Features

In South Carolina, food is more than sustenance—it’s a story, a livelihood, and a bridge between land and table. Since its launch in 2014, the South Carolina Chef Ambassador program has helped reshape how that story is told. A collaborative effort led by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) and South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), the program appoints chefs—selected by the governor—who are committed to showcasing Certified South Carolina ingredients while championing the farmers, fishermen, and producers behind them.

What exactly counts as Park Circle? Anyone might start with the circle itself, a leafy green heart around which the neighborhood is gathered. Its boundaries stretch toward East Montague Avenue, pushing south to include Riverfront Park, a graceful slip of land along the Cooper River.

Tap your inner dessertarian and dare to take on these five Southern sweet spots carrying their weight—and then some—on after-dinner menus this summer.

The food and beverage industry runs on intensity. Long, adrenaline-packed nights. Financial insecurity. Relentless pressure. Unpredictable schedules. And, of course, easy access to alcohol. It’s an industry that thrives on passion and resilience—but too often, it quietly normalizes burnout, substance abuse, and silence.

Full disclosure, I was handed this assignment with absolutely no working knowledge of baking science or the biscuit-eating culture—basically no idea of consuming biscuits of any kind, color, or creed. Growing up in North Chicago, we kiddos were raised on cookies and cold milk, not warm biscuits and gravy. The first time I heard “good gravy” I was standing in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot after we moved to Atlanta. “Mind your own biscuits” was another term that sailed straight over my head. 

Oyster farming is not a romantic profession, though it can look that way from the shore. It’s cold mornings and sunburned afternoons, fingers cracked by brine and backs bent over floating cages that demand constant tending. It’s work that requires patience, precision, and faith in forces of nature you cannot control. And in the Carolinas and Georgia, it is also surprisingly new.

In South Carolina’s small towns, Christmas unfolds like a storybook—twinkling lights illuminate historic main streets, local parades and tree lightings delight families, and markets brim with Southern cheer. Each community adds its own festive flourish, offering a signature touch of holiday magic and Southern warmth. Put these South Carolina spots to your holiday travel wish list.

There’s something effortlessly theatrical about seeing a seafood tower set down in the center of a table. The gleaming tiers of shellfish, the sparkle of ice against metal, the aromatic perfume of brine and lemon—it’s a moment that invites everyone to lean in, to share, to dive deep.

Control. We all pretend we don’t need it—but deep down, we’re all control freaks. From emails and errands to deciding what’s for dinner, our days are one long to-do list of choices. So, when it comes to dining out, the idea of handing the reins to someone else? Terrifying. And yet, that’s exactly what a tasting menu dares you to do: sit back, relax, and trust the chef to lead the way. Sure, you picked the restaurant, so technically that choice was yours—but after that? It’s their show. One beautifully orchestrated meal where you’re along for the ride. The ultimate epicurean trust fall.

As a travel destination, the town of Burnsville (population 1,628) isn’t nearly as well-known as NC High Country hotspots like Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, and Boone. But if you’re hoping to explore the glorious natural beauty of Western North Carolina during peak Fall leaf-peeping season, Burnsville’s perennial under-the-radar status makes it an attractive alternative. 

Chain hotels often cannot provide the true flavor of a region, but for those of us traveling around the Southeast, we’re in luck: independent lodging options aplenty are waiting to check us in. All of them honor our favorite locations with corresponding art, cuisine, architecture, and excursions, which create a memorable sense of place. 

A fall getaway on Jekyll Island, Georgia is twice as nice – less commercialized than some coastal towns, and, given the ebbing temperatures, it’s easier to unplug from life and immerse yourself in nature. Because Jekyll is one of Georgia’s state parks, visitors look forward to points of interest such as the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the state’s only sea turtle rehabilitation facility, or Driftwood Beach, a shoreline known for its “boneyard” of beautiful driftwood. Biking and hiking are especially enticing in the autumn months, and you can catch the end of turtle hatching season – lasting August through October – or participate in an eco-tour.

“Yes, I’d like a cheeseburger, please, large fries and a Cosmopolitan—I mean a strawberry shake, please,” pleads Carrie Bradshaw from a rural drive-thru in the Sex and the City episode, “Sex and the Country.” A born-and-bred Manhattanite, Carrie could hardly stomach a world beyond bistros, brunches, and cocktails. But for those raised outside the bright lights and big city, drive-in dining isn’t just acceptable, it’s sacred ground.

There’s so much to see, do, and eat in and around Walterboro that just one day will only be an appetizer for all “The Front Porch of the Lowcountry” has to offer. So, we’ve prepared a “menu” of possibilities from which to pick for a day (and a meal or two) in Walterboro—knowing from experience that you’re going to want more than a day or night.

You could think of South Carolina's tomato pie like the family friend who eventually got their own seat at the holiday table—not truly yours, but close enough to claim. Or maybe like a local ghost story: it started with a kernel of truth but evolved over time into a myth that everyone knows, though no one can quite trace its origins.

Chain hotels often cannot provide the true flavor of a region, but for those of us traveling around the Southeast, we’re in luck: independent lodging options aplenty are waiting to check us in. All of them honor our favorite locations with corresponding art, cuisine, architecture and excursions, which create a memorable sense of place. In this three-part series on Southern Boutique Hotels, Inns and Bed-and-Breakfasts, we’re introducing you to a few of our regional favorites.