What Southern cities whet your travel appetite for good cuisine?

I always love reading stories about travel “bests” – best mountain getaways; best cities for shopping; best family destination. The possibilities are virtually endless. While I’m not single or likely to ever (willingly) leap off a tall bridge, I will gladly devour articles entitled “Best Singles Vacations” or “Best Spots to Base-Jump”. 

It was only natural, then, that I would check out Forbes’ recent article listing the “World’s Best Cities to Eat Well”. Many honorees read like a list of European and Asian cosmopolitan centers (think Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Madrid and Beijing).  However, the list does include some surprises. Absent from the “bests” are London and New York, while Mexico City and Shanghai shine.

As I dreamed about the food and culture that draws so many tourists to these cities each year, I began to look a little closer to home. As Atlantans, we are slap dab in the middle of a region that loves to eat well. We may not always eat healthily, but Southerners love good food. Just like the diverse people living here, our cities and states offer a wide range of local cuisines for visitors to enjoy.

The South may not be known for haute cuisine, but we’re also more than just fried chicken, grits and the beloved Waffle House. Whether it’s Cuban, Cajun, Creole, Soul Food, seafood or the all-encompassing “Southern” cooking, every state contributes something to the culinary mix. In fact, when it comes to one of our most well-known staples – barbecue – every state seems to have its own distinct style. You’ll find Texas’ beef brisket, North Carolina’s vinegar-based pork, Memphis’ (Tenn.) smoky-sweet ribs and Alabama’s white sauce, to name a few. Then there’s a wide variety of barbecue-related dishes, like Kentucky’s mutton-based Burgoo and the dueling Brunswick (Georgia and Virginia) stews.

That’s why I ask around to find the best examples of local good eats whenever I’m traveling. Sometimes I’m thrilled with the recommendations I get. Other times, I question whether the resident I spoke with was born without taste buds. I feel lucky if I stumble upon a good market or arrive in town during the local peanut, peach or onion festival, where I can really get a taste of the foods that help shape the community. Either way, my food experiences are an adventure that become intertwined with my travel memories. Those memories often call me back for a return visit – even if they occasionally remind me to pack a sack lunch.

Where do you go in the South to eat well? Tell us your favorite culinary cities, the cuisine other attractions that draw you to visit.

What restaurants – from fine dining to roadside dives – make the cut when you’re on a culinary road trip through the South?