Our state’s James Beard Foundation semifinalists should be enjoying a boost to business, but this is not business as usual. When the James Beard Foundation announces its highly anticipated best-of semifinalists, our state usually has plenty of nominees. This year started out no differently with restaurants from across our state named semifinalists in a number … Continue reading National Attention, Local Efforts
Social distancing has changed our food-centric state in ways we never imagined. Curbside service has become the new normal for many eateries. Others are relying heavily upon delivery services. Still others are altering their business models in more significant ways. While lives depend upon safe interactions, livelihoods depend upon businesses remaining in business. I wrote … Continue reading Curbside Service has Become the New Normal
When Anthony “T-Bone” Crawford was just a kid, he dreamed of having a cheesesteak restaurant. He drew pictures of what his place would look like – with lots of happy customers and a mailbox out front. Today, the Philadelphia native, who was raised in Oakland, California, owns and operates T-Bone’s, a cheesesteak shop in Birmingham’s Five … Continue reading T-Bone’s Brings Some Philly to Birmingham’s Southside
There’s a lot going on at Miami Fusion Café, and the food is only part of it. The restaurant does a brisk lunch business with the nearby city center office crowds; it draws diners downtown for dinner on Fridays and caters special events. El Conquistador, the Miami Fusion food truck, takes flavorful dishes, salsa music … Continue reading Birmingham’s Miami Fusion Cafe is Nourishing Body and Soul
Some of Birmingham’s best Chinese food is at the Shell gas station on Highland Avenue. The one next to Bottega. But this is not just any Chinese food. It’s Chinese-Indian fusion that combines cultures and flavors in exciting, delicious ways we haven’t seen here before. After eating there several times, I wrote a story on … Continue reading Little India: deliciously different and convenient, too
Andrea Snyder is all about healthy, convenient and local dining – whether that’s a full, family meal; an easy, nutritious breakfast; a cup of coffee with a friend; or a quick, vitamin-rich juice shot on the way to a gym. The Birmingham entrepreneur has all that covered. Snyder and her husband, David, first brought us … Continue reading Farm Bowl + Juice Co. is Convenient, Flavorful and #Fresh
Invariably, whenever someone mentions Back Forty Beer Company at the Sloss Docks in Birmingham the talk turns to food. That’s because an award-winning chef with a fine-dining background helms this open kitchen (next to the open brewing production) and is turning out dishes that are delicious and inventive, seasonal and locally sourced and perhaps more … Continue reading Back Forty Beer Company Birmingham: Where the Food is as Popular as the Beer
The Rattlesnake Saloon, in a cavern under an enormous rock bluff in north Alabama, has been called one of the most unusual restaurants in the United States. The Duke Burger at this cave café is on the list of “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.” If you haven’t yet been there and … Continue reading One Cavernous Dining Room
Johnny’s restaurant in Homewood is more than a meat-and-three. It’s more than a Greek-and-three, too. It is, in fact, one of the best places in the entire country to get this type of homegrown cuisine, and chef-owner Timothy Hontzas has three consecutive James Beard Foundation nominations to back that up. The restaurant specializes in local … Continue reading Johnny’s Greek-and-Three and Much More
Carey Thommason of Dinner. in Crestline Village did the chef demo today at The Market at Pepper Place. Carey made Lady Pea Hummus, which I missed tasting because I was sweating next door at Ignite Cycle. However, I know Carey's food is great, and I couldn't resist making a batch for my family's Sunday dinner. I … Continue reading Lady Pea Hummus by Dinner.
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