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.
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)
228: Jamie Rosenthal, Roots Down (Atlanta, GA)
227: Kristian Niemi, Bourbon & Black Rooster (Columbia, SC)
226: Christian Spears, Tennessee Brew Works (Nashville, TN)
225: Hank Tisdale & Tracey Tisdale Richardson, Lillie's of Charleston (Charleston, SC)
224: Elizabeth Heiskell, Cook, Author, Caterer, & TV Personality (Oxford, MS)
223: Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cider (Dugspur, VA)
222: Lisa Marie White, Biscuit Love (Nashville, TN)
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