These Top 10 US Cities For Chefs Include Many Surprises

One might associate New York City, Miami and San Francisco as top U.S. destination cities for chefs. But according to Rent.com, this isn't the case, as none of the top cities associated with a world-class restaurant culture made its list of best cities for chefs in America.

10. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Grand Rapids offers creative chefs access to fish and seafood from the Great Lakes and fresh produce from local farms.

9. Sante Fe, New Mexico: New Mexico is known for its Native and Hispanic cuisines along with strong demand for global dishes, especially Indian and Italian.

8. Napa, California: It is only natural for one of the world's top wine destinations to cater to foodies. Chefs are known for pairing Italian, French and New American cuisine with local wines.

7. Conroe, Texas: Specialty barbecue and Mexican cuisine puts the little-known town of Conroe, Texas, (population 91,000) on the map of best cities for chefs.

6. Cincinnati, Ohio: Cincinnati's regional cuisine deserves more attention outside of Ohio. Some of the more iconic regional favorites include Cincinnati chili, Reuben sandwiches, burgers and ribs.

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5. Asheville, North Carolina: Described as a scenic mountain hideaway city, Asheville offers a food scene that matches its views. Best known for southern fare and craft brews, Asheville boasts one of the largest independent restaurant scenes with 35 non-chain restaurants per 10,000 residents.

4. Pensacola, Florida: Fresh seafood dominates the top-ranked food city in Florida and one of the best the U.S. has to offer.

3. West Des Moines, Iowa: Iowa is the largest US producer of eggs, corn and pork. Talented chefs flock to West Des Moines to take advantage of a population that craves meat-heavy cuisines.

2. Marietta, Georgia: Not far removed from Atlanta, Marietta is a food scene hiding in plain sight. The city's diverse appetite means foodies have their choice of southern food, farm-to-table classic American, traditional Latin American and much more.

1. Greenville, South Carolina: Taking top spot in Rent.com's ranking of top cities for chefs is Greenville, South Carolina.

The publication notes: "This up-and-coming foodie haven has everything from top-tier southern comfort food to sophisticated fine dining. Chefs can have fun with flavor at casual neighborhood spots, or get creative with elegant plating at high-end restaurants. And while grocery cost is second only to Marietta on this list, the local population is extremely supportive of their dining scene. There are 59 non-chain restaurants per 10,000 residents, so it's plain to see that the inhabitants of Greenville love dining out and eating well. Here, chefs are sure to find a supportive and loving audience for whatever they want to cook."

Photo by yvonne lee harijanto on Unsplash.