Red or white? Well, that’s up to you. But there’s no question that Red or White, the gourmet wine shop and wine bar, should be your go-to place if you like vino and delicious food. You have choices with Red or White. There are four locations around our state, and the concept is attracting national attention. […]

If you build it, turns out, people will come. It happened in Opp when local resident Merrill Culverhouse decided his hometown needed a nice place to eat. So, he teamed up with chef Jon Gibson (a friend since childhood) and together, they built Wheelhouse. Today, the restaurant is thriving and, just as importantly, providing jobs […]

Watching Chad Slade make kolaches is surreal. The man is big – a former offensive lineman for Auburn, he also played for eight years in the NFL – so seeing his huge hands gently fill and shape the little pastries is riveting. But the owner of American Kolache in Vestavia knows how to whip up some baked goods, and he […]

Kristian Denis created her own domain, and she has downtown Huntsville covered. This restaurant owner grew a tiny wine shop (400 square feet in a former lumberyard switching house building) into two different dining destinations. The complementary restaurant concepts, just a stone’s throw from each other near the Madison County Courthouse, offer French-inspired fine dining; […]

Sol y Luna did it first. This restaurant, when it originally opened in 1998, introduced Birmingham to an elevated version of Mexican cuisine. Beautifully plated, delicious, imaginative dishes were served alongside premium tequilas meant to be sipped and savored in a sophisticated space that celebrated an ancient culture and encouraged a true dining experience. This same […]

Kristal Bryant’s sweet success is absolutely made from scratch. The chef-owner of K&J’s Elegant Pastries & Creamery, a custom cake shop in downtown Birmingham that specializes in cakes for all occasions, including weddings, started her business in 2010 in her home kitchen making sweets for friends and family. She outgrew that space and opened a shop […]

The very idea of gas-station sushi is so incongruous that it was lampooned in a memorable Esurance commercial. The ad was funny. Zhu Jianjun thinks so, too. And he talks about it, and laughs about it, even as he proudly serves colorful rainbow rolls and beautiful salmon nigiri to customers – familiar and frequently new – in his […]

D’Road Café is a kind of crossroads of international flavor in downtown Montgomery. It’s billed as a Latin (and mainly Venezuelan) restaurant, but owner Janett Malpartida pays no mind to borders. South American cuisine is just the beginning of what she can do. “I believe that food is happiness, and I want to share that with […]

Chef Sedesh Boodram is from Trinidad and Tobago. He trained in France and has worked with some of the most celebrated chefs in the world. And he’s decided that Birmingham is home. For his first solo concept, The Anvil Pub & Grill in Hoover’s Village at Lee Branch, Boodram drew from his life experiences and love of […]

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 the metro area, and all over the country, to […]

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. There, they find […]

From mission to menu, Taproot Café in Hoover intends to make a difference in its community. That’s because everything here – from the wholesome foods to the friendly staff to the bright, comfortable setting to the people supplying local, fresh ingredients – is part of a larger intention. The café serves sandwiches, salads, toasts, soups and smoothies, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Joy Smith made a name for herself with her creamy cheesecakes, but her new café offers plenty of savory treats, too. Smith is the chef-owner of Sorelle Café, tucked into Homewood’s close-knit Edgewood neighborhood. She opened her café in August, and the cozy and comfortable storefront on Broadway (where Lag’s Eatery used to be) is a […]

Famous chefs, food writers, cookbook authors and others from across the country are gathering with some of Birmingham’s own nationally known, yet homegrown, culinary talent for a lively, informative and delicious weekend. And you’re invited, too. The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is holding its annual conference Oct. 22-24 at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Pepper Place Entertainment […]

There’s a cool, sweet spot on the global culinary crossroads that is the Green Springs Highway, which ties together portions of Birmingham and Homewood. But there’s much more than homemade ice cream and other frozen sweet treats at La Nueva Michoacana. There’s ice cream, of course. Lots of it – scooped into cups, waffle cones, waffle […]

Chef Scott Simpson, who brings a global approach to dishes at The Depot in Auburn, will represent Alabama at the 17th Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off. The winner will hold the title of King or Queen of American Seafood. The competition is set for Saturday, Aug. 7, in New Orleans. Simpson is ready. “I’m really competitive by nature, whether it’s […]

Food brings people together, no question about that. And creating a gathering place for conversation and fellowship, as well as good food, was one of the reasons behind Hubbard’s Off Main in historic downtown Oxford. That’s because the restaurant’s owner, Charlotte Hubbard, is one of her city’s most steadfast champions. Hubbard has been on Oxford’s City Council since 2012, […]

Bizarre: The Coffee Bar is a coffee bar by day and a bar bar at night, but this unusual place also is an all-day incubator for several minority-owned local businesses. The café, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (most nights), has become a hub in Birmingham’s Black business community, offering space for multiple vendors to attract […]

Sage Juice Bar & Speakeasy in downtown Tuscaloosa is a lot of things to a lot of people. That’s because the offerings and the ambiance change from hour to hour – all day, every day. The place starts early each morning as a juice bar and transitions to a bar bar at night. It seems seamless; it’s certainly […]

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. It really is that good, with […]

For Ryan Zargo, the chef-owner of Farmhouse of Springville, the idea of local is serious business. It’s personal, too. That’s exactly why he opened his fresh, new restaurant near where he lives. “I’m local,” he says. “I grew up in Trussville; I live in Odenville. I’m very passionate about food, and … there’s just not […]

Helen is a food memory made real. The contemporary Southern grill, led by the husband-and-wife team of chef Rob McDaniel and Emily McDaniel, is a fresh, new take on classic dining, but the idea for this place has deep roots. It’s based on Rob’s fond memories of his maternal grandmother, Helen Frutiger, and the welcoming home […]