COVINGTON (July 1, 2026) — Covington has been named one of The Local Palate's top 15 culinary towns in the South and is now competing for the title of Best Culinary Town in the South.
Editors selected the finalists after researching more than 40 southern towns with populations under 450,000. They evaluated local restaurant scenes, coffee shops, farmers markets and food trucks. Covington is the only city in Kentucky among this year's finalists.
Public voting begins July 6, and community support will be critical as Covington competes for a spot in the top three and ultimately the overall title. The winning town will be featured on the cover of The Local Palate's annual "Best Culinary Towns of the South" issue.
In a press release, The Local Palate writes: "The public is encouraged to visit www.thelocalpalate.com to access a Readers’ Poll, open July 6 to July 10, and vote from a list of the Top Fifteen Culinary Towns in the South; the selection will be narrowed to the Top Three towns, which will go head-to-head in a second poll open from July 13 to July 17 to determine the winner. The winner will be revealed on the cover of “The Best Culinary Towns of the South” issue.
The Top Fifteen towns competing for this year’s title are: Asheville, North Carolina; Bluffton, South Carolina; Charleston, West Virginia; Clayton, Georgia; Covington, Kentucky; Huntsville, Alabama; Hyattsville, Maryland; Johnson City, Tennessee; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Natchez, Mississippi; Norfolk, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Round Top, Texas; and Staunton, Virginia."
For those looking to experience Covington's culinary scene firsthand, MeetNKY also has a free Restaurant Pass, which offers exclusive discounts and deals at some of Covington's favorite restaurants throughout the city.
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MeetNKY drives quality of life and economic growth for Northern Kentucky through tourism marketing and destination development. Learn more at MeetNKY.com and VisitCincy.com.
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Visit Cincy connects the Cincinnati region’s people and experiences with visitors and meeting attendees from around the world through sales, marketing, communications and community-building strategies. The destination marketing organization is supported by nearly 500 businesses that join together in making Cincinnati, Hamilton County and the Cincy Region a world-class destination by offering their services, attractions and facilities to visitors, meeting planners and convention attendees. For more information, go to VisitCincy.com.
