The year was 2005. The place was Charleston, South Carolina. The temperature was pushing 80 and I was hot, sweaty, in a rush, and--worst of all--insanely hungry. I needed something to eat. I needed something delicious to eat. I needed something delicious to eat fast. Tall order? Well, it could have been. Until I remembered that a place called Ted's Butcherblock had just opened on the street I was driving down. I pulled over. I parked. I ordered. I swooned.

When I discovered two years later that Ted's had been nominated as one of our Local Secrets, Big Finds in the great state of South Carolina, I was hardly surprised. The place is a foodie's dream, with huge deli-style sandwiches (chicken, pancetta, and avocado? What is this, heaven?), to-die-for gourmet sides, an excellent wine selection, and walls and walls of fancy treats that gastronomes may well have a fainting fit over. (Well, I know I did. What can I say? Cheese has that effect on me.) Every month, the eponymous Ted chooses a region--June, for example, is the Caribbean--and offers featured dishes inspired by its culinary traditions. And as you'd expect from a place named Ted's Butcherblock, the piece de resistance is a full-scale, old-school butcher counter boasting an impressive array of all-natural beef, pork, lamb, veal, poultry game, smoked sausages, salami, bacon, and cold cuts. You don't have to be a carnivore to love Ted's, but it helps.

Of course, there are plenty of other epicurean Edens in our 2007 Local Secrets, Big Finds round-up, so don't feel you have to book your ticket to Charleston just yet (although if you do, make sure you also check out Jack's Cosmic Dogs in Mount Pleasant, another of our readers' picks.) There's the Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, Rhode Island, Tryst in Washington, D.C., and Tartine in San Francisco, all guaranteed to inspire a hearty "mmmmmmm." And next time you're hungry, here's some homework: check out the other popular picks on the Local Secrets, Big Finds list and see what you can discover in your neck of the woods. And don't forget to report back!