By Donna CorneliusAlthough you might not realize it right away, David Brush has one of those cool names that fits his profession. He’s an artist – but as a landscape architect, he uses plants instead of paints. “I like to think that I’m creating living pieces of art,” Brush said. One of his latest undertakings is in Mt Laurel at the 2016 Southern Living Idea House, … [Read more...]
Marrying the Past and Present: Tuscaloosa’s Drish House Finds New Life as Event Venue
By Donna Cornelius Tuscaloosa’s historic Drish House has been a home, a church, a school and even an auto parts garage. Recently, it was the setting for an event that hadn’t been held there in many years: a wedding. The house, built in 1837, has new life and a new purpose thanks to Nika McCool of Mountain Brook. When she bought the empty building in May 2014, she wasn’t sure … [Read more...]
Fire Man: Food, Flavor and His Father’s Example Fuel Nick Pihakis
By Donna Cornelius The Cooking Channel show “Man Fire Food” isn’t named after Nick Pihakis, but it could be. Barbecue is still a hot topic for the Birmingham native who started Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q more than 30 years ago. Pihakis opened the first Jim ’N Nick’s in 1985 with his father, Jim. The Birmingham-based barbecue restaurant now has 35 stores in seven states. “We’ve … [Read more...]
A Market on the Corner: Iz Neighborhood Grocery Opens in English Village
By Donna Cornelius Many longtime residents of English Village have fond memories of Park Lane Supermarket, a grocery store that operated in the Mountain Brook neighborhood for more than 40 years. “The freshest vegetables in town and hand-cut meat were trademarks of the store, which also carried commodities considered exotic such as imported fruits and coffees,” writes Cathy … [Read more...]
‘That’s Your Heartbeat Out There’: Crestline Mom Wants to Make Her Son’s World Better
By Donna CorneliusThere’s a kind of hush all over Sara McDonald’s world. And she’s determined to break it.Her 11-year-old son, Jay, has Asperger’s syndrome, a disorder that’s on the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum. The Crestline mom said it’s important for parents like her to tell it like it is – to be honest about living every minute of every day with a … [Read more...]