By Donna Cornelius
When Mac Russell returned to his hometown for an event that made international news, three things stood out, he said.
Russell, who now lives in Mountain Brook, was among those in Selma earlier this month for the 50th anniversary of the civil rights marches from the Black Belt city to Montgomery.
“What struck me was the amazing mass of people in Selma, hearing President Obama’s words echo through the downtown – and how much people love their food,” he said.
It’s not surprising that Russell’s impressions of the weekend include a culinary angle. He co-owns Shindigs Catering with Chad Schofield.
Shindigs took its food truck to Selma with the intention of selling from a prime downtown spot on Saturday and Sunday, Russell said.
“We sold out on Saturday, so we were able to take the Sabbath,” he said.
Instead of offering a generic crowd-pleasing menu, the Birmingham-based company chose to be bold with its food.
“We had catfish and McEwen and Sons grits with spring succotash and pepper jelly beurre blanc,” Russell said. “And we had pork belly sliders served on steamed buns.”
Also on offer in Selma were Shindigs’ popular Willis sliders and truffle fries. The mini-burgers came with gorgonzola cheese, blueberry mostarda, arugula, yogurt and Conecuh bacon.
“People were so receptive,” Russell said.
Shindigs also catered another 50th anniversary event.
“We did the food for the mayor’s awards breakfast for about 250 people,” Russell said. “Jesse Jackson was there. A lot of my friends and people who raised me in church were there, and so was our banker, Ed McCurdy, from Regions Bank. It’s great to be able to serve people you love.”
The breakfast headliner was pork and greens with an Asian twist.
“We put a sweet soy glaze on the pork and had bacon dashi on the sweet potatoes,” Russell said. “We had raw microgreens with kumquat chimichurri.”
Shindigs also served blueberry bread pudding and a peach bourbon sparkling cocktail.
“We weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel but to plug local products,” Russell said.
The 35-year-old chef and business owner’s roots in the Selma area reach deep.
“I loved food from day one,” Russell said. “I was raised on a ranch. I was the oldest grandchild, so my grandmother made me eat everything. Having to eat things I didn’t like, such as blue cheese, anchovies and darker bread, helped me to be a chef.”
After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, Russell considered going to law school but decided to follow his heart and go to culinary school, he said.
“When I was in college, I worked at Jubilee Seafood in Montgomery,” Russell said. “The owner, Bud Skinner, was a family friend. He intended to work my fanny off.”
But instead of scaring Russell away from the food business, the experience had the opposite effect.
“I knew I loved it,” he said.
Jubilee also was where Russell met his future Shindigs partner.
“Chad and I started working there within a week of each other,” he said. “That’s how we met.”
Both attended Birmingham’s Culinard and worked at Hot and Hot Fish Club as well as at other places before deciding to join forces.
“We started catering parties together — under the radar — for families and friends,” Russell said.
In 2010, the men began talking about starting a mobile food business.
“Spoonfed was the first food truck in Birmingham,” Russell said. “It started before us. We couldn’t believe someone did it before we could, but that cracked the whip for us. We opened in July 2011.”
The partners took time to plan the company’s direction.
“It took us about six months to come up with our menu,” Russell said. “We wanted simple – but our tastes were eclectic. We wanted to take foods from different ethnic backgrounds and give them a twist.”
Shindigs uses social media to let customers know where to find its food truck. On Tuesdays, it’s usually next to Vogue Cleaners in Mountain Brook Village.
But onsite selling has taken a back seat to a larger aspect of the business, Russell said.
“The catering has taken off,” Russell said. “We knew the truck would be a tool for catering. For most people, the kitchen is now an entertaining space, where guests hang out, and we didn’t want to intrude on that.”
Having a mobile kitchen also lets Shindigs cater events at remote locations.
“Weddings were going out to barns, to fields,” Russell said. “We can feed 1,000 out in a field.”
The company is expanding in other ways. Russell said two family-owned farms in Perry County are sources not only for crops but for job opportunities. In the works, too, is a canning and bottling facility.
“Our overall vision is to bless the community with these opportunities for people who want to work in agriculture,” he said. “A young guy from Selma who’s looking for a job can work on the farm, in industry, in the restaurant or in administration.”
Providing food that’s both healthy and tasty has been the company’s priority from the start, Russell said. Chefs Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings set the standard for fresh food in Birmingham, he said, and Shindigs is among Birmingham food vendors that have taken that philosophy and run with it.
And while he was happy to be a part of the historic Selma event, Russell said he’s equally glad to be serving friends and neighbors in his new home city.
“I feel blessed to be supported by the Mountain Brook community,” he said. “They’ve given us a chance to change the city’s waistlines – and their hearts, by serving healthy food.”
