Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1515764
12 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2024 What do you think? We want to know what living well means to you. Join the conversation @maconmagazine or email us hello@maconmagazine.com. "Food is not just for nourishing our bodies, but also for nourishing our communities. Food is about hospitality," Chi Ezekwueche says in Soul Food Roots (page 46). In our second annual Food Issue, we've aimed to bring the stories of what we eat, why we find community at the table, how we share hospitality, and who creates our flavors. How do we savor our roots and use food to stay grounded? As more people choose Macon, our city's culinary roots deepen and expand. When Angelica Marin heard that Macon wasn't ready for the authentic flavors of her childhood home near Morelia, Mexico, she took it as a challenge. The result is a growing series of successful Marin family ventures and a richer culinary scene for their many devoted regulars. Their chicken soup makes me well and tastes like comfort. Some roots grew locally, like those at the Poplar Street Farmers Market. Read the vendors' tips for seasonal eating on page 72. See you at the market next Wednesday? When asked, "What makes you most proud at the end of the day?" Jimmie Scott, an employee of S&S Cafeteria on Bloomfield Village Dr. for 63 years, said, "Well, most of the time, it's when I see a customer go out that dining room happy. Children happy. I like to see their mothers enjoy and be happy." He and the other well-seasoned service industry profiles will make you want to hear more. Read about them on page 74, then go meet them for yourself. Their hospitality and teamwork are at the heart of what makes our restaurants tick. "There's such a camaraderie," said Nick Riggins, another downtown business owner, about why he continues to grow a third-generation family business in downtown Macon. Read his guide to downtown Macon on page 92. Camaraderie is the core of a Milledgeville annual gathering, Le Pied du Mont Boucherie, which benefits veterans and was held for the seventh time at Comfort Farms this year. The chef behind our cover barbecue plate, Ben Hampton, is a regular. Read how he and others from Central Georgia and far beyond draw inspiration from Boucherie on page 94. Speaking of those visiting chefs, when we venture out, inspiration awaits. We propose a few day trips on page 52 to experience the world-class culinary creations of the chefs featured in the new Atlanta Michelin Guide. MM interviewed three Michelin-starred chefs and highlighted a Cherry Blossom-inspired pick for this spring. Whether it's our seasoned servers, abuelas, markets, or rooted recipes, it all feels like the depth that comes through a rootedness. It's another of our je ne sais quoi qualities that draw us and so many others to this city and region. We're widening our tables because the flavors created here are feeding more people from near and far. Make way for another seat with our resource guide on page 116. Get in on providing more meals to more of our people. The hunger can't wait. The time is now to make time for savoring our roots, reading our stories, and finding more ways to connect through the flavors we each bring to the table. In the spirit of hospitality, Susannah "Food is about hospitality." Chi Ezekwueche Editor, Susannah C. Maddux @susannahcmaddux Editor's letter | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2024 RIGHT Managing editor Sierra and I delight in the fruits of our labor, post- sandwich shoot with Mike Young. See page 44. Let's make more history. Join the monumental effort to transform the Ocmulgee Mounds into Georgia's first National Park and Preserve, a move that will preserve 17,000 years of vibrant history and culture. Visit ocmulgeepark.org.