New Orleans among South's top cities, Southern Living says

How they did it: The rankings came together thanks to a survey last summer of more than 20,000 Southern Living readers.

• The readers ranked Charleston, South Carolina, as the No. 1 southern city, followed by Savannah, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Zoom out: The ranking was for the magazine's annual South's Best coverage, which examines the cream of the crop across the region.

• The magazine also nodded to Lake Charles and Covington as "Cities on the Rise."
• In food, Southern Living declared Dooky Chase's gumbo and The Joint's barbecue as the state's best. The magazine also said Miss Shirley's is the best new restaurant in Louisiana.