By Donna Cornelius When architect James Carter meets with clients, he asks a question: What do you want your house to say about you? His own house makes a statement, but not in stark black-and-white terms. “I wanted to express the duality of my personality – casual and formal, city and country,” Carter said. Thus, the house he built three years ago in Mountain Brook is full … [Read more...]
Hometown Hero: Jeremy Downey Is the Alabama Seafood Cook-Off Champ
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...]
The Constant Gardener: Eddie Aldridge Has Made the World a Little More Beautiful
By Donna CorneliusEddie Aldridge was on a tour bus heading into Canada’s famous Butchart Gardens several years ago when he gave his fellow passengers a bit of a jolt."I started screaming because there at the entrance to the gardens were our plants," he said, smiling at the memory. The plants that so delighted him were Snowflake hydrangeas. … [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...]