Courtesy of Umbrella Dry Bar
Libations: Zero-Proof Cocktail Bars
The Sober Social
Atlanta, Georgia
In a converted warehouse in Castleberry Hill, inventive nonalcoholic cocktails include the Socialite, featuring hibiscus, lime, agave, and tequila alternative, and the Loner, with gin alternative, blueberries, and lemon. Coffees, teas, and light snacks are also on the menu.
Umbrella Dry Bar
Raleigh, North Carolina
High-end craft cocktails come without the hangover at this hip downtown spot. Try the I’ll Have What Meg’s Having (named for co-owner Meg Paradise), featuring Rasāsvāda Rose Bergamot, rose cordial, lime, and lavender bitters. Tastings and mixology classes are offered, and there’s a bottle shop with alcohol-free wines and spirits to take home.
Wildcrafters
Jacksonville, Florida
Booze-free beverages in two locations include health-conscious mixed drinks and zero-proof beers, wines, and distilled spirits. The refreshing Frances Farmer features herbal tea, honey, lemon, and nonalcoholic sparkling wine.
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Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Chef Spotlight: Anthony Pell
“I love the flavors of Spanish cooking,” says Pell, the chef de cuisine at the Iberian Pig, a recently opened tapas restaurant in Nashville. He previously worked at the eatery’s acclaimed sister restaurants in Atlanta, Cooks & Soldiers and the flagship Iberian Pig. Pell shares details about a perennial favorite dish, a great seasonal pairing, and his go-to post-dinner spot.
Crowd Pleaser | “We serve a ton of pork cheek tacos. We braise the meat in red wine and stuff it into wonton wrappers that are deep-fried so they’re nice and crunchy. Then we top them with avocado crema, grilled corn salsa with piquillo peppers, cilantro, and lime—people love them.”
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Summer Standout | “The pulpo [Spanish octopus] is delicious. We blanch it until it’s tender, sear it in a cast-iron pan and serve it with Canary Island potatoes and an emulsion made with piquillos, vinegar, garlic, and shallots. It’s perfect with a nice tall glass of sangria.”
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Final Note | “There’s a little club right around the corner from the restaurant called Rudy’s Jazz Room. They have nightly live music; it’s cozy and mellow and has good cocktails. The Noble Oak chocolate old-fashioned is awesome—and they plant a tree locally for every bottle of that bourbon sold.”
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Roadside
Hillbilly Hot Dogs
This kitsch-lover’s paradise in Lesage, West Virginia, is a must for travelers. Built around two old school buses, Hillbilly Hot Dogs’ menu offers 27 different dogs, including Chuck’s Junk Yard Dog, which comes with a whopping 10 toppings for less than $5. There’s even a Weenie Weddin’ Chapel for quickie nuptials; don’t leave without a commemorative photo beside the giant hot dog on the hill.
Event
World Chicken Festival
Where can you see the world’s largest stainless-steel skillet (10 feet in diameter! 700 pounds!) and eat fried chicken all weekend? At London, Kentucky’s annual poultry party on the last weekend of September, when thousands converge for finger-lickin’ fun. Programming includes live music, a hot wing eating contest, and Colonel Sanders impersonators on a Harley-Davidson ride to the Sanders Cafe and Museum in nearby Corbin (home of the original KFC).
This article appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Southbound.
