For the Love of Southern Food

Whatever you’re in the mood for, Atlanta’s mix of international cuisine, Southern techniques and farm-fresh, locally sourced food will deliver it, so prepare to chow down, especially in late May or early June. You’ll drive from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to the Loews Atlanta Hotel, the base for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival in Midtown. Here, the South’s best chefs and sommeliers offer a bevy of tastings, seminars and classes on everything from the wines of Chile to the secrets of Southern cooking. Try tastings ranging from the South’s finest fried chicken to Ole Smoky's Apple Pie Moonshine. You can buy a day pass, a three-day pass or tickets for individual events. Eat as little as possible before the festival to save your appetite for the savory Southern flavors that await you. Find a way to clear your palate before moving on to Columbia, South Carolina.

It’s a college town, it’s a melting pot, it’s an outdoor lover’s dream – South Carolina’s capital city of Columbia has a little bit of everything, including a wide-ranging dining scene. Like many cities around the U.S., Columbia is seeing a surge in the popularity of food trucks. These restaurants on wheels offer something for every palate: sweet (sugar-infused Liege waffles at the Belgian Waffle Truck), savory (German sausages at the Wurst Wagen), south of the border (authentic Mexican flavors at Tacos Nayarit) and stuffed (2 Fat 2 Fly Stuffed Chicken Wings).

On the brick-and-mortar side, the upscale Motor Supply Company Bistro has been at the forefront of Columbia’s local-vore movement since 1989, featuring a farm-to-table menu that changes twice daily. Of course, let’s not forget that we’re in the South; barbecue is a must, with Southern Belly BBQ lauded as some of the best in the country. Order a sandwich with the Carolina-style Midas mustard sauce, and finish it with a locally brewed beer. For an updated take on Southern comfort food, head over to Mr. Friendly’s New Southern Café. The menu is regularly updated with fresh seafood and meats, as well as an award-winning wine list, small-batch bourbon and local microbrews. It's plenty to keep you satisfied while you make your way to Charleston.

Known for its seafood, home cooking traditions and love of pork, Charleston’s food scene has been revving up in recent years. If you have a sweet tooth, start your day with a gourmet, made-from-scratch doughnut from Glazed. Flavors like chocolate-orange-ginger and strawberry-champagne make it hard to stop at just one. Do a proper brunch to sample a menu full of Southern favorites like chicken and andouille gumbo, sweet potato hash, fried green tomatoes and buttermilk biscuits. Visit The Glass Onion for all that and more. There’s a little something upscale and well-styled about Charleston culture, and that extends to its food and drink. Cocktails count as much as manners do. It’s only right to have a pre-dinner drink at a place like Bin 152, which offers over 30 wines by the glass and more than 130 by the bottle. A standard Charleston dinner might include bouillabaisse, buttermilk fried chicken, or shrimp and grits. Find them all at Hank’s Seafood, named Best Seafood Restaurant for 16 consecutive years by the locals. For a nightcap, settle in downtown at charming FIG (short for Food is Good), where the bourbon and rye whiskey menu is short and sweet. Wake up ready to take on Beaufort.

A coastal Lowcountry community, Beaufort has a romantic seaside village feel, where every meal is enjoyed with a view. Waterfront restaurants, gracious inns and charming downtown eateries make up the scene here. Letting your meal unfold in a leisurely way is key, so go for starters at a place like Emily’s Restaurant & Tapas Bar, where the 46 items on the menu will warm up your appetite before dinner. Urban sophisticates, take advantage of the range of upmarket dishes available here at restaurants like Saltus River Grill or Breakwater Restaurant and Bar, where sushi and steak are represented alongside fare like house-made pimiento cheese and Southern sampler platters. You can’t do Beaufort without getting a down-home Southern food fix. In early June, head to the High on the Hog BBQ Festival, where Friday night is all about shrimp and chicken, and Saturday is devoted to barbecue. Lick your fingers clean before cruising south to Hilton Head.  

As a resort town steeped in Southern hospitality, Hilton Head Island celebrates the coast in its menus, which offer skillfully prepared seafood and all of the staples of Lowcountry cooking. Sit on the dock and feast on steam pots, a mixed boil with corn, clams, mussels and shrimp. Mouthwatering hush puppies, cornbread, fried okra and alligator are on menus throughout the island. Sample daily fish specials, which you’ll find paired with Southern sides like collards, cheese grits and green beans. Try the unpretentious Sea Shack for down-home cooking. Hilton Head’s upscale offerings provide everything else you might have a hankering for, from tapas to steaks. For gourmet salads and comfort food done in high-style, with a dose of music tossed in, try The Jazz Corner. You may want to skip dessert, as next-stop Savannah is practically around the corner.

This quintessential Southern town is beloved for its eccentric character, history and charm. Savor all three through its food. The ambience here – think moss-laden live oak trees, cobblestone streets and charming squares – is hard to beat. Start with a sophisticated dinner at Olde Pink House. Housed in an 18th century mansion, the menu here reflects what’s classically great about Savannah cuisine with items like fried green tomatoes, pork tenderloin and pecan pie making appearances. Give yourself over to a chef’s tasting menu for a culinary adventure. The sage grits, Georgia shrimp and coastal grouper you might find on the seasonal menu at Elizabeth on 37th will make you glad you did. When you’re ready for that fried chicken, homemade biscuits, okra gumbo and savory barbecue you’ve heard so much about, make time to eat at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room or Wiley’s Championship BBQ. Before you leave for Golden Isles, head to Ellis Square’s Goose Feathers Café and get some bread pudding for your drive.

The ocean provides all the best ingredients on these four gorgeous islands, accented by golden marshes, wide beaches and tree hammocks. Start on St. Simons Island and go straight to Halyards, which captures local, fresh flavors in a seasonal menu peppered with specialties like wild Georgia shrimp and cane grits. On the same island, reserve lunchtime for oysters and wine; locals like the ones at The Half Shell. If you’re in town in early June, don’t miss the Georgia Sea Island Festival on St. Simons Island. You’ll definitely want to make time to eat the seafood here the way nature intended: on the water. For that, head to Echo and sample the sea scallops while you watch the sunset. On Jekyll Island, you’ll find family-friendly fare that reflects the beachy vibe and outdoor dining options that run the gamut from docks to courtyards. Find four different eateries inside Jekyll Market or sit by the water at Latitude 31 Restaurant & Rah Bar to take full advantage of the scene here before heading to Macon.

If music is food for the soul, food is the music of life in Macon, which is also known for its music scene, past and present. Start with some soul food at the iconic H&H Restaurant, where you’ll enjoy meat-and-three-sides lunches, fresh squeezed lemonade and trademark Southern charm. Just down the street, Downtown Grill serves the city’s best steak, lamb or fresh fish, and a humidor bar features the finest in cigars and bourbons. Around the corner, find farm-to-fork fare with a new Southern twist at Dovetail, which is above a favorite neighborhood bar and grill, The Rookery. Grab lunch at Nu-Way Weiners, one of the nation’s oldest hot dog stands, established in 1916, before driving to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to catch your flight home.