National magazine names Charlotte one of its 7 up-and-coming big cities for food lovers
FOOD & WINE has named the next great American food cities, and guess who made the list? That’s right, Charlotte — we did!
The national magazine’s criteria included “creativity, innovation, diversity and deliciousness” when it selected the top 7 up-and-coming big cities for food lovers. Here are all the cities that made the list:
7 Most Exciting Up-and-Coming Big Cities for Food Lovers
- Boise, Idaho
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Tucson, Arizona
Lots of Charlotte favorites received nods by FOOD & WINE, including:
- Leah & Louise’s smoked catfish stew, Greg Collier’s James Beard nod and Greg and Subrina Collier’s Bayhaven Food & Wine Festival.
- Food Hall Optimist Hall’s Zhang Qian of The Dumpling Lady; Meherwan Irani of Botiwalla and Fonta Flora Brewery.
- The Market at 7th Street’s Orrman’s Cheese Shop and Momo Station.
- Jamie Barnes and Greg Williams, owners of What the Fries and Johnson & Wales alums.
Uptown restaurant chefs Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit, Cloud Bar by David Burke and Red Salt by David Burke, and ”Top Chef” alum Jamie Lynch of Church and Union Charlotte and La Belle Helene.
Davidson and Cornelius staples (and James Beard–nominated) Joe and Katy Kindred of Kindred and Hello, Sailor.
Belmont’s Nellie’s Southern Kitchen, owned by Kevin Sr. and Denise Jonas (“Yes, those Jonases,” the magazine writes).
In addition to big cities for foodies, FOOD & WINE named 4 small cities with vibrant food scenes. Our neighbors over in Greenville, South Carolina, made the short list:
4 Small Cities with Impressive Food Scenes Worth Checking Out
- Biddeford, Maine
- Bozeman, Montana
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville also recently made news when it was named one of the 30 most charming downtowns in America by HGTV.
FOOD shouted out these Greenville favorites:
The Anchorage and local chef Greg McPhee (formerly of Husk in Charleston)
Camp for its shareable small plates. For a more casual vibe
The Commons food hall’s GB&D and Methodical Coffee
Comal 864’s street tacos and smashburgers
The Trappe Door’s Belgium-style beer
Society Sandwich Bar & Social Club’s Post Balone, with fried bologna and a fried egg.
Even the Swamp Rabbit Trail got a shoutout, with a suggestion to hit up Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery, rent a bike, the pedal the greenway to Travelers Rest for crêpes at Tandem or dinner at the Topsoil Kitchen & Market, which is run by 2020 James Beard Awards semifinalist Adam Cooke.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 12:16 PM.
