More than half a million votes have been tallied, and Austin has been named one of the top ten Tastiest Towns in the South by Southern Living magazine. (Funny enough, the Huffington Post recently snubbed Austin, calling it one of the ten most overrated travel destinations in the country.)
In early January, Southern Living invited readers to vote online for their favorite food destinations in the South. Durham, North Carolina, eeked out a win, closely followed by Memphis, Tennessee.
Southern Living editors selected their list of ten cities based on six main criteria: food as a cultural identity; diverse cuisine at a variety of price points; local, sustainable food practices; chefs on the rise; and an abundance of buzz-worthy food events.
Though Austin didn’t take home the top honor, Southern Living tipped a hat to the city, calling it “a place where smoke and swagger meet urban ethnic style with a twang.” Tyson Cole, Paul Qui, Franklin Barbecue, Easy Tiger, Sway, and Midnight Cowboy were a few of the chefs and restaurants the magazine praised.
The top ten also featured Asheville, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; Louisville, Kentucky; and Miami, Florida.
The story will be featured in Southern Living‘s May issue, on newsstands April 19. You can also read the feature online.
