The Southern Fork

So you wanna be a food writer? Then be like Keia.  Keia Mastrianni  is one of the brightest voices in the Southern culinary scene at the moment, and this multi-media storyteller got where she is through the following: by writing consistently, by discovering a subject that she is passionate about, and then by immersing herself in that subject. And her subject is food. It's not like she had a master...

Cheryl and Griff Day of  Back in the Day Bakery  in Savannah, Ga., are my people. You know what I mean, right? For me, it was instant friendship the first time I met them, and through the years, that gut feeling has proven me oh so right. Numerous times after a long day, Cheryl has sat with me as I recounted some drama or another, and listened as she silently slid a Lavender Sugar Cookie or slice...

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Michael Mai is a great example of the type of person I meet so often in this industry. As the Coffee Manager of Mercantile & Mash in Charleston, S.C., he is inspired on a daily basis by his chosen medium for creativity, and in true Alice in Wonderland fashion, has gone "down the rabbit hole" and really delved into a whole new world. He infuses coffee, he blast chills coffee, and he's making a coff...

Craig Rogers is a force in Southern food. Mention this owner and shepherd of  Border Springs Farm  in Patrick Springs, VA around any East Coast chefs, and one or more have likely heard of him or already serve his product. Craig and I first met on the dance floor at 2 a.m. during a Lambs and Clams after party at  Euphoria Greenville  a few years ago, and I remember he had on overalls and had been d...

A short ferry ride from Fernandina Beach, Fla. takes you to the shores of Cumberland Island, Ga., just over the state line. This island's wild, untamed shoreline is broken up only by the dock, and once on land, you wander into a maritime forest of live oaks dripping Spanish moss, palm fronds, wild horses in the clearing in the distance, and deep sandy roads your only direction in. This is the magi...

Despite the fact that I write, I promise you I didn't have a screenplay in my back pocket when I requested to interview Stratton Leopold, ice cream legend and movie producer. I really just had ice cream on my mind. His family legacy,  Leopold's Ice Cream , is a Savannah, Ga., institution, and just as I mention in this chat, it's become one of my favorite places to visit each time I'm in town. It's...

The moment you walk into  Charleston Grill  in downtown Charleston, SC, you know it's a special evening. A dark wood bar is to your left and chances are strains of live jazz music are wafting through the space. This is still one of those "white tablecloth" restaurants, and the staff wouldn't have it any other way, especially Executive Chef Michelle Weaver who has been at the helm of this kitchen f...

We see a lot on the news about pollution, erosion, dead zones, and more. But there is other news as well: quietly, some ecosystems have been improving through the concerted, everyday effort of committed people. One example of this is the oyster ecosystem. The most famous current success is the Chesapeake Bay, now in a full rebound from the severe decline of viable oyster beds there at one point. I...

As a reader, I first learned of  Corsair Distillery  in Nashville, Tenn. from The Local Palate months before I came on staff. Of course, Corsair has received press from Food & Wine, Saveur, and Imbibe, but it was in those specific pages that I was captured by the story of starting in a garage and growing into making seriously high-end artisan spirits. This distillery makes a wide range of spirits...

It is appropriate that Chef Scott Crawford and I chatted in a courtyard with a serenely bubbling fountain. That sound is the perfect backdrop for this focused, zen-like conversation about leadership, community building, and some kick-ass cooking. Scott Crawford has approached much of his life with this kind of intense focus. He is a three-time  James Beard Foundation  semi-finalist for "Best Chef:...

Callie's Charleston Biscuits  is located in the Historic Navy Yard in North Charleston, SC, and even on a day when I requested a quiet time to record my interview with owner Carrie Morey, there wasn't a quiet place available because they were simply too busy! So you'll hear the sounds of phone calls coming in, people scurrying about (the whole place is hardwood floors), and some tape gun action as...

It's evident from this interview that bartender Megan Deschaine is living at full tilt. She responds excitedly to many of my questions, and she also wows me with her honesty, letting us behind the megawatt smile a bit. It's a given that she is a consummate professional and winning personality behind the bar at  492  in Charleston, SC, and that's led to accolades and numerous mentions in the press,...

Warning: I get even more excited than usual in this episode! Talking about veggies can have that effect on me, especially when it comes to discussing the farmers who grow them, our food systems, sustainability, and sourcing local. If you read my writing, you'll see these themes pop up, but for  GrowFood Carolina manager Sara Clow, these subjects are every day conversation. Sara's passion is so inf...

It's obvious from this conversation that Chef Matt Bolus and I know each other and enjoy each other's senses of humor. Formerly of Charleston, SC, Matt now is the executive chef of  The 404 Kitchen in Nashville, a tiny but impressive dining room housed in a former shipping container in one of the coolest buildings in The Gulch. 404 is a hot dining reservation in a town full of them, and Matt is de...

There used to be a saying that in every Southern household there were two things on the coffee table: the  Bible  and  Southern Living . Well, maybe that was stretching it a bit, but it really wasn't that far from the truth. If you've grown up in the South, this iconic magazine -- and especially its recipes -- were just there.  Southern Living 's recipe collection is one of the best in publishing,...

You are cordially invited to a Pisco party. I recently sat down with Master Distiller Johnny Schuler of  Pisco Porton , but this proud Peruvian wanted to enjoy the spirit the way he felt like it should be enjoyed --outside as the sun went down, with live music and about 100 of our closest friends. Since he's very persuasive (and he had delicious Pisco), I obliged. In case you don't know Pisco, it...

Anyone that knows me knows I can make a mean biscuit. I have been making biscuits for my family since middle school, and I was once a production biscuit baker as well. That being said, I am not tied to eating one biscuit style: from angel to buttermilk, flaky to fast food, I never turn down a biscuit. So for me,  Biscuit Love in Nashville, Tenn. is worth getting on a plane for. And apparently for...

Oh it's a wonderful time of year! The veggies are starting to ripen all over the South -- tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers, oh my! -- so for a little inspiration for summer cooking I recently turned to Chef Kevin Johnson of  The Grocery in Charleston, SC. He is really a master at preparing vegetables. In fact, veggies are what inspired him to cook. In college, he became a vegetarian and decided tha...

If you've read about Southern food during the last five years, chances are, you've read something written by  Chris Chamberlain . A Nashville native, Chris has written for numerous publications, from  Food Republic  to  Conde Nast Traveler . He is an expert on beer and barbecue (yes, that is a real thing!), and he's written books to on those subjects which are really good guides to eating and drin...

I didn't plan on visiting  Bakery Lorraine  during my recent trip to San Antonio, but an unplanned breakfast turned into something wonderful, and I'm not just talking about the meal. One bite of a pastry, and I knew this place was something extraordinary, and the people making this food were extraordinary too. Boy was I right. Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell met on the overnight baking shift at Thomas...

I like lime, I like salt, and so I always thought that I liked tequila. I'd order those along with my neat shot on occasion, usually when I could hear waves lapping against some shore and seagulls in the distance, but I'd never really explored the whole genre much more than that. Until I met Germán Gonzalez one afternoon at a tasting on what was then the private dining space at McCrady's restauran...

The day starts early at  Fresh Future Farm  in North Charleston, SC. There is always some weeding before it gets too hot, the basil needs to be harvested, the corn watered, and director Germaine Jenkins probably needs to make another batch of lemongrass tea for the store. Then there are the volunteers to organize, new grocery barcodes to enter into the computer, and she always has an idea for the...

Cured , Chef Steve McHugh's restaurant in San Antonio, is a beautiful pale brick building sitting at the edge of bright green manicured lawn in the Pearl Brewery complex. Even at three on a recent afternoon when i chatted with the chef, it was hopping. That's because it's one of those places where you can linger for hours. The space feels good, the food is approachable and delectable, the bar is b...

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