SC has one of the 14 best food cities in US, Travel + Leisure says. It’s not Charleston
As if being the set for the next few weeks of Top Chef is not enough, now Greenville makes Travel + Leisure’s 14 best food cities in the country.
It’s clear Greenville is punching above its weight when it’s honored alongside such long-standing food cities as New Orleans and New York City.
Travel + Leisure called Greenville and Tucson, Arizona, “unexpected spots.”
“Fold a New York slice, pick up a pierogi, or bite into a Korean barbecue taco, and it’s clear that U.S. gastronomy has benefited enormously from migration,” the magazine said.
Food diversity is unparalleled, the magazine said.
“There are hidden gems, lauded hot spots, and everything in between,” they said.
“The Greenville that was a quiet cotton mill town is long gone; the city today is vibrant and full of unique culinary offerings rivaling larger nearby locales like Charlotte and Asheville,” Travel + Leisure added.
The restaurants they mention have become almost commonplace in stories written about Greenville food, such as Scoundrel, a French brasserie from chef and Greenville native Joe Cash that was one of four South Carolina restaurants awarded one star in the inaugural selection of the Michelin Guide for the American South. The other three are in Charleston.
Scoundrel opened on Main Street in 2022, after Cash, a graduate of Greenville Technical College’s Culinary Institute of the Carolinas, worked in restaurants in New York City and Copenhagen, Denmark.
The restaurant offers traditional French food, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“This ain’t your regular joint — it’s a swanky journey through the heart of Paris, right here in downtown Greenville, SC,” the restaurant’s website says.
Travel + Leisure also recommends Camp, “which offers an eccentric menu featuring unique dishes like Thai-inspired calamari and lamb smothered in curry cream.”
Owned by Table 301 and sister to the much lauded Soby’s (where the most recent episode of Top Chef was filmed) Camp is located in downtown Greenville on the site once occupied by The Greenville News.
It calls itself a “modern American eatery in the heart of Downtown Greenville featuring classic dishes with reimagined, globally-influenced flavors.”
“For fresh seafood, try Coral or Jones Oyster Co. before snagging an afternoon pick-me-up at Methodical Coffee,” Travel + Leisure says. They are all located in downtown Greenville.
Jones Oyster Co. was once home to The Jones Furniture Company and is owned by Table 301 as well.
Coral and Methodical Coffee were both founded by three friends.
The magazine also recommended farm-to-table Topsoil Kitchen & Market; and Mexican eatery Comal 864.
The other cities on the list were:
- New York City
- Tucson, Arizona
- Portland, Maine
- Detroit
- Houston
- Chicago
- New Orleans
- San Francisco
- Cleveland
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Philadelphia
- Los Angeles
- Honolulu