The Love of Here | Life and Work in Northwest Georgia

What does it take to go from washing dishes at your mom's café in Dalton, Georgia to landing on The New York Times list of the 50 best restaurants in the country? Chef Josh Taylor knows. Raised in Dalton, Josh discovered his love of food early — scrubbing pots at his mother's Sweet Basil Café and later pulling shifts at West Walnut Café before chasing a music career took him from Athens to Park City, Utah, and eventually to Charleston, South Carolina. It was in Charleston that he opened Lost Isle, a fully outdoor, live-fire restaurant fusing Southern comfort with Southeast Asian flavors — and the culinary world took notice fast. In just over two years, Lost Isle earned a spot on The New York Times 50 Best Restaurants list and was named Southern Living's Restaurant of the Year. Josh sits down with us to talk about his Dalton roots, the road that led him to a career in food, and what it's really like to build a restaurant from the ground up.

Highlights

• Josh's first kitchen job was washing dishes at his mom's restaurant, the Sweet Basil Café, in downtown Dalton — he was about eight years old
• He originally left Dalton to pursue music, not culinary arts, and worked in restaurants to fund his life as a musician
• A girlfriend convinced him to enroll in culinary school in Athens, Georgia — that's when food started to get serious
• Josh put together a band in Park City, Utah, released two records (still available on Spotify), and landed his first executive chef job there at age 28
• His move to Charleston was partly about being closer to family — a quick flight to Chattanooga puts him near Dalton and Savannah
• The Thai and Asian influence in his cooking traces back to Dalton: working at a friend's dad's Chinese restaurant in high school, training in Muay Thai, and eventually traveling to Thailand for two weeks of eating
• The fan-favorite dish at Lost Isle? Collard greens with Thai-inspired flavors — they've been on the menu since day one and aren't going anywhere
• Lost Isle is entirely outdoor with all cooking done over open live fire — weather determines whether they're open, which is part of why they operate seven days a week
• The New York Times called Josh for a "fact check" — he didn't realize a critic had already dined at the restaurant months earlier
• Southern Living named Lost Isle Restaurant of the Year without Josh knowing what the call was about — he found out when a family member spotted it online
• His wife Maggie runs all of Lost Isle's social media and marketing
• Josh is opening a new bar called Sunset Cay Ship Store at a marina on Folly Beach — beach food, drinks, water views
• Dalton's food scene has grown enormously: Josh called out Cyrus as a standout he's visited on recent trips home, and the brewing and live music scene downtown
• His Dalton nostalgia includes picking vegetables on his grandparents' land, playing coffee houses, and performing at the Depot at Christmas

Chapters

• 0:00 – Sausage Balls Banter
• 0:58 – Meet Josh Taylor of Lost Isle
• 2:46 – Dalton Kitchen Roots
• 3:58 – Music First, Then Culinary
• 5:13 – Leaving Dalton for Athens
• 6:28 – Park City Band Era
• 7:42 – Back South to Charleston
• 8:20 – Thai Flavors Meet Southern
• 10:47 – Dalton Dining Boom
• 13:03 – Pop-Up Dreams and Music
• 14:13 – Building Lost Isle
• 15:47 – Weather or Not
• 16:40 – Bugs and Fire
• 17:25 – Live Fire Learning
• 18:56 – Awards Shockwave
• 21:43 – Maggie and Marketing
• 22:17 – Beach Versus Mountains
• 23:07 – Small Town Longing
• 24:44 – Folly Beach Bar Plans
• 26:32 – Dalton Memories
• 29:36 – Wrap Up and Thanks

Resources

• Lost Isle — Josh's restaurant in Charleston, SC: lostislechs.com
• Lost Isle on social media — Instagram
• The New York Times 50 Best Restaurants: nytimes.com
• Southern Living Restaurant of the Year: southernliving.com
• The Sideshow Ramblers — Josh's Park City band: Spotify
• Table 43 
• Dalton Brewing Company: daltonbrewing.com

Follow the show:

Instagram: @behere.dalton

Facebook: Here Magazine

LinkedIn: Here Local Media

Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

Comedy is the best when someone holds up a mirror to what we would normally ignore and highlight the absurdity of it. That's exactly what our guest, the enigmatic creator behind the Instagram account @carpetcapitalmemes, has been doing for years. With 11,000+ followers and memes that make locals laugh, argue, and feel seen, "Johnny Carpet" has built something genuinely special for Northwest Georgia. We sat down to find out who's behind the account, why they came back to Dalton after leaving, and what they really think about Murray County.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Johnny Carpet is a Dalton native — born at Hamilton Medical Center, went to school here, left, and eventually came back with fresh eyes and a new appreciation for the region.

• The account started as jokes in a guys' group chat that quickly got out of hand (in the best way).

• The comedy rule guiding it all: punch up, never punch down. Positivity attracts more in the long run.

• The most viral post? A meme about everyone in Northwest Georgia claiming to be "part Cherokee" — it reached close to 100,000 people and was shared by history departments.

• The Whitfield/Murray County "rivalry" goes deeper than people think — they were once the same county, with Spring Place as the county seat.

• Dalton State College was a turning point: getting involved on campus changed Johnny Carpet's trajectory and kept them from transferring to UGA.

• After a stint in Chattanooga during peak hipster era, starting a family brought them back to Dalton — and they arrived to find Bur Park and a downtown they barely recognized.

• Food highlights: pupusas, Elk Cook, Cafe Ostra's lentil soup, Garney House coffee, and Esperanza Bakery (for pastries AND piñatas).

• Final advice: "Find your people." Get involved — whether that's a civic org, Soul Running Club, the Bandy Heritage Center, or something at the Guild. If you don't get plugged in, you're gonna be miserable.

• Carpet Diem.

CHAPTERS

0:00 – Introduction & Stink Bug Incident at the Women's Leadership Council Event

1:14 – Meet the Anonymous Guest: Carpet Capital Memes

2:44 – Dalton Roots and Northwest Georgia Love

4:30 – Murray County Rivalry Lore (and Why It's Complicated)

7:24 – The Comedy Philosophy: Punch Up, Stay Positive

9:28 – Origin Story: How the Meme Account Was Born

10:45 – Viral Posts and the "Part Cherokee" Meme

13:04 – Nostalgic Dalton: Magic Carpet Kingdom and the Walnut Square Mall

15:12 – Why Come Back to Dalton?

16:06 – Dalton State College as a Turning Point

19:34 – Interns, Chattanooga Dreams, and the Main Street Poet

21:29 – The Reality of Chattanooga and What Pulled Him Home

23:14 – Coming Back to Dalton: A Fresh Set of Eyes

24:59 – Meme Page Growing Pains and the DMs

26:12 – Keeping the Humor Positive (and Deleting the Ones That Don't Land)

29:49 – Favorite Dalton Food: Pupusas, Elk Cook, Cafe Ostra & More

32:42 – Bakery Finds, Piñatas, and Dalton Bite Club

34:11 – The Carpet Sample Gift & Closing Thoughts

36:11 – Final Advice: Find Your People. Carpet Diem.

RESOURCES & MENTIONS

• Carpet Capital Memes on Instagram: @carpetcapitalmemes

• United Way – Women's Leadership Council / Power of the Purse Event: https://www.ourunitedway.org/

• Hamilton Medical Center: hamiltonhealth.com

• Dalton State College: daltonstate.edu

• Burr Park – Downtown Dalton: https://visitdaltonga.com/venue/burr-performance-park/

• Red Eye Rooster (Chatsworth/Murray County)

• The Shaky Mutt Hot Dogs (Murray County)

• Cafe Ostro

• Garmony House Coffee

• La Esperanza Bakery

• Dalton Bite Club on Instagram

• The Spinning Room

• Soal Running Club: Episode 4

• CFC (Chattanooga FC): chattanoogafc.com 

Follow the show:

Instagram: @behere.dalton

Facebook: Here Magazine

LinkedIn: Here Local Media

Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

What if the thing that changed your life started with a stranger posting their run on Instagram? That's exactly how Soal Running Club came to be — and now it's changing the culture of wellness in Dalton, one Saturday morning at a time. We sat down with founders Geovanni (Geo) Villa and Jorge (Jorgey) Hurtado to talk about how two childhood soccer rivals reconnected through running, why they opened the club to everyone regardless of pace, and what makes Dalton feel like home even after you leave.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Geo and Jorgey met as kids playing for the East Ridge Express, a travel soccer team out of Chattanooga, and later became rivals at Northwest and Southeast high schools.
• A college ankle injury ended Geo's soccer career but ultimately pushed him toward running — and eventually, reconnecting with Jorgey.
• The Bill Gregory race was Jorgey's first eye-opener to competitive running — he thought his soccer fitness would carry him and learned quickly that running is its own beast.
• Soal started in 2023 with just a handful of friends and a group chat; by mid-2025 they were regularly drawing 25–35 runners on Saturday mornings.
• The club runs Wednesdays at Dalton High School (track night, 6 PM) and Saturdays at rotating local coffee shops including LoFi, Highland Bake Shop, Casa de Café, and Common Ground.
• Beginners are not just welcome — they're the whole point. Soal runs in "laps," with a 3-mile option designed to make showing up feel possible.
• Training in summer heat is actually a secret weapon: when race season hits in the fall, your body is already built for endurance.
• Rocky Face Ridge is Jorgey's favorite trail; the Dalton State (Raisin Woods) trails are a humbling hill workout; Hag Mill is a community staple.
• Local businesses have been key sponsors, and Soal literally wears that support — they call themselves "a running billboard" for Dalton.
• One club member is heading to San Francisco to run his first marathon. Geo and Jorgey are just getting started.

CHAPTERS

• 2:08 – Soccer Roots Reunite
• 4:30 – High School Rivalries
• 8:51 – From Soccer to Running
• 13:06 – Finding the Running Hook
• 14:25 – Beginner Friendly Mission
• 17:34 – Weekly Runs and Coffee
• 20:23 – Club Growth and Training
• 23:54 – Races and Big Wins
• 27:22 – Why Dalton Feels Home
• 28:50 – College Drives Home
• 29:56 – Dalton Pulls You Back
• 30:28 – Creating Local Positivity
• 31:39 – Dalton Food Favorites
• 33:17 – Downtown Growth Vibes
• 34:42 – How to Join SOAL
• 35:11 – Support and Celebration
• 36:51 – Upcoming Races Calendar
• 38:22 – Beginner Running Tips
• 41:02 – Best Local Trails
• 45:10 – Wildlife and Trail Resources
• 46:57 – Local Sponsors Shoutout
• 48:41 – Final Thanks and Wrap

RESOURCES

• SOAL Running Club on Instagram: @soalrunningclub
• SOAL Running Club on Facebook: Soal Running Club
• SOAL Running Club website:https://runsignup.com/MemberOrg/SoalRunningClub
• Believe Greater Dalton – Discover Dalton Hike & Bike Pass: believegreaterdalton.org

Follow the show:

Instagram: @behere.dalton

Facebook: Here Magazine

LinkedIn: Here Local Media

Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

What does it actually look like to travel the world for work — and still choose northwest Georgia as home?

Ashlea Snell of Snell Photography has photographed weddings and commercial shoots across Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, and beyond — with her work featured in People, Gardening Gun, and the New York Times. But when it came time to plant roots, she and her husband Tyler chose Dalton, Georgia. In this conversation, Ashlea opens up about building a business from a tax refund and a borrowed camera, the moment Tyler almost lost a $5,000 drone over the ocean in Maui, and why she believes the community you're looking for might just be waiting for you to reach out first. She also shares her heart for kids in foster care and how anyone — not just foster parents — can make a difference in Whitfield County.

Highlights

• Ashlea was one of the earliest supporters of the Dalton magazine, and her photography has been central to its vision from the start
• She and Tyler built their photography business from a single tax refund during their senior year of college — and booked 32 weddings in their first year
• The Snells moved to the Dalton area six years ago during COVID, drawn by proximity to family, Atlanta's airport, and nonstop international flights
• They renovated a home in Dalton's historic district — essentially taking it down to the studs
• Ashlea has volunteered as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for Whitfield County for three years, advocating for children in foster care
• There are currently over 150 kids in foster care in Whitfield County — and there are many ways to help beyond becoming a foster parent
• Ashlea's kids are already budding entrepreneurs: one is investing in stocks, another sold homemade hand sanitizer to classmates, and they're eyeing a table at the local farmer's market
• The Let Them theory by Mel Robbins reframed how Ashley thinks about building community — don't wait, just reach out
• Ashlea's favorite local spots include Native Kitchen, El Maguey, and Table 43
• The Snells attend church in Chattanooga but say leaving Dalton is hard to imagine — the community they've built keeps them rooted

Chapters

• 0:00 — Meet Ashlea Snell
• 1:29 — How We Connected
• 2:33 — Moving to Dalton
• 4:00 — Downtown Home Life
• 5:46 — Hawaii Drone Drama
• 9:05 — Dalton Magazine Vision
• 9:49 — Starting the Photography Business
• 13:41 — Favorite Destinations
• 15:40 — Why Dalton Feels Like Home
• 16:59 — Dalton Food Favorites
• 18:44 — Old Text Tease
• 19:05 — Brand Photos Memories
• 20:04 — Art and Community Investment
• 20:15 — CASA Foster Care Advocacy
• 23:24 — Wild Photo Shoot Story
• 25:20 — Favorite Local Finds
• 25:48 — Farmers Markets and Gardening
• 26:39 — Kids Entrepreneurship Lessons
• 29:03 — Staying in Dalton
• 29:51 — Community Building Mindset
• 32:07 — Closing Plugs and Local Love

Resources

• Snell Photography — Follow on Instagram at @thesnells_
• Native Kitchen — Ashlea's go-to local coffee and dining spot in Dalton
• El Maguey — Local Dalton restaurant recommended by Ashlea
• Table 43 — Dalton restaurant; Ashley's recent first visit was a hit
• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins — Book Ashlea referenced on building community; available here
• Dalton Farmer's Market — Mentioned as a local favorite
• Ringgold Farmer's Market (Rabbit Valley) — A nearby market the Snell family also visits

Follow the show:

Instagram: @behere.dalton

Facebook: Here Magazine

LinkedIn: Here Local Media

Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

What does it look like when you hike 2,000 miles, fall in love, move across the country, and somehow end up exactly where you were meant to be? Amanda Michaels-Brown and Chris Brown didn't plan to plant roots in Dalton, Georgia — but Dalton had other plans. From a chance college connection to a tragedy that revealed the power of community, their story is a reminder that the place you come home to shapes you in ways you never expect. Amanda leads the Creative Arts Guild, one of Georgia's oldest multidisciplinary arts nonprofits, and Chris founded Dalton Brewing Company with friends while working as a lawyer at Geiger Legal. Together, they've become two of the most invested voices in Dalton's revitalization.

Highlights

• Amanda and Chris were born in the same hospital in Syracuse, New York — but didn't meet until their first semester at the University of the South (Sewanee), connected through a mutual friend from Dalton
• The two hiked the entire Appalachian Trail together after college before deciding to build a life together
• Amanda grew up immersed in the arts in Dalton, ultimately majoring in theater after a pivotal senior-year audition for The King and I
• After law school in Denver, Chris commuted between Dalton and Colorado for years — eventually choosing to fully plant roots in Dalton
• The loss of Amanda's father brought her back to Dalton and showed both of them what true community looks like: neighbors who showed up, cooked meals, and didn't leave for nearly two weeks
• Amanda was hired at the Creative Arts Guild almost by accident — a visit to see a friend turned into a job offer and eventually the Executive Director position
• The Creative Arts Guild was founded in 1963 and is one of the first multidisciplinary arts nonprofits in the state of Georgia
• Chris and partners launched Dalton Brewing Company in 2018 on his 35th birthday, inspired by Denver's neighborhood brewery culture
• Both see the brewery and the Guild as "third places" — community gathering spaces that go far beyond their primary functions
• Their best advice for newcomers: show up, get involved, and don't be fooled into thinking there's nothing to do here

Chapters

• 0:00 — Welcome Back
• 0:28 — Meet Amanda and Chris
• 1:33 — Amanda's Roots in Dalton
• 3:55 — College Connection
• 4:47 — First Impressions of Dalton
• 5:25 — Arts Path and the Guild
• 9:08 — Denver Move and Proposal
• 10:00 — Life in Denver Changes
• 11:58 — Loss and Community Support
• 14:05 — Guild Director Opportunity
• 16:44 — Returning to Revitalize Dalton
• 17:49 — Dreaming Up the Brewery
• 18:53 — Community Party Vibes
• 19:13 — Brewery as Third Place
• 19:50 — Family-Friendly Pushback
• 20:37 — Guild During the Recession
• 21:50 — Building Dalton's Live Music Scene
• 23:38 — The Guild as Extended Family
• 24:58 — Staying or Leaving Dalton
• 27:06 — Advice for Newcomers
• 29:32 — So Much to Do Here
• 32:27 — Favorite Dalton Moments
• 34:06 — Dalton Stories and Laughs
• 36:13 — Wrap Up and Plugs

Resources Mentioned

• Creative Arts Guild — Dalton's multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization, founded in 1963
• Dalton Brewing Company — Craft brewery and community gathering space in downtown Dalton
• Geiger Legal — Law firm where Chris Brown practices
• University of the South (Sewanee) — Where Amanda and Chris met as freshmen

Follow the show:

Instagram: @behere.dalton

Facebook: Here Magazine

LinkedIn: Here Local Media

Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!

What does it take to fall in love with the place you live? And then actually stay? In our first episode of the Love of Here podcast, hosts Lauren Sneary and Erika Mosteller sit down together to share their own Dalton stories. One grew up here and swore she'd leave. The other moved here reluctantly and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Together, they explore why Northwest Georgia deserves a better story — and why they're committed to telling it.

Highlights

• Lauren and Erika introduce themselves and share why they launched a podcast to tell the untold good-news stories of Dalton and Northwest Georgia
• Erika reflects on how she adopted the "nothing to do here" narrative when she moved to Dalton — and how that story simply isn't true
• Lauren admits she was fully committed to leaving Dalton after college and recounts the summers bartending at the Dalton Depot that kept pulling her back
• Both hosts get real about Dalton's imperfections — from economic disparity to cultural divides — while making the case that the momentum is real and worth celebrating
• Erika shares practical advice for newcomers: find your third space, plug into groups like Believe Greater Dalton, and show up where people are gathering
• The conversation gets into entrepreneurship in Dalton, including why the "shop local" mentality makes it a great place to start a business
• Lauren gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Here magazine dining guide — more than 100 locally owned and managed restaurants in one place
• The hosts gush over the food scene transformation, name-drop some favorites, and debate which cocktail is "basic"
• Erika makes her case for the mountains as Dalton's most underrated feature
• A preview of what's coming next: more guest stories, more community voices, and an open invitation for listeners to reach out

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome & Introductions

0:41 — Meet Erika and Lauren

2:03 — Why These Stories Matter

3:39 — Erika's Move to Dalton

4:46 — Changing the Dalton Narrative

5:40 — Lauren's Hometown Perspective

8:18 — Staying and Building a Life

10:06 — Dalton's Challenges and Momentum

10:57 — Getting Connected as a Newcomer

13:25 — Entrepreneurship in Dalton

16:13 — Have You Ever Wanted to Leave?

17:34 — Why We Stayed

17:38 — Dalton Opportunities

18:38 — Craziest Story Setup

19:04 — Food Scene Glow Up

20:34 — Cocktails and Nightlife

21:25 — Local Dining Guide

22:47 — Favorite Thing: The People

24:20 — Trading Local Culture

25:35 — Mountains and the Outdoors

26:59 — Touch Grass Reset

27:42 — Next Guests and Stories

28:44 — Where to Find Us

Resources Mentioned

• Here Local Media — herelocalmedia.com
• Here Magazine — Available in print around town and as a digital issue online; subscribe at herelocalmedia.com
• Here Local Dining Guide — 100+ locally owned and managed restaurants in Dalton; available online at herelocalmedia.com
• Believe Greater Dalton — believegreaterdalton.com — Community organization with a resource directory of local groups and organizations to plug into
• Dalton Brewing Company — Local gathering spot and third space
• The Mill — Local venue with live music and events (Syno mentioned)
• United Way of Northwest Georgia — https://www.ourunitedway.org/ — Volunteer opportunities in the Dalton community
• Hag Mill Lake Park — Local outdoor recreation spot (4-mile loop around a lake)
• The Gallon Goat — Local bar with outdoor seating
• The Carpentry — Rooftop bar with outdoor igloo seating
• Maricó Camarón — Local restaurant featuring a unique take on Mexican cuisine
• Highline Bake Shop — Local bakery
• Small Batch — Local bakery (sourdough)
• The Dalton Depot — Historic local venue (referenced nostalgically)

Follow the show:

Instagram: @behere.dalton

Facebook: Here Magazine

LinkedIn: Here Local Media

Thanks for listening! Be sure to support the show by subscribing on your podcast player and leave us a review!