Image by Chad Macy Photography
It’s pretty obvious that we are slightly food obsessed at the Local Palate.
The stuff plays a central role in how we plan days, weeks, trips, and social gatherings: What shall we serve our friends? Where will we stop for a snack on the road? Can we go to the neighborhood’s newest restaurant, say, tonight?
That last one, in particular, drives the focus of the Local Palate’s latest magazine issue, which highlights restaurants that have opened throughout the South since 2020.
“The past two years have been excruciating for the restaurant industry,” writes editor-in-chief Erin Byers Murray in the Editor's Letter. “And yet, these past two years have also seen a slew of restaurants openings in our region.”
The pandemic gave people time to pursue their long-dreamt passion projects. Restaurants evolved their business models to not only endure the pandemic, but also thrive. And, while we mourned the restaurants that shuttered, we’ve gotten to welcome new ventures filling those vacant spaces.
To that effect, our team of expert writers and editors embarked on a mission to see, taste, and share the stories of the fresh faces within the region’s dining scene.
“What we found was not only a list of excellent and exciting new places to eat and drink,” Murray writes, “but also a tremendous number of stories about grit, entrepreneurship, and standout flavor.
You can read all about these newcomers in this special issue’s state-by-state guide to the newest bars, dinner spots, deli counters, bistros, and more. Order the latest issue—or other individual issues of the magazine—through the Local Palate Marketplace, also all available in digital editions.
