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.
Jerry & Krista Slater: The Expat, The Lark Winespace, & Slater's Steakhouse (Athens, GA)
Peter Dale: Condor Chocolates (Athens, GA)
Glenn Roberts: Anson Mills & AM Research (Columbia, SC)
Dr. Howard Conyers: BBQ Pitmaster, Distiller, & Rocket Scientist (New Orleans, LA & Manning, SC)
Jeremy Carter: Tarpon Cellars (Charleston, SC)
Southern Fork Sustenance: Author Shane Mitchell
Minette Rushing: Minette Rushing Custom Cakes (Savannah, GA)
Sam Fore: Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites & Tuk Tuk Snack Shop (Lexington, KY)
Erin Eisele & James Alford: Cork & Cap Bottle Shop (Aiken, SC)
Noah Whritenour: Stevedore Bakery (Savannah, GA)
Judith Winfrey: Love is Love Cooperative Farm (Mansfield, GA)
Shai Fargian: Yafo Kitchen (Charlotte, NC)
Chris Hathcock: Husk Savannah (Savannah, GA)
Season 7 Finale: Steph Shares Top Listens & Best Ofs
Stella Chase Reese: Dooky Chase's Restaurant (New Orleans, LA)
Forrest Parker: Undiscovered Charleston (Charleston, SC)
Ralph Brennan: Brennan's & The Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group (New Orleans, LA)
Vince Hayward: Camellia Beans (New Orleans, LA)
Nina Compton & Taylor Jarvis Talk Mentorship: The Lee Initiative (Louisville, KY)
Abigail Gullo: Loa (New Orleans, LA)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Walk-In Talk Podcast
Gastropod
Black Beauty
Great Expectations
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio