BRANDON CARTER Brandon Carter, the force behind FARM Bluffton , stepped up to Beat Bobby Flay with the same ethos he brings to the kitchen: respect the land, honor the ingredients and cook from the soul. With co-founder and farmer Ryan Williamson, Carter’s restaurants— including Common Thread and Strangebird Food Truck —embody the potential of hyper-local cuisine. SARAH MCCLURE Two-time Guy’s Grocery Games contender Sarah McClure brings serious chops to her family-run restaurant, Southside Smokehouse in Landrum. With a menu full of smoked meats, fresh seafood and elevated Southern classics, she’s proof that small-town chefs can win on big-time stages and feed their communities in the process. 2 3 4 KEVIN MITCHELL A classically trained chef and cultural historian, Kevin Mitchell has become a media ambassador for South Carolina’s culinary legacy. From TODAY to PBS’s A Taste of History and Food Network’s Delicious Miss Brown , Mitchell is a culinary educator, scholar and champion of local heritage ingredients (learn more on page 56) and time-honored “slow food” values. JAMIE DASKALIS Chef Jamie Daskalis of Johnny D’s Waffles and The Tasting Room on 9th shines bright on shows like Chef Swap and Steppin’ Out with Joseph Rosendo . A two-time “Best Chef” winner and autism awareness advocate, Daskalis hosts sensory-friendly events alongside creating crave-worthy waffles and heartfelt Southern hospitality. Scan the QR code to take a tour through some of the Palmetto State’s top restaurants and kitchens as you hear from the people who create mouthwatering dishes in them: the South Carolina Chef Ambassadors. 2. Culinary Institute at Trident Technical College, Charleston 3. Southside Smokehouse, Landrum 4. One Hot Mama’s BBQ, Hilton Head Island DiscoverSouthCarolina.com CHRISTEN CLINKSCALES 53
South Carolina Vacation Guide SC 2026: Page 53
