The newest dish at Helen, the lauded Southern grill in downtown Birmingham, embodies chef-owner Rob McDaniel’s dedication to serving the best seasonal ingredients he can find, sourced as locally as possible. It utilizes grits and eggs from Wilsonville, foraged mushrooms from a Birmingham purveyor, artisanal country ham from Tennessee, and redeye gravy made with Non-Fiction coffee […]

Strike up the oompah band and break out the lederhosen. It’s time to tap into the world’s best beer party, Oktoberfest. Originating in Munich, the two-week celebration has become one of Germany’s greatest exports, celebrated worldwide in festivals filled with beer and sausages. The funny thing is, very little of Oktoberfest is observed in the […]

Tailgating is as beloved as barbecue in the South, which is why the two make perfect companions any time fans throughout the Yellowhammer State warm-up for college football home games. But while many tailgaters set up their own smokers, grills, and griddles to cook the ritual pregame meal (or two), some fans are content to […]

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams recently announced its summer collection of flavors including Snow Cone Sorbet and Burnt Orange Dreamsicle. Available in pints at Jeni’s scoop shop in Birmingham and online, they are billed as a “delicious take on the classic Americana summer.” Beloved by adults and children alike, ice cream has been an all-American summertime […]

A four-day celebration of Birmingham’s rich history of cuisine and culture returns this fall with some of the city’s top chefs and cooks, from food icon Frank Stitt to the Greek restaurateurs who had fed the city throughout its history. Early-bird tickets go on sale July 10 for the second annual FOOD+Culture Festival, highlighting the […]

Two things signal the unofficial start of summer in Alabama, the arrival of hot sticky days and the appearance of the first Chilton County peaches of Alabama’s peach season. Promises of a good 2024 peach crop—much better than last year’s disastrous harvest—are proving true as the first varieties of the sweet and juicy fruit hit […]

Wil Drake knows hamburgers top to bottom. Not only are burgers the most popular savory on the menu of his multistate business, Hero Doughnuts and Buns, the Homewood resident also is a former butcher. If there’s anyone you want to turn to for advice on throwing a burger bash on Memorial Day weekend (or any other […]

The mom who nourished and nurtured you deserves something extra special on Mother’s Day. Thank her by treating her to an upscale brunch on May 12. Whether it’s Gulf seafood, made-to-order omelets and crepes, or special sweets mom will find her favorite foods at one of these premium Mother’s Day brunch events around Alabama. But […]

Springtime is prime time for festivals celebrating Alabama food and drink. Whether it’s Middle Eastern food, Southern barbecue, or good old gumbo, you won’t leave hungry. There are gatherings to enjoy chocolate, grits, wings, tacos, and even poke salat. Quench your thirst with margaritas, beer, wine, and mimosas. You’ll find something to tickle your tastebuds […]

If red is the color of Valentine’s Day, chocolate is its flavor. Chocolate is the gift of choice that symbolizes love on the day dedicated to lovers. In the United States alone, people spend more than $2.5 billion on chocolates on or before Feb. 14, industry analysts say. That includes more than 38 million heart-shaped […]

Newcomers join some familiar names on the list of Alabama-based semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards, considered the nation’s most prestigious accolades for chefs, restaurants, beverage programs, and even food journalists. Announced last Wednesday, the Alabama nominees include a six-time Beard semifinalist facing off with a “Top Chef” winner, a lauded chef from Mobile, […]

Alabama craft distilleries, like their microbrewery cousins, are sprouting up across the state. In addition to John Emerald Distilling, which became the first legal whiskey-maker since Prohibition when it barreled its inaugural batch in 2013, seven other distilleries are now open with at least one more in the works. The raw material that these artisans […]

One of the many great things about living, cooking, and dining in Alabama is you can eat seasonally and there’s always something tasty growing nearby. The South – and lauded Alabama chefs like Frank Stitt, Chris Hastings, Adam Evans, David Bancroft, and Brody Olive – have taught the rest of the country plenty of lessons […]

Do you have a beer nut on your shopping list? Are you down to the wire getting presents? Craft breweries across Alabama have you covered. More than four dozen microbreweries and brew pubs dot the state, allowing plenty of opportunities to both support a local business and give an unusual but personal gift. Some beer-makers, […]

Alabamians know a good burger when they taste one. From state-based chains like Milo’s and Jack’s to its diners and dives — even its temples of gastronomy — the magical combination of beef patty, bun, cheese and condiments is a Yellowhammer delight. The best burgers are hand-patted and cooked to order. Many are ground in-house, with flavor boosters […]

We’re entering prime time to enjoy freshly-shucked Alabama oysters on the half shell. Although local oysters are in season year-round, they reach their peak in flavor and size when the water is cooler, from October through winter. “This time of year, I notice the oysters are more plump, firm, and creamy,” Anthony Ricciardone, co-owner of […]

As the James Beard Award-winning chef/owner of Automatic Seafood and Oysters restaurant, Adam Evans is fussy about the quality of the fish he serves, down to ensuring his suppliers use sustainable methods to harvest the raw materials he turns into appetizers and entrees. But the chef is equally fussy about the potatoes he purees to accompany the […]

The pieces have been coming together for Auburn’s food scene over the last dozen years, as visionary chefs put down deep roots and the talent pool widens from the university’s brand-new culinary and hospitality education and training center. Chef-driven restaurants Acre (2013), The Depot (2015), and Lucy’s (2018) have earned national and regional attention for […]

Tuscaloosa is branded as the town where legends are made. And, especially to Crimson Tide football fans of a certain age, few figures are more fabled than Paul William “Bear” Bryant. Born during football season (Sept. 11, 1913), he played end for the University of Alabama, including on the 1934 national championship team. He was […]

Late-summer celebrations of food and drink in Alabama showcase beer, wine, barbecue, seafood, steaks, and sweet potatoes. It’s the start of a busy festival season across the state and here are gastronomic gatherings set for September. (Crush Wine and Food Festival/Facebook) St. William Seafood Festival (Sept. 1-2) Guntersville The Labor Day tradition, a fundraiser for […]

Every year, at the point in late fall when the weather was transitioning from warm to winter, young Brad Wright’s grandfather would dispatch one of the pigs he raised on his farm in Autauga County. Brad loved watching Big Daddy – as his grandfather, A.C. Gilliland, was called – breaking it down into cuts that […]

In greater Huntsville, a mere week is not enough to celebrate all that the city’s culinary scene has going on. That’s why city promoters now set aside the entire month of August for exploring the flavors and diversity of its restaurants, dessert shops, breweries, and bars. The month’s main course is Huntsville Restaurant Week, actually […]

Alabama students can “adopt” a calf from a dairy in Pickens County and spend the upcoming school year learning about how cattle are raised on the small family farm, how milk is produced, and even how the business runs. Adopt a Cow pairs classrooms with farms, providing students with insight into where foods like milk, […]

Agua fresca may be the ultimate summertime drink. Made mostly with fruit, it takes full advantage of Alabama’s bounty of berries, stone fruit, and melons. Fully refreshing, it has a fraction of the sugar found in soft drinks and sweet tea. Agua fresca translates as “fresh water.” The drink originated in Mexico but variations are […]