Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q is much more than a beloved family business. It’s a restaurant that honors a storied Southern culinary tradition of food and fire. Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q also is a fixture in the greater Birmingham area and even beyond—bringing diverse crowds of diners from here at home, and all over the country, to Bessemer … Continue reading Iconic Alabama Barbecue with a Side of History
Kelsey Barnard Clark is a small-town girl at heart, but she’s also a big-city chef who has made a national name for herself. After winning Top Chef in 2019 and a subsequent splashy feature in Food & Wine magazine, people now come from all over the country to eat at her KBC restaurant in historic downtown Dothan. I recently … Continue reading Small Town, National Audience
My trips to New Orleans always follow a few familiar patterns—habits we’ve formed over decades of visiting this beloved city. On the way there, we stop in East New Orleans for banh mi sandwiches at Dong Phuong Bakery, a James Beard Award-winning Vietnamese restaurant and bakery. This NOLA East institution has been around since 1982 and … Continue reading A quick but meaningful and memorable trip to The Big Easy
For more than half a century, Jefferson Country Store has offered grocery staples and a place to gather for the tiny community of Jefferson in Marengo County. Today, the store serves a much larger population – with people coming from miles away, and even other states, to enjoy a burger or some homemade pimento cheese or to … Continue reading Country Store 2.0
The Duchess, Birmingham’s most whimsical and charmingly over-the-top food truck, was a vehicle (literally) for bigger things. The perfect ambassador for lots of tasty British dishes, the popularity of The Duchess and Little London Kitchen led directly to the creation of a neighborhood pub—unlike any other in town—that aims to be a catalyst for meaningful … Continue reading British Pub Food Finds a Permanent Home in Birmingham
The tamarind-glazed duck tacos, alone, might be enough to make S•À Cantina a destination restaurant. But there’s more to love at this new eatery in the middle of Gadsden’s beautifully revitalized downtown. Enough to already draw diners from Huntsville, Birmingham and Atlanta, from North and South Carolina, too. Owner Aaron Disouryavong opened S•À Cantina on September 24, and … Continue reading Destination Dining in Downtown Gadsden
There’s a cool, sweet spot on the global culinary crossroads that is Green Springs Highway. But there’s much more than homemade ice cream and other frozen sweet treats at La Nueva Michoacana. I recently visited La Nueva Michoacana for Alabama NewsCenter. You can read the entire story here and see a cool video. There’s ice … Continue reading La Nueva Michoacana: One More Reason to Love Green Springs Highway
In early June, after vaccinations and a year of no traveling, my husband, Rick, and I hit the road and headed out West to visit the five big national parks in Utah—Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion. We also found some state park gems like Dead Horse Point near Moab and Snow Canyon … Continue reading An Epic Road Trip in the American West
You might have an ahnvee and not even know it. Ahnvee is Cajun slang for “hunger,” as in: “I’ve got an ahnvee for some good gumbo.” Uncle Mick’s Cajun Market & Café in Prattville can satisfy that hunger. In fact, the restaurant’s chicken and sausage gumbo is one of the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama. And it really is … Continue reading Cajun Flavors in the Fountain City
I just got a text from my friend George Sarris who owns The Fish Market Restaurant on Birmingham's Southside. George's restaurant has a special place in my heart. When our kids were young, Rick and I had a weekly date night there. That was at the old place--the one that looked like a big styrofoam … Continue reading Save the Restaurants We Love
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