Modern South Magazine

Articles

Beyond the Brim: Dori Lewis and the Legacy of Millinery in Kentucky

1 month ago | modernsouthmag.com | Nicole Letts

The Kentucky Derby is more than a horse race; it’s a celebration of tradition. In the days, hours, and minutes leading up to “the greatest two minutes in sports,” Kentuckians and racing aficionados will sip mint juleps, nosh hot browns, place their bets, and stand to sing “My Old Kentucky Home” alongside the University of Louisville Cardinal Singers. This is, of course, while donning their best Derby attire. For gentlemen, it’s seersucker sports jackets and linen suits paired with bow ties.
Al Pastor Margarita from Salud Taqueria

1 month ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

Featured image: Ginnard ArchibaldAt Salud Taqueria, bold flavors and playful presentation are the name of the game—and nowhere is that more evident than in the Al Pastor Margarita. Partner and beverage director José Medina Camacho layers smoky mezcal with pineapple-achiote syrup in a nod to the traditional taco al pastor. The result? A rich, balanced sip that brings the fire of the grill to your glass. Here’s how to make it at home.
May’s Mouthwatering Moments: Festivals and Events

1 month ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

May in the South is packed with flavor, fun, and festivals that bring communities together and visitors in droves. Whether you’re road-tripping for strawberries and soul food or heading to the beach for music and sunshine, this is the month to make memories across the region. Here’s where to go and what to catch. May 1, 2025 | Baton Rouge, LouisianaThis three-day festival celebrates Southern flavor with a judged soul food competition, featuring categories like entrees, sides, and desserts.
Deviled Strawberries Are the Tea Room Treat You Didn’t Know You Needed

1 month ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

If there’s one thing the South knows how to do, it’s turn something simple into something special. Case in point? Deviled strawberries—an irresistible little bite that’s turning heads and taste buds at CW Organics, an herbal tea room tucked away in Ridgeland, Mississippi. At the heart of this charming spot is Caroline Warner, a lifelong herbalist whose path to tea and treats is Delta deep.
Why You Should Care Where Your Bourbon Comes From (Hint: It’s the Dirt)

1 month ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

We all know the South can grow just about anything—peaches, peanuts, pecans, and more—but bourbon? Turns out, it’s not just a Kentucky claim to fame. In Statesville, North Carolina, Southern Distilling Company is changing the spirits game: they aren’t just making great bourbon, they’re doing it with purpose. And that purpose starts in the dirt. Pete Barger, co-founder of Southern Distilling Company alongside his wife Vienna, has agriculture in his DNA.
Art and Appetite: A Bentonville Dining Experience Inside a Restored Church

1 month ago | modernsouthmag.com | Abigail Singrey

Featured image: Tim HursleyIn Bentonville, Arkansas, an artsy small town nestled into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, The Preacher’s Son has a certain energy during Friday night dinner. Popular enough to need reservations, every table at this restaurant is filled, including the curved benches surrounding a table in the middle, where a group of women dressed to impress are enjoying cocktail hour.
How a Nashville Farm is Cooling Down the City and Feeding the Community

2 months ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

Just a stone’s throw from downtown Nashville, Trevecca Nazarene University stands as a flower-dotted campus in a concrete jungle—an oasis of growth, learning, and prosperity that fills all teachers, faculty, and visitors with an overwhelming takeaway: in everything you do, leave the world better than you found it. While I’m sure this mission is put into practice in classrooms, it was the grounds (and what they signify) that caught my attention.
Vidalia Onions Are Back-Here’s Why They’re Worth the Hype

2 months ago | modernsouthmag.com | Chip Carter

Featured image: Donna Sanders“Vidalia onions aren’t just the most famous onions in the world; I think they may be the only famous onions in the world.”— Chef Bobby FlayThis time of year, the 50-mile radius surrounding Vidalia, Georgia, is basically a nonstop sea of green. It’s all the onions, those wonderful sweet but somehow still savory Vidalia onions we only get from spring through summer. In fact, Vidalias have become a sign of spring, like the start of baseball season and pools reopening.
From Farm to Tin: The Southern Caviar That’s Redefining Luxury

2 months ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

In a quiet pocket of North Carolina’s coast, something unexpected is happening—caviar, a globally-recognized delicacy reserved for the most special of occasions, is being made…and it’s some of the freshest and most sustainably farmed in the country. But this isn’t a glitzy, high-end operation tucked away in a major city. It’s a family-run farm, built on patience and passion. The farm’s story begins with a question: How can America produce its own seafood without contributing to overfishing?
The MICHELIN Guide is Coming to the South-Here’s What You Need to Know

2 months ago | modernsouthmag.com | Kellie Walton

Big news for Southern food lovers—MICHELIN is heading our way! For the first time ever, the prestigious MICHELIN Guide is rolling out a regional edition in North America, and it’s all about the American South. That means foodies across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee (plus the existing Atlanta selection) will soon have an official culinary roadmap to the best bites below the Mason-Dixon Line.