We must be hungry...

Well, we’ve officially made it to the south’s hottest month. Or the month of college football kickoff. Or back-to-school, whatever floats your boat. But we are glad to be here and hope you are too.

Welcome back to The Meat Platter, let’s get into it.

For years, if you walked into a butcher shop and asked for a Denver steak, you'd probably get a funny look. Today? It's one of the hottest cuts in the country.

The same goes for flat iron, hanger, bavette, and picanha. Once considered "butcher's cuts" because they were either unfamiliar or too much work to prepare, they're now starring on steakhouse menus across the country—and often carrying price tags that rival ribeyes.

If you haven't ventured beyond ribeye and New York strip, ask your butcher for a Denver or hanger steak this weekend. They cook beautifully over charcoal and prove that sometimes the best cuts aren't the most famous ones—they're the ones you haven't tried yet.

Everyone knows Asheville. Everyone knows Charleston. Everyone knows Nashville.

But Sewanee, Tennessee? Not exactly.

Yet this tiny mountain town has quietly become one of the South's most interesting food destinations thanks to two chefs who came home instead of chasing bigger cities. One opened a hyper-seasonal lunch spot sourcing from nearly 20 local farms; another left Nashville to open an ambitious dinner restaurant in the town where she grew up. Read more about Mallory and Julia’s journey “home” here. It’s really so admirable.

August is really the mecca of Summer produce. When everything overlaps but you know the gettin’ is coming to an end.

Corn. Tomatoes. Okra. Peppers. Melons. Stone fruit. Fresh herbs.

Food & Wine's August recipe issue isn't really about recipes—it's a reminder that for one brief stretch of the year, nearly every great summer ingredient peaks at the same time.

As we head into August, we’re gonna start something new over on our Spotify for the next few months. Our team is going to put together their perfect playlists. Think of it as a way for you to get to know us, just a little bit better.

Now that we are here, it’s a strong start to Leo season. Abbye’s got her picks this month lined up for the listening and she’s out for GOATED playlist. We’ll let you be the judge.

While we are pouring our hearts out over Summer produce, we just want to make a quick interjection about a favorite summer food if you will indulge us momentarily.

Corn may be our favorite and most versatile summertime veg because it’s so damn adaptable. Last year, we creamed it to make a pasta “sauce”. We use it in a salad as frequently as we can, cut straight from the cob. It freezes great. But man, a fresh cob is a true delight.

If you feel like you can’t quite get it right, take it from us.

Corn in pot. Bring to boil. Cut off and cover until your ready to eat. It will be perfect everytime.

Did you know the word "picnic" has nothing to do with the outdoors.

It comes from the French word pique-nique, which originally described a meal where everyone contributed a dish. Long before coolers and folding chairs, the idea was simply that each guest brought something to share.

We’ll be sharing more as we get closer to time, but are excited to announce our participation in Southern Living’s Food and Fire event at Southbound in September.

Southbound is a nonprofit food festival built around Birmingham’s culinary identity, with a mission to connect chefs, farmers, makers, and the broader community while celebrating the city’s food history and where it’s headed next. The 2026 festival runs for 10 days, with signature events centered around places like Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces.

Read more about it here and we will share more about this v cool event upcoming.

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Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?

—In case he got a hole in one.