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.
Sarah Pierre, 3 Parks Wine Shop (Atlanta, GA)
Lee Pantazis, Gus's Hot Dogs (Birmingham, AL)
Rob McDaniel, Helen (Birmingham, AL)
Shamil Velazquez, Delaney Oyster House (Charleston, SC)
Lou Thomann, Yaupon Tea Company (Savannah, GA)
Craig Richards, Lyla Lila (Atlanta, GA)
242: Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill, Chez Fonfon, Bottega (Birmingham, AL)
241: Amanda Storey, Jones Valley Teaching Farm (Birmingham, AL)
240: Brian Hart Hoffman, Bake from Scratch / Hoffman Media (Birmingham, AL)
239: Kalifa Shabazz, Shabazz Seafood (Savannah, GA)
238: Sara Bir, Chef, Author, & Forager, The Pocket Paw Paw Cookbook (Marietta, OH)
237: Brandon Carter & John Benhase, Common Thread (Savannah, GA)
236: Shuai & Corrie Wang, Jackrabbit Filly (North Charleston, SC)
235: KJ Kearney, Black Food Fridays (North Charleston, SC)
234: Ron Hsu & Aaron Phillips, Lazy Betty (Atlanta, GA)
233: James London, Chubby Fish (Charleston, SC)
232: Neal Cohen, Yoni Reisman, & Miles Macquarrie, Tip Top Proper Cocktails (Atlanta, GA)
231: Gena Berry, Culinary Works (Atlanta, GA)
230: David Thompson, David Thompson Architect (Charleston, SC)
229: Suzi Sheffield, Beautiful Briny Sea (Atlanta, GA)
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