Plus: 20 Years of Charleston’s FIG

PHOTO: ALEXIS CARTER

From left: Danica Hart, Trea Swindle, and Devynn Hart.

NEW TUNES: After bursting into the limelight during their appearance on America’s Got Talent last summer, the country music trio Chapel Hart is gearing up to release their third album, Glory Days, next month. G&G caught up with Poplarville, Mississippi, sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle to hear the story about the album and share the premiere of their new single, “If You Ain’t Wearing Boots.” Read the interview and listen to the song.

FAREWELL TO A MATRIARCH: Emily Meggett, who lived and raised her family in the Gullah Geechee community of Edisto Island, South Carolina, died on Friday at age ninety. Meggett never used a cookbook and rarely worked from written recipes. “All of it is in my brain, my heart, and my hands,” said the legendary (and legendarily generous) guardian of Gullah Geechee culinary traditions. But in 2022, she released her own cooking anthology, a collection of more than a hundred recipes that became a New York Times bestseller. G&G contributor Jai Jones spoke with Meggett last year about her cookbook and her love of Edisto. Read the interview here.

Ahi tuna nachos from Casino Beach Bar & Grille.

TOUR DE FORK: In Pensacola, eating like a local could mean an elegant waterfront dinner one night and a feet-in-the-sand grouper sandwich the next. With the abundant Gulf fisheries at their front door, chefs have their pick of the best local seafood, which they season with an eclectic menu of international influences. In the first European settlement in North America, echoes of Pensacola’s Spanish, British, and French past reveal themselves in gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) at Carmen’s Lunch Bar, fish and chips at Sir Richard’s Public House, and almond croissants at Craft Gourmet Bakery. To taste them all, plan your Pensacola culinary journey.

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: Calling all Southern artisans, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs: Don’t miss your chance to enter this year’s Made in the South Awards. Winners and runners-up in each of our six categories—food, drink, crafts, home, style, and outdoors—and one Sustainability Award winner will be featured in the pages of the December 2023/January 2024 issue. Plus, the overall winner will receive a $10,000 grand prize. Enter by Sunday, April 30, to get a discounted entry fee.

HERE ARE SOME OF YOUR RESPONSES

Midtown Reader in Tallahassee. It’s such a friendly bookstore and is always supporting local authors for book launches. Plus, they have the “Piebrary” so you can enjoy a slice of homemade pie and a beverage. —Judy F.

My neighborhood bookstore here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, The Book & Cover. It is a woman-owned business located in a cute, walkable retail district, occupying a one-hundred-year-old bungalow. It has an amazingly curated selection of books, a great coffee bar featuring locally roasted coffee and local baked goods, and plenty of sunny spots to sit with your book or laptop. —Emily L.

Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, has a great location next to a chocolate shop. They have wonderful personal service, offer unique greeting cards and other gifts, and place orders if a book is not in the shop. —Teresa N.

Parnassus Books in Nashville, owned by novelist Ann Patchett along with Karen Hayes. It is one of the few remaining independent book stores in Nashville and is noted as a store for independent readers. —Pate M.

Park Road Books in Charlotte. Yola the dog is bookstore royalty. Our daughter and her husband had their first date there. —Jere B.

Pratt’s Books in Graham, Texas. Nestled in America’s largest downtown square (true), Pratt’s Books is among the finest, little known bookstores in the United States. The shelves are highlighted by hard-to-find Texana, American history, art, cookbooks, and some classics. —Carter P.

I love Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina, because of its commitment to budding authors and its support of literacy in my hometown. Aside from cultivating a fabulous selection and supporting local schools, the staff also partners with our public library to bring interesting author programs to the area. Whenever I visit, I find new works that resonate with me. —Karen H.

I fell in love with independent bookstores—and signed first editions—at Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, during graduate school. After moving away, I still miss the prominent displays of signed books from local authors, the palpable sense of community, and the relaxed contentment when sitting on their balcony overlooking the Oxford Square. —Kristie S.

Edisto Bookstore on Edisto Island, South Carolina. They have a huge used book section—perfect for beach reading! Plus, there is a residential librarian: Emily Grace, the bookstore cat. —Henriette H.

Find more great recommendations from our readers here.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: