Jocassee, an hour outside Greenville, you’ll find Crave, a modernly appointed restaurant with a menu full of beautifully plated seasonal dishes. What’s especially worth the drive are the surprising starters, like the deviled egg jar with sweet pickle-celery relish and the “Wellington” pop tart, hearty short rib tucked into flaky pastry crust, which appears on almost every table for good reason.
Best Culinary Hotel: Zero George, Charleston
This charming downtown hotel has the distinction of hosting The Restaurant at Zero George, where creative culinary director and chef Vinson Petrillo has been impressing diners for more than a decade. Your meal begins with a series of creative small bites that range across the six taste points, inspired by the chef’s interpretation of a single ingredient, and continues with the finest local and international ingredients.
Most Versatile: Renzo, Charleston
Although their claim to fame is wood-fired pizza and natural wine, that doesn’t scratch the surface of the exceptionally creative and consistently delicious food and drink here from executive chef Colin Marcelli. From the Cheli pizza (with lamb merguez sausage, hot honey, and chermoula) to the charred cauliflower and Korean fried chicken to the excellent cocktails, it’s a standout dining experience from start to finish.
Best Fried Catfish:Big Mike’s Soul Food, Myrtle Beach
Open for more than 20 years, this family-run meat-and-three institution has an expert-level menu of seafood-centric Southern classics, and the crispy, flaky, piping hot fried catfish served with homemade tartar sauce has achieved total enlightenment. Be warned—once you try it you won’t be satisfied with anything else.
Most Bar Bite: Main Street Pub, Spartanburg
Two words: charcuterie pretzel. This epic creation, called the Boujee pretzel, features sliced meats and cheeses, burrata with balsamic drizzle, pickled veggies, and housemade Guiness mustard. It’ll make you forget all about your beer.
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