Chef John Currence of Oxford, MS

Regarded as one of the South's best chefs, John Currence made a name for himself in the 1990s when he opened City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi. Today the City Grocery Restaurant Group also includes Boure, Snack Bar, and the fast-growing chain Big Bad Breakfast.

I sat down with Chef Currence in his Oxford home on a fall evening to chat about all things Southern, including the hospitality industry, his favorite dishes, SEC football, and bourbon. A Louisiana native, Currence was named the Best Chef South in 2009 by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. He also won the Charleston Wine and Food Festival's Iron Chef Challenge that same year. His three cookbooks are "Tailgreat," "Big Bad Breakfast," and "Pickles, Pigs, & Whiskey."

No trip to Oxford, MS, is complete without visiting one of Chef Currence's establishments. Big Bad Breakfast restaurants are located throughout the South.