A food city with two traditions
Winston-Salem eats well because it has two strong culinary identities. One is Moravian: sugar cake, thin spiced cookies and the German-influenced baking that came with the settlers of 1766. The other is Piedmont barbecue, with the vinegar-and-tomato sauce of Lexington style. Around those sit a modern restaurant scene in the Arts District and a craft beer culture that has grown up in old industrial buildings.
Moravian baking
Start at Winkler Bakery in Old Salem, which has been baking since 1800 in a wood-fired oven. The signature item is Moravian sugar cake, a soft, buttery yeast cake with a cinnamon-sugar topping. The other icon is the Moravian cookie, rolled extremely thin and spiced with ginger, cinnamon and molasses, crisp enough to snap. Both travel well, so buy extra. Eating them in the shadow of the old buildings is part of the pleasure.
Barbecue
Lexington-style barbecue focuses on pork shoulder, chopped or sliced, served with a vinegar-based sauce with a hint of tomato and a side of red slaw. Camel City BBQ Factory in the Arts District serves this style. Order a tray, add hushpuppies and a sweet tea, and you have a regional lunch.
The Arts District
Trade and Liberty Streets offer a compact cluster. Mission Pizza and Twisted Pine are among the typical stops, and shops such as Mast General Store and Piedmont Craftsmen are good for browsing between meals. For drinks, Single Brothers and Broad Branch Distillery offer cocktails and spirits, and Chad's Chai and Tea Shop is the choice for non-drinkers and for a pick-me-up. The district is easy to explore on foot, and most places are lively on weekend evenings.
Craft beer
Downtown has eight craft breweries within a walkable area. The suggested crawl starts at Foothills Brewing, then moves through the Industry Hill cluster of Fiddlin' Fish, Wise Man and Radar, and continues to Joymongers, Lesser-Known and Small Batch. Non-drinkers can order house-made non-alcoholic beers or Bingo Bango soda, and Incendiary Brewing is family-friendly with a large courtyard. Choose three or four stops rather than all eight, eat along the way and arrange a ride home.
Reynolda Village
The former farm buildings of the Reynolds estate now hold shops and places to eat. Village Tavern is a sit-down option, and Dough-Joe's doughnuts are a favorite treat. Combine lunch there with the house museum and the gardens.
Brewery and wine day trips
The Yadkin Valley wine region lies west of the city, and a boutique winery that combines classical music with wine, Adagio Vineyards, is featured by the tourism board. Check opening days before you go.
Breakfast and coffee
Many hotels offer breakfast, and the Arts District has independent coffee shops. Check which are open on Sundays and Mondays, since small businesses often close on one or both days.
Dietary needs
Most restaurants can handle vegetarian, gluten-free and other requests with notice, and the tourism board publishes a dining FAQ and a food and drink page to help you plan. Barbecue menus are meat-heavy, but sides are often vegetarian-friendly.
A tasting weekend
Friday: check in downtown, walk the Arts District, dinner and a couple of breweries. Saturday: breakfast, Old Salem and the bakery, barbecue for lunch, Reynolda Village doughnuts in the afternoon, and an early dinner before a ghost walk. Sunday: coffee, then a day trip.
Where to stay for food
The Kimpton Cardinal, Hotel Indigo and Hampton Inn and Suites keep the Arts District on foot, which is the most efficient way to eat and drink. The Historic Brookstown Inn is close to Old Salem's bakery.
Seasonal eating
Spring and autumn patios are the best seats in the Arts District, and breweries with courtyards, such as Incendiary, are at their best then. Summer calls for iced tea, cold lagers and a shaded table. December adds Moravian Christmas treats in Old Salem and festive menus around downtown. In winter, barbecue and a hot cup of chai at the tea shop make an easy comfort-food afternoon.
Gifts to bring home
Moravian cookies and sugar cake are the obvious souvenirs, and Piedmont Craftsmen sells handmade pottery and glass that make good gifts. Pack cookies flat and cushioned, since they are fragile, and buy sugar cake on your last day so it stays fresh.
Etiquette
Tip your servers and bartenders, carry identification for taprooms, and ask your bartender what is new. In Piedmont barbecue country, asking for sauce on the side is fine, but expect the vinegar tang to be part of the dish.
