Food and Wine

The Top 10 Small US Cities for Food and Drink, According to the Experts

From New Mexico to Maine, these are the smaller cities with big food scenes to seek out this year.

By 

Adam H. Callaghan

Adam H. Callaghan

Adam H. Callaghan is a Quality Team Developmental Editor for Food & Wine. A multilingual editor and writer based in New England, he's worked across digital and print for over 10 years covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle, and sustainability. His work has appeared in Fodor's, Eater, and Punch, among others.

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We’re experiencing a renaissance in the United States: More and more small cities are developing big restaurant energy. With fewer than 100,000 residents, these places will never offer the sheer scope of dining experiences of a New York City or Chicago, but they build upon unique local traditions, the proximity of farms inherent to a more remote setting, a strong sense of community and collaboration, and lower costs of entry with the potential for outsize impact in a small market.

Photo by Winter Caplanson / New England Food and Farm for Hen of the Wood

Across the country, the culinary scene outside of major metropolitans is as inspiring as ever. Portland, Maine, is doubling down on seafood, finding new viable sources in the Atlantic Ocean as the state’s iconic lobster shifts north due to warming waters. Greenville, South Carolina, has refreshed its connection to a beloved condiment created by a pioneering female entrepreneur while simultaneously revitalizing its downtown. Hip new arrivals have suffused Ojai, California, with fresh energy that complements rather than detracts from the impressive evolution of its standbys.

Here are the best small U.S. cities for food and drink, according to our panel of food and travel experts.

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Winner: Portland, Maine 

Photo by Alex Lau (Mr. Tuna)

Portland frequently crashes national best-of lists stacked with heavyweights. Chalk it up to a working waterfront hauling ultra-fresh seafood into a lively arts district or a genuine off-season (though it’s shrinking), which ensures a steady stream of newcomers trading big-city grind for a tight-knit community of artisans constantly refining tiny-town charms. It’s evident in the Japanese American fusion at Norimoto Bakery, whose owner, Atsuko Fujimoto, learned her craft at James Beard Award–winning chef Sam Hayward’s hallowed Fore Street before winning her own Beard Award. Or at Mr. Tuna, where 2025 F&W Best New Chef Jordan Rubin’s very New England dedication to sustainably sourced Atlantic bluefin tuna makes him a fitting neighbor for world-class oyster bar Eventide Oyster Co.

02of 10

Healdsburg, California 

Photo by Emma Kruch/Emma K Creative (Quail & Condor)

Sonoma County remains the approachable alternative to lavish Napa Valley, with Healdsburg as its welcoming heart, packed with tasting rooms at the nexus of three renowned wine regions — try LIOCO or Marine Layer on the main plaza. Casual lunch spots like Casa del Mole market and butcher shop and Quail & Condor cafe and bakery beckon anyone anytime, while even the extravagant experiences are closely tied to the working of the land, from the microseasonal menu at The Matheson to the 24 acres of biodiverse farm that underpin a Japanese-influenced meal at three-Michelin-starred SingleThread or a vegan feast at Little Saint. The recently opened Bistro Lagniappe aims somewhere between the two extremes, prioritizing local produce and housemade everything with greater price variability.

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Asheville, North Carolina 

Alex Lau

This independent Blue Ridge Mountain destination combines agricultural prowess, producers who were ahead of their time like Riverbend Malt House and French Broad Chocolate, and visionary restaurateurs such as 2015 F&W Best New Chef Katie Button, who dazzles at Spanish tapas bar Cúrate. Appalachian cuisine continues to evolve at the hands of Meherwan Irani, who changed Indian food in America for the better with Chai Paniand spice brand Spicewalla; Ashleigh Shanti, who playfully reimagines Black fish camp traditions at Good Hot Fish; and 2024 F&W Best New Chef Silver Iocovozzi, who revels in the intersection of Filipino and Southern traditions at the joyfully queer Neng Jr’s.

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Hudson, New York 

Photo by Konrad Odhiambo (Neverstill Wines)

The Hudson Valley’s verdant landscape, pastures, and orchards feed much of New York City; in turn, the convenient train line from NYC supports immense ingenuity in riverside towns like Hudson. Downtown artisans like Neverstill Wines and Mel the Bakery, as well as those on the outskirts like Klocke Estate restaurant and brandy distillery and Suarez Family Brewery, harness the beauty of regional grains and fruit, while Restaurant Manor Rock’s regenerative ranch keeps a creative menu truly transitory with heirloom varieties of pork, chard, and plenty more. Need a side of psychedelia with your idyll? Lil’ Deb’s Oasis is a sensual, inclusive trip led by artists Carla Perez-Gallardo and Hannah Black in a former lunch counter with a bold Ecuadorian-inspired menu to match.

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Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Photo by Douglas Merriam (Joseph's Culinary Pub)

Art is a major draw in this Land of Enchantment — on the canvas or the plate. Indigenous foodways and colonization have blended the high-elevation desert city’s palette with a heady mix of Spanish, Mexican, Anglo American, and Native American flavors, none more prominent than red and green chile peppers. They’re transcendent at such casual institutions as The Pantry (burgers, adovada pork burritos) and The Shed (Hatch chili verde, queso); on the upscale side, 2000 F&W Best New Chef Joseph Wrede wields them deftly for tamales and beef stew at Joseph’s Culinary Pub, while Mexico City–born chef Fernando Olea earned a James Beard Award for his mole expertise and more at Sazón.

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Greenville, South Carolina 

Photo by Table 301 | Ariel Madison (Soby’s New South Cuisine)

Duke’s Mayonnaise alone could draw hungry travelers to Greenville, especially since a Mayo Trail leads to dishes featuring Eugenia Duke’s famous condiment, like a brisket-friendly coleslaw at Bobby’s BBQ and crab cakes with maque choux at trailblazing Soby’s New South Cuisine. Falls Park on the Reedy, restored to glory by the removal of a highway bridge, and Swamp Rabbit Trail are also a joy to wander, leading to eclectic food hall The Commons. The food scene reflects diverse entrepreneurship and the region’s fruitful terrain; taste many highlights easily every October when downtown excludes cars to prioritize people during Fall for Greenville. Expect live music across many stages and dozens of local vendors like Georgian khachapuri expert Keipi and Califas, whose birria tacos have taken top honors at the free-to-attend festival.

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Burlington, Vermont 

Courtesy of Hen of the Wood

Vermont is the U.S. maple syrup capital for a reason, and it’s not just the many trees — it’s also a practically religious devotion to the rural bounty. In the college town of Burlington, the best-known practitioner is 2008 F&W Best New Chef Eric Warnstedt’s Hen of the Wood, named for the fungus that graces the mushroom toast alongside other wood-fired delicacies. Warnstedt’s disciples have opened their own modern classics, like MayDayand Frankie’s, joining other champions of seasonal sourcing like Pizzeria Verità, whose airy Neapolitan pies are largely Vermont-topped, and Honey Road, which channels the eastern Mediterranean through Lake Champlain.

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Ojai, California 

Photo by Evan Robinson (Highly Likely)

Readily accessible from Los Angeles, Ojai offers a respite in the lowlands of the Topatopa Mountains. As demographics have shifted, the area’s culinary allure has flourished to match its natural splendor. Some recent success stories come from LA transplants: The Dutchess, showcasing Kate Pepper and Kelsey Brito’s baking skills and Sam Naing’s Burmese Indian heritage, and Highly Unlikely, infused with Kat Turner’s Wisconsin sensibilities, are both top-notch examples of the nationwide trend of all-day restaurants. Others have grown from deep roots — The Ojai Vineyard Tasting Roomshows off the foresight of Adam Tolmach, one of the first to make wine in Santa Barbara County in the 1980s. Even the venerable Ojai Valley Inn has upped its high profile thanks to the work of chef Andrew Foskey at Italian-leaning Olivella & Vine.

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Kingston, New York 

Photo by Josh Goleman (Mirador)

The state’s original capital has seen its fortunes change many times over the decades, but nowadays the elegant historic buildings on the west bank of the Hudson are full of enticing boutiques and restaurants that convince New York City residents to visit and, often, stay. Many of the best line Broadway in Midtown, including Jamaican restaurant Top Taste from James Beard Award nominated chef Albert Bartley; hip Spanish tapas bar Mirador; and Eng’s, a historic Chinese restaurant opened in 1927. Kingston Bread + Bar, now well-known for its sourdough breads and bagels, partnered early on with the community anchor Rough Draft Bar & Books in the Stockade District, another bustling area that recently welcomed an expansion of Patty Wu and David Schneider’s modern dim sum cafe, Lucky Catskills.

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Traverse City, Michigan 

Photo by Raquel Furman (Farm Club)

The restaurant scene in Traverse City is often under the radar, unlike Northern Michigan’s spectacular scenery. But savvy restaurateurs are building something special on an agricultural foundation in the so-called Cherry Capital of the World. That’s the case with well-established The Cooks’ House, with its minimalist tasting menus, and Modern Bird, whose Chicago transplants apply fine-dining chops to a globe-trotting menu. See the symbiosis at its purest at Farm Club, a working farm that mills grains like nixtamalized corn; makes bread, pasta, beer, and cider; and uses produce grown on-site for dishes like chicory salad and a beet Reuben at its restaurant.

To uncover the best food and drink experiences for travelers, Food & Wine polled over 400 chefs, travel experts, food and travel writers, and wine pros from across the globe for their top culinary travel experiences. We then turned the results over to our Global Advisory Board, who ranked the top nominees in each category. For the full list of winners, visit foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers2026.