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.
Jaime Tenny: Coast Brewing (North Charleston, SC)
Don Trowbridge: Trowbridge's (Florence, AL)
Mark Overbay: Big Spoon Roasters (Durham, NC)
Tim Hontzas: Johnny's Restaurant (Homewood, AL)
Alex Sherman & Jeff Daniels: Non-Fiction Coffee (Pelham, AL)
Kelly & Tony Chu: Red Orchids China Bistro (Charleston, SC)
Chris Coleman: The Goodyear House, Old Town Kitchen & Cocktails (Charlotte, NC / Rock Hill, SC)
Emily Meggett: Gullah Geechee Home Cooking (Edisto Island, SC)
Aaron Goss: Carolina Malt House (Cleveland, NC)
Ashley Boyd: 300 East (Charlotte, NC)
Jesse Leadbetter & Erin Bradley: Freshlist (Charlotte, NC)
Eric Montagne: Locals Seafood (Raleigh / Durham, NC)
Orlando Pagán: Wild Common (Charleston, SC)
Vandy Vanderwarker: Maison (Charleston, SC)
A special Pakistani conversation with Fatima Khawaja and Maryam Ghaznavi: Charleston Meets NYC, in Partnership with Saveur
Jeremy Storey: Storey Farms (Johns Island, SC)
Carey Bringle: Peg Leg Porker & Bringle's Smoking Oasis (Nashville, TN)
Ricky Moore: Saltbox Seafood Joint (Durham, NC)
Sheri Castle: Author, Cook, Teacher & Television Host of The Key Ingredient (Pittsboro, NC)
Matthew Kelly: Chef & Restaurateur (Durham, NC)
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