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.
219: Julia Sullivan, Henrietta Red (Nashville, TN)
218: Demi Natoli, White Limozeen (Nashville, TN)
217: Tandy Wilson, City House (Nashville, TN)
216: Kyle Jacovino, Pizzeria Vittoria (Savannah, GA)
215: John Zucker, Cru Cafe and Catering (Charleston, SC)
214: Amethyst Ganaway, Writer, Chef, Content Creator (Charleston, SC)
213: Brittney Miller, Manchester Farms Quail (Columbia, SC)
212: Mashama Bailey & John Morisano, The Grey and The Grey Market (Savannah, GA)
211: Season 5 Finale, Steph looks back and awards some "bests"
210: David Adedokun, The War Mouth (Columbia, SC)
209: Putt Wetherbee, Schermer Pecans (Albany, GA)
208: Nathan Brand, Timber! (Johnson City, TN)
207: Tina Houston, Reid's Cafe & Catering, Beacon Butcher Bar & Betty's Biscuits (Sugar Mountain, NC)
206: Jacques Pépin, Chef, Author, & Television Personality ( Madison, CT)
205: Mohsin & Katlin Kazmi, The Pakalachian (Abingdon, VA)
204: Travis Milton, Taste Wood-Fired Kitchen, Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards (Bristol, VA)
203: Tia Clark, Casual Crabbing With Tia (Charleston, SC)
202: Richard Reutter, Caroline's Cakes (Spartanburg, SC)
201: Christian Hansen, Blue Ridge Creamery (Travelers Rest, SC)
200: Cheers to 200 with Dale DeGroff, King Cocktail (Stonington, CT)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Solicited Advice with Alison Roman
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
The Federalist Papers
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Walk-In Talk Podcast
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio