By Donna CorneliusChef Jeremy Downey wanted to impress the judges when he competed in the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off June 13. But there was one person he wanted to please even more: his grandmother, 93-year-old Tensie Johnson. “She was sitting front and center while I was cooking,” said Downey, whose Bistro V restaurant in Vestavia Hills draws rave reviews from … [Read more...]
From Farms to Neighborhoods: Three Over the Mountain Markets Promote Local Food, Community Connections
By Donna Cornelius There’s always a crowd at the Market at Pepper Place, which on summer Saturdays fills several streets in downtown Birmingham. Vendors come to the sprawling farmers market from all over Alabama to sell their fruits, vegetables, cheeses, eggs, baked goods and other fresh-off-the-farm products. But plenty of good things can be found at smaller farmers … [Read more...]
Low and Slow: Restaurateur Brings Texas BBQ to Mountain Brook – and Plans New Edgewood Eatery
By Donna CorneliusDebates about which state has the best barbecue can get heated in a hurry. But a Mountain Brook restaurant that opened in March puts forth a pretty tasty case for Texas.“In Alabama, barbecue is more focused on ribs and pork,” said Tom Sheffer, owner of Icehouse Texas BBQ on Culver Road. “In Kentucky, where I’m from, it’s more mutton and … [Read more...]
Stars and Bars: Kathy D’Agostino Offers Heavenly Creations at Chocolatà
By Donna Cornelius Before you push open the door of Chocolatà, an artisan chocolate shop in downtown Birmingham, stop and look down. Carved in the concrete at the entrance to the shop are three words: “You are here.” If chocolate is one of your greatest pleasures in life, you’ve indeed arrived at a place where the sweet treat has a starring role. Kathy D’Agostino worked in … [Read more...]
Red Hot Yo’ Mama’s: Cooking Channel Will Spotlight Denise Peterson’s Downtown Restaurant
By Donna Cornelius There’s an actual mom in the kitchen at Yo’ Mama’s, where the food is Southern, scratch-made and scrumptious. The Second Avenue restaurant in downtown Birmingham is no secret to many in the city. It’s so popular that at lunchtime the line often stretches out the door and down the sidewalk. Denise Peterson opened her happy, hip eatery in 2014. Her daughter, … [Read more...]