According to Saveur magazine, Border Food is defined as Mexican food with a distinct identity —influenced by the cooking of Chihuahua and Texas, but with a number of little twists. Because Texas is so large and diverse, it’s a more nuanced label than the overarching Tex-Mex, and one surprising spot that it is celebrating with abandon is in Greenville, SC. Dayna Lee is the chef and operator of Comal 864, a petite spot with a big heart and a smoking hot flattop. With her clear vision of the food of her childhood and a combination of grit and introspection on her own life path, she’s gained some well-deserved attention, from being named of Eater's "18 Essential Greenville Restaurants" to a nomination as a 2023 James Beard semifinalist. Originally from South Texas and specializing in Mexican American cuisine, she began her work in a series of brewery pop-ups, teaching herself to channel homesickness into cooking and making more room for others at the table along the way. Last summer, I had the chance to eat my fill of tacos at Comal on a hot June night, and I’ve been wanting to sit down with her ever since, so we finally got the chance to record at this year’s Charleston Wine + Food Festival. The only thing missing? More tacos.
188: Ashley English, Author, Teacher & Homesteader (Candler, NC)
187: Femi Oyediran & Miles White, Graft (Charleston, SC)
186: George Motz, Filmmaker & Writer, Hamburger America (Brooklyn, NY)
185: Teresa Smithmyer, Bulls Bay Saltworks (McClellanville, SC)
184: Shorlette Ammons, Center for Environmental Farming Systems at NC State (Durham, NC)
183: Dale Hawkins, Fish Hawk Acres (Buckhannon, WV)
182: Elijah Heyward III, International African American Museum (Charleston, SC)
181: Cynthia Wong, Life Raft Treats (Charleston, SC)
180: Home Bar Basics with Miguel Buencamino, Holy City Handcraft (Charleston, SC)
179: Michael Shemtov, Butcher & Bee and Pay it Forward Charleston (Charleston, SC)
178: Meredith Leigh, The Ethical Meat Handbook (Asheville, NC)
177: Tuffy Stone, Cool Smoke Barbeque, Richmond, VA (Live from Charleston Wine + Food)
176: Kevin Gillespie, Red Beard Restaurants, Atlanta, GA (Live from Charleston Wine + Food)
175: Chris Shepherd, Underbelly Hospitality (Houston, TX)
174: Sammy Monsour, Preux & Proper (Los Angeles, CA)
173: Kris Tominaga, Manuela (Los Angeles, CA)
172: Vivian Howard, Chef, Author and TV Personality (Kinston, NC)
171: A Special Episode -- Why I Love Restaurants
170: Brian Dunsmoor, Hatchet Hall (Los Angeles, CA)
169: Aaron Siegel, Home Team BBQ (Charleston, SC)
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