North Carolina spoils you. Two James Beard Award regions, one state, and the farmers here have been feeding people long before “farm-to-table” became a buzzword on every menu in America.
I’ve eaten my way through a lot of this state, and what keeps surprising me is how seriously chefs take their sourcing. They know their farmers by name.
They change menus mid-week when something better shows up at the back door. That kind of cooking is rare, and the state has built a whole culture around it…