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.
Vance Vaucresson: Vaucresson’s Sausage Company (New Orleans, LA)
Jeff Balfour & Laurent Réa: Brasserie Mon Chou Chou (San Antonio, TX)
Elizabeth Johnson: Pharm Table (San Antonio, TX)
Steve McHugh: Cured at Pearl & Landrace (San Antonio, TX)
Regan Meador: Southold Farm + Cellar (Fredericksburg, TX)
John & Evelyn Washburne: Side Street Hospitality (Fredericksburg, TX)
Jake Schmidt: The Swag (Waynesville, NC)
Kate Towill: Basic Projects (Charleston, SC)
Mike Wolf: Author & Mixologist (Nashville, TN)
Marshall Rabil: Hubbard Peanut Company (Sedley, VA)
Sam Norton: Heron Farms (Charleston, SC)
Daniel & Bethany Heinze: Vern's (Charleston, SC)
Marvin Ross: Peculiar Pig Farm (Dorchester, SC)
Joy Wilson: Joy the Baker (New Orleans, LA)
Vishwesh Bhatt: Snackbar (Oxford, MS)
Kim Shaw: Small City Farm (Charlotte, NC)
Barbara McKay: TV Personality, Cook, & Author (Charlotte, NC)
Will Green: The Whig, WECO Bottle and Biergarten (Columbia, SC)
Josh Quick: Odette (Florence, AL)
Justin Hill: Eastaboga Bee Company (Eastaboga, AL)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Solicited Advice with Alison Roman
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
A Tale of Two Cities
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Walk-In Talk Podcast
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio