At FIG (an acronym for "Food Is Good"), chef Mike Lata invites us to sit for a special tasting. Mike, like so many Charleston chefs, combines down-home food with innovative culinary traditions. Today he ladles a creamy butternut squash soup made from vegetables grown on a Wadmalaw Island farm. As we share this simple dish together, we toast the flavors of the Lowcountry.

Info: Holiday Culinary Walking Tour; (843) 723-3366, toll-free 1-877-728-2783, or www.carolinafoodpros.com. $35 per person. 9:30 a.m.-noon November 26; December 3, 10, and 17.

left: One possible stop on a culinary tour includes FIG, where chef Mike Lata shows off dishes from his menu.