The State’s favorite food stories from 2017

Over the past year, we have written about the food and restaurants in the Midlands, and highlighted the rich community that has grown around our local eats. Along the way, we’ve introduced you to some outstanding people — chefs, farmers and promoters.

Here are fivestories that were were privileged to report in 2017.

How one chef hopes to expand Columbia’s palate

Chef Russell Jones spoke openly about some of the frustrations he went through opening his restaurant, Tallulah, and pushback he got from diners on his original menu. He listened to his customers and simplified his menu, leaving room for expressing the creativity in his kitchen.

What you need to know about each of Columbia’s farmers markets

There are 10 farmers markets in Richland, Lexington and Kershaw counties, and each one has something that makes it unique. Broken down by the day of the week, it’s easy to find the farmers market that best suits your needs.

How Columbia landed a prestigious charity event

A behind-the-scenes look at how Vanessa Driscoll Bialobreski, of Farm to Table Events Company (now F2T Productions, Management and Catering), and chefs Frank Bradley and Kristian Niemi. Together, they pulled together some of the city’s best chefs to present a multi-course dinner for the James Beard Foundation at City Roots.

How one SC woman is creating an oasis in a food desert

Germaine Jenkins is planting the seeds of hope and sustainability with Fresh Future Farm in North Charleston. What she’s accomplished in an urban neighborhood environment — growing fresh fruits and vegetables and opening a farm store on less than an acre of land — can be used as a blueprint for other areas within the state that lack access to fresh foods.

Columbia’s becoming a restaurant town, but we’re still missing a lot. For starters...

We’re still catching heat for this one. First of all, we appreciate all of you who responded to this story. Although it was not meant to be a paean to chain restaurants, more than a few readers chimed in with recommendations.

The emails we received about the types of food or restaurants that seem to be missing — kosher delis, affordable steak houses, late night dinner service and bakeries with later hours — are topics to explore in the coming year.

The Midlands does have a healthy, growing food scene with new producers, markets and grocers, chefs and restaurants, brewers and distillers — and even chains — entering the market in a steady stream.

Drop us a line or save us a place at the table... let’s talk about food.

This story was originally published December 22, 2017 at 2:59 PM with the headline "The State’s favorite food stories from 2017."