5 Food and Drink Recipes from Winston-Salem Restaurants

Food can deliciously tell the heart of a city. And Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a culinary scene that is being dished up from the heart … and soul. We asked five local restaurants and distilleries for recipes that pull at our heartstrings—just in time for summer picnics and barbecues.

Okra Cornmeal Fritters 

First came a smoky-sweet okra cornmeal fritter, an appetizer that harkens back to the childhood kitchen of restauranteur and cookbook author, chef Timothy Grandinetti. Crispy, sassy, and delectable, this dish pairs perfectly with a smoky slab of barbecued ribs or a North Carolina pulled pork sandwich, as they serve at Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen & Bar.

Eastern NC Seafood Gumbo 

Next up is chef Ashley Hardesty Armstrong’s Eastern Carolina gumbo, featuring oysters, crab, and a healthy splash of Winston-Salem’s famous Texas Pete Hot Sauce. (Don’t let the name fool you; Texas Pete is made right here in Winston-Salem.) Give Armstrong’s Winston-spin on this classic dish a try at home, or stop by Forsyth Seafood & Cafe to savor it, no shucking required.  

Fresh Peach Cobbler with Sweet Potato Biscuit Crust

With two back-to-back James Beard nominations, it’s no doubt chef Stephanie Tyson’s famous peach cobbler is an award-winner. Fittingly, the dessert features a signature sweet potato biscuit crust, a nod to Tyson’s iconic downtown eatery, Sweet Potatoes Restaurant. You can try to make this at home, but let’s be honest—nobody makes a better sweet potato biscuit than Tyson.

Sutler’s Basil Lemonade

Pair any of these dishes with a custom Winston Collins cocktail featuring Nightlab 1.0 moonshine from Broad Branch Distillery (recently voted “Distillery of the Year” by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association) or a spicy spiked basil lemonade featuring locally crafted Sutler’s Gin, and you’ve got a tempting menu in the making.

Winston Collins

In addition to 5,300 hotel rooms—1,200 located in our hip and historic downtown alone—Winston-Salem boasts an array of locally owned restaurants, bars, and 10 craft breweries. Throw in more than 45 wineries in the nearby Yadkin Valley wine region, not to mention the famed Moravian Culinary Trail, and it’s no wonder Winston-Salem is quickly becoming a food lover’s favorite destination.

For more details about Winston-Salem and the wine-and-dine scene, go to visitwinstonsalem.com.

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