If you see a special on the menu at Southern Soul Barbeque, in St. Simons, Georgia, that looks a little fancy for the chalkboard at a roadside barbecue joint, credit Chef Comer Smith

“Downtown Winston-Salem, ten years ago—even five years ago—was nothing,” says Matt Ceneviva, bartender and part-owner of Tate’s Craft Cocktails. We are sitting outside the bar on a stretch of road in the heart of the old tobacco town that’s a testament to how much has changed. A bustling sushi restaurant, an independent movie theatre, and a popular brewery are all located within a few blocks. And then there’s Tate’s, behind us, where standard-issue liquors share shelf space with cutting-edge syrups and infusions. “We want to be here when this is one of the best food towns in North Carolina."