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Southern food has always had soul, but a new generation of Tennessee chefs is proving it can have swagger too. From a reimagined Appalachian kitchen in Jonesborough to a farm-driven restaurant tucked into the hills outside of Cookeville, these nationally recognized culinary talents are building something remarkable — and they're doing it without leaving home.
Something unexpected has been happening across Tennessee's smaller communities — the people who left are coming back, and this time they're staying. Fueled by remote work flexibility and a hard reset on what matters, young professionals are trading city apartments for hometown front porches, and in the process, they're reshaping the towns they grew up in. We talked to four of them about why they left, why they returned, and what they found when they got here.
Tennessee's barbecue isn't just food — it's a living, breathing piece of the state's identity. From Memphis ribs dusted in dry spice blends to East Tennessee whole-hog traditions that predate the Civil War, this is your road-ready guide to the smoke rings, sauce debates, and pit masters keeping it all alive.