The Heart of the Matter

For your main course, you can't find a more elegant, textured and lovely red than the La Posta "Cocina" Malbec from Argentina. Pair with a great cut of lamb, and get swept up in its sanguine aromas and meaty flavors which entice you again and again to take another sip of the wine.

Sopa de Ajo

When I was eleven, my family moved to Pamplona, Spain for two years. A life changing event in many ways... all the children in my family are more or less bi-lingual, and another may be what we do when we get sick... Last week I felt a cold coming on.

Music Calendar

Eclipse Coffee (Montevallo):.

Pardon My French at Café de Paris

I will never forget the time Bunny and I traveled to Paris together. I know I spent some time on arrival in that ville `eternelle with my amie personnelle, but things were still in a bit of a fog right then for a spell. That is because we took the trip not long after 9-11.

Rock-N-Roll Sushi

Living in the thriving metropolis that is Birmingham, one has a vast array of dining options. What some Birminghamians may not deign to is traveling the wearisome twenty or so minutes it takes most locals to drive out to the infamous country girl’s stomping grounds, Trussville, or Truss-Vegas as some of the natives call it.

Another Southern Legacy

Last time I counted, there are about a 469,000 BBQ places in this town. When I worked at Maynard Cooper the lunch bunch took me to a different one for lunch every day for two years, and sometimes for breakfast, too.

The Game-Changer

It certainly changed my game. I now collect Savennieres, which is so random. I also judge restaurants and wine stores based on their Chenin Blanc selection, or lack thereof (OK, now I’m exaggerating…somewhat).

Fighting food insecurity

FOOD SUMMIT WILL FOCUS ON ACCESS TO GOOD FOOD AND FOOD KNOWLEDGE

This Friday and Saturday, November 12 and 13, Birmingham will play host to the fifth annual Food Summit, organized by Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners (GBCFP).

Selections from Menu of Menus 2010

10 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE

Ten years ago Birmingham Weekly released the very first Menu of Menus, the most comprehensive and up-to-date collection of Birmingham restaurant menus in print. Since then, many things have changed. Exciting new restaurants have opened, a few old favorites have closed, and the pool of cuisine-savvy consumers has been ever expanding. These days Birmingham plays host to a wide spectrum of excellent dining establishments, many of whom have been with us through every edition.

Profile: Sol's

“We learned everything from our father and couldn’t do it without our mother.” Which of the brothers Bajalieh is responsible for this quote becomes unimportant when you hear all three unanimously echo the sentiment. Family and familiarity are the name of the game at Sol’s Sandwich Shop and Deli in downtown Birmingham.

Selection of Winners from the 2010 M.O.M Reader's Poll

BEST RESTAURANT Top Three: Veranda on HighlandJoe's ItalianLittle Savannah Other "Bests" OceanHot and Hot Fish ClubChez LuluCafe de ParisGianMarco'sBottega26Highland Bar

The good grind

BREWING GREAT COFFEE AT HOME

It’s that time of year again, the kids are back in school, the traffic is getting thicker, the spider lilies are blooming, and thankfully the temperatures are finally beginning to relent. As a coffee roaster, I find this season of the year brings with it a sense of clarity and purpose.

Pepper Place Market is Open for Spring

FOOD MEMORY

Blooming azaleas, dogwoods, green stuff sprouting all over my front and back yard...and the pollen that goes with all of the above.  Makes me think I must be looking at life through greenish yell

Elevenses with Mern

Asia Chicken, Pork, Shrimp and Vegetarian Dim Sum served in steamer baskets with sauces to include: sweet & sour sauce, sesame soy dipping sauce and spicy sambal Assorted Sushi served with Soy Sauce, Wasabi & Pickled Ginger tuna rolls, cucumber...

Food & Drink Calendar

Satterfield's Early Bird Special. Make your reservation between 5:30pm-6:15pm and get four courses for $37.50! Includes soup, salad, entree choice and beignets. Call and make your reservations today--(205)-969-9690.

Visit to the Greek Monastery of Elona

A few years ago, I took some friends, a psychologist, two geologists, a few reporters, and a surgeon, to Greece for Easter. We went to celebrate the holiday and to go hiking. We enjoyed the Easter celebration, which in the town where I went to high school, you can drink a beer on the plaza, hold a candle, make the sign of the cross and pray.

Food & Drink Calendar

Specials apply to bar area only. Call (205)322- 1282 for more information and reservations..

Debunking the Top Five Wine Myths

As general rule, it isn't a terrible idea to pair lighter foods like fish with white wine. But plenty of seafood dishes work better with red wine. If your fish is meaty or charred – or served with tomatoes, mushrooms, or a fruity sauce – it'll likely be complimented best by a delicate red like Pinot Noir.

Bottega Restaurant and Cafe

Augustine "Og" Mandino said, "Consider a painting by Rembrandt or a bronze by Degas or a violin by Stradivarius or a play by Shakespeare. They have great value for two reasons: their creators were masters and they are few in number.

Coffee Memories

A few years ago, walking in the lower plains of Kilimanjaro, I met my first Tanzanian coffee plants. I saw the small huts of the coffee planters, the children chasing any mechanical device that came trough the plantation. I saw the small banana trees grown among the coffee plants.

Imam Baldi

I grew up in Peloponnese, the prefecture of Arcadia. It is on the east coast of Peloponnese. In the lower slopes of Mount Parnon was my village. It was a plateau of about a hundred acres, from which, in a ten minute walk, you could look down to the Aegean Sea.

Ted's is Greek for Home Cooking

Since Anonymous was out town this week, even Bunny got a break and I was glad because he seems to just wear her out with so much dining. She needs three or four of herself just to keep up with him and his insatiable appetite.

You Can Take it With You

I'll take it to goes¦how often have you said that? Chances are, you weren't referring to your wine. But if you're as persnickety about what you're drinking as I am, then you DON'T want to leave home without it! So what do we need when we travel with wine.

Cooking Class at Café de Paris

Real talk: I can't cook, and I'm generally okay with that. Being a few years past my college years (never mind how many, a lady never tells), I should be past the phase in which Chef Boyardee is in charge of preparing most of my at home meals.

Patience for Pears

It is striking me funny that in a column about food memories, I usually start out not remembering the first time I experienced a specific food, or technique. These food memories develop over time, stories adding up layer upon layer, until the current product is like a tarte or cake: a wonderful melange of flavors and textures.

Tastiest Town in the South: Birmingham's Food Revival

Birmingham's identity is mired in a muck of present and historical contradictions. Once one of the most racially segregated cities in the U.S., Birmingham was also the home for some of the key watershed moments of non-violent protest and reform.

Syrah: The Perfect Wine for Winter

High-quality Syrah is wonderfully accessible, even in its youth. As Steve Heimoff, West Coast Editor for Wine Enthusiast, recently explained, "I would describe a good Syrah as having the weight of Cabernet Sauvignon, but a little softer, and while...

Berry Good to Eat

In the 16 years I have lived in Alabama, this spring is the absolute best yet...for many things, but especially for berries. Right now in my fridge I have strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, all grown within 50 miles of my home.

Pepper Place Market is Open for Spring

Blooming azaleas, dogwoods, green stuff sprouting all over my front and back yard...and the pollen that goes with all of the above. Makes me think I must be looking at life through greenish yellow lenses, not those rose colored ones I am used to.

Too many breweries?

The Brewers Association recently sent out a press release with numbers detailing craft beer sales in the first half of 2011, and in this column you know there’s nothing I love more than a little industry navel-gazing.

International IPA Day

Two Thursdays ago was a first in the beer world, as far as I know. It was a “holiday” created by some beer bloggers: International IPA Day (a.k.a. #IPADay on Twitter). Maybe it was just a silly Twitter gimmick, or maybe it was the very real beginning of a new annual celebration of craft beer.

Craft beer vs. real ale

Once in a while I read an article that gets my mental gears turning so much I just have to write about it. That was the case this week when someone directed my attention to the BrewDog blog and their post on craft beer vs. real ale. It offers both an opportunity for me to touch on the topic of cask-conditioned ale and the topic of craft beer more generally.

A toast to the classics

Last week I offered up a selection of mostly new beers I’d recommend you try. As exciting as those new beers are, there are some great American craft beers that remain popular after twenty or thirty years on the market, and that kind of staying power deserves some respect.

July five-pack

One thing I hope to do on a regular basis with this column is keep readers supplied with ideas for beers to try. That may include beers from new breweries, new beers from existing breweries, beers from breweries with new distribution in Birmingham, or just random beers I like and want to mention here.

Turning the tables, with beer

NEW MUSIC SERVICE TURNTABLE.FM GOES GREAT WITH A BREW

Lately I’ve really gotten sucked into the greatest new thing on the internet. No, not Google+, which is a great step forward but not radically different from Facebook. The new thing that’s caught my eye (and ear) is Turntable.fm.

Urban Legends of Beer

People are gullible. We hear a story that sounds slightly plausible, we have no prior knowledge to refute it, and we unquestioningly accept it as true. Well, I don’t, of course. But other people do.

The Season for Saisons

It’s that time of year again. The season of hellfire sometimes known as “summer in Alabama.” I detest the heat and am always looking for ways to stay cool. Not surprisingly, beer is a key part of my keeping-cool methodology.

The Hops Get Freer

I remember the smart asses so well. “Why’s it called ‘Free the Hops’ when you guys are trying to raise the alcohol limit, huh? Shouldn’t it be called Free the Malt?”

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

A few months after the alcohol limit on beer was raised in Alabama, products from the importer B. United International began showing up at retailers here in Birmingham. It was an exciting development for beer lovers like me, as they have one of the largest and most impressive beers lists of any importer in the United States.

A Magic City Brewfest Preview

I’d be a sorry beer columnist if I didn’t devote a column to the biggest beer-centric event in Alabama, set to happen this weekend: Magic City Brewfest.

Microbrews go big

The term “craft beer” has really taken hold throughout the United States, but once in a while I run into someone who gives me a blank stare when I start applying the word “craft” to beer.

Untapped craft beer drinkers

I must confess that I obsess to a weird extreme over craft beer’s place in the beverage universe, especially as it competes with wine and spirits.

Tallgrass Brewing

One of my goals for this column is to make readers aware any time a new brewery opens distribution in the Birmingham area.

The legacy of Pierre Celis

On April 9, sad news began to spread throughout the craft beer world that Pierre Celis had passed away. Celis single-handedly saved the Belgian white beer (witbier) style from extinction back in the 1960s.

Gazpacho: An Italian family´s love affair with Tomatoes

When the Summer growing season finally arrives in Alabama, I always look forward to the fresh, local, and sustainable produce that´s always readily available. When I was a child my father Sidney Vizzina and my mother Grethcen Vizzina always had tomato plants and cucuzza growing in our back yard.

The Olive Oil

A lot of people love olive oil for his great taste and his gold color, which sometimes turns a little bit green. A very good olive oil has the fruit flavor, a little bit spicy or soft and a good quality. Most of the time the criteria depends on the type of olives.

The Key to the Reverend's Heart

Like most men born and raised in the Deep South, Fred Shuttlesworth knew and loved good food. And although he credited his successful weight management on the fact that most of his life he ate only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, he wasted no time or food at mealtime.

Legends Smokehouse Restaurant

Hello my darlings! Bunny's back, and I come bearing gifts. Easy there, greedy... I don't have any diamonds or fancy clothes for you this week, but what I do have might be worth as much if you're hungry.

What's the Word?

EL BARRIO, newly opened in the Loft District on Second Avenue North, is absolutely the most exciting new restaurant I've been to in months.

Braising with Beer

Sometimes I find myself talking to food, usually as I walk through the farmers market, or the produce aisle of a store, occasionally as I wander amongst the growing things of a farm. But I must stay that I get the best results when I listen more than I talk.

Perfect Wine Bar?

MUSINGS ON WINE IN THE CONTEXT OF LIFE

It was a feeling of stillness, almost of reverence. Entering the space one felt like speaking in hushed tones. Tall ceilings and light polished wood with floor to ceiling bookshelves. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and few people were to be found inhabiting its spaces. But the offerings were intriguing and it felt like a private world we’d happened upon.

Silvertron 25

In this restaurant review space, we try to bring to your attention places you may not know in the ordinary course of business. For example, last week we introduced Lolo’s, a new barbecue place in blue collar Avondale.

Family Flavors

VERMOUTH, ROSEMARY, LEMON AND GARLIC

On a recent visit to California, I visited a rosemary bush that has been in my family for almost 50 years.

Urban Community Cooking

Here’s a toast to incredible food, great service and even more, to passionate people that help give back to the community one customer at a time. After one extraordinary year, owners David and Andrea Snyder, of this local favorite are already opening up their second location at The Summit later on this fall.

Birmingham’s Palate

STORIES OF WINE IN THE SOUTHEAST

As a recent transplant from Southern California to Birmingham, it is fascinating to learn what the Southeast is all about. My first visit was last fall, and although I heard it is a great city, I also heard the typical silly generalities about Alabama.

Butternut Squash Inspirations

My friend Chryssa made the first butternut squash soup I tasted, and it was so good that I became a frequent customer of her little bistro, Rancho Pinot, in Phoenix.

Seriously LOCAL food

JONES VALLEY’S ANNUAL TWILIGHT SUPPER AND THE FOUR COURSEMEN AT LITTLE SAVANNAH

‘Tis the season friends, when the weather starts to turn a bit cooler and we are all drawn back outside from our perch next to the air-conditioner, under the fast-moving ceiling fan.

Peach Sense

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder...and for me and peaches it is so true. I write this somewhat wistfully as I contemplate the end of peach season.

Finding religion

JAZZ, GUMBO, AND GOD

There is a communion of sorts that takes place when musicians gather together, combining their individual sounds. Notes, emanating from a variety of instruments each producing unique sounds that meld together, creating ditties, harmonies and masterpieces.

Gardens in the Margin

I would argue that I have one of the best jobs in the world. I am fortunate, in that I have the ability to write publicly about things—usually food-related—that inspire me.

Cooking for real

LOCALS OPEN MOUNTAIN BROOK’S LATEST NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT

The words local, seasonal, regional and sustainable have been bandied about so often in recent years that diners have become inured as to what they actually mean. Generations of Southern chefs were raised with the emblematic words and have always cooked with the best food available.

Dining with Khan

GENGHIS GRILL LETS YOU DESIGN YOUR OWN STIR-FRY

A new ethnic restaurant concept has come to the Riverchase area, and it’s more than a little different from what we are used to in several ways. For all its quirks, the place is still charming enough to keep me returning. Genghis Grill is the name, and it is a chain franchise out of Texas specializing in Mongolian grill-style dining.

Cuidado

con los ojos

Better watch what you see when you look at forbidden fruits. Then don't look here anytime soon. 

Lunch Uncorked Again at Bottletree

After roughly a year-long hiatus, lunch is back at Bottletree Cafe, and it may be better than ever. I used to take the crazy girl there, because it had all the vegetarian and even vegan dishes she preferred.

Crestwood Coffee to Café

If you thought Crestwood Coffee as just a place to stop for some Zambesi roast (just like you thought Bottletree was just a place to hear The Great Book of John), then you may want to think again next time you are styling down Crestwood Boulevard with hunger pangs, heading east with nothing but fast food and an abandoned Hooters ahead.

El Girasol Se Vuelve Siempre

(Anonymous Translation) Once again our publisher went looking for Mexican food that is not a Tex-Mex adulteration and didn’t come out of a microwave (not just another gratuitous jab at the country girl, since use of this unpreferred cooking method is not uncommon). And he was looking for an authentic environment, where Spanish is spoken by recent immigrants who really eat the food in the place. Worthy goals, but even he admits his commentary on Hispanic demographics and culture in Birmingham is a little silly.

Seeing Saw´s All Over Again

Now that Avondale is overrun with whitebread tourists from Birmingham, with many of them coming to see, among the trendy sights of the Brewery and Freshfully, the new Saw's Soul Kitchen, you should not forget that Saw's was there in Homewood long before the country girl from Trussville would even dare to set foot west of Crestwood.

Seeing Saw´s All Over Again

Now that Avondale is overrun with whitebread tourists from Birmingham, with many of them coming to see, among the trendy sights of the Brewery and Freshfully, the new Saw's Soul Kitchen, you should not forget that Saw's was there in Homewood long before the country girl from Trussville would even dare to set foot west of Crestwood.

Not Your Mama's Taco

I wandered past the newish taco place in Crestline many times, trying not to be noticed as usual. A couple of things I noticed myself in my passing observations, though, that the place was hopping in the style of Crestline these days—busy and...

Dyron´s Double Dips in Low and Cajun Country

There I was in church, all focused on my Lord and Savior when Anonymous slipped in next to me on the pew and suggested we try Dyron’s Low Country Sunday Brunch after the service. Wouldn’t you just know it....a Southern girl depriving herself during Lent of culinary delights in pursuit of deeper spirituality gets a good offer on Sunday.

Dyron's Double Dips in Low and Cajun Country

There I was in church, all focused on my Lord and Savior when Anonymous slipped in next to me on the pew and suggested we try Dyron's Low Country Sunday Brunch after the service. Wouldn't you just know it....a Southern girl depriving herself during Lent of culinary delights in pursuit of deeper spirituality gets a good offer on Sunday.

Kool Korner Hides Cuban Cornucopia Escondida

I was intrigued when Anonymous asked me to go to Kool Korner's Saturday night special dinner, even though I was studying for this maldicho bar exam.

Advent Lenten Lunches

Isn't Advent the lead-up to Christmas presents? And isn't Lent the uncomfortable prologue to gorging yourself on Easter candy? So how do the two go together? Yes, I can tell by your holiday descriptions that you are too into selfindulgence to submit yourself to any Lenten deprivations.

A Thousand and One Nights with Ali Baba

(MINUS A THOUSAND OR SO)

At the risk of making another jealous, I took Bunny to the place she so zealously coveted for as long as she’s known me (at least two weeks).

For Value Look to South Africa

Those who are comfortable with the obscure find value in places like Spain, northern Italy, and France´s Loire Valley. Those who are more comfortable with easy-to-pronounce locales stick to places like Argentina, New Zealand, and California´s Central Coast.

Eat Like Your Life Depends On It

"Everything in moderation" has been my mantra for some time now. But lately, I've been thinking that I need a new plan. Several months ago, I was approached by the American Heart Associatio

Cajun Cook-off Raged in Linn Park

Saturday before taxes were due, many would-be badauds and flaneurs in search of lagniappes found a great way to procrastinate--by pretending to be Cajuns. Some of the teams at the Cajun Cook-off for Girls Inc. in Avondale actually did bring in some ringers, though.

Torreon de Paredes Wine Tasting

at the Birmingham Weekly

Javier Paredes, from Chile's award-winning Torreon de Paredes winery will be in Birmingham Monday, April 25th to do a wine tasting at the Birmingham Weekly's Avondale Bricks Gallery, 5-7 p.m.

Cajun Cook-off Raged in Linn Park

Girls Inc. Benefits from the Battle

Saturday before taxes were due, many would-be badauds and flaneurs in search of lagniappes found a great way to procrastinate--by pretending to be Cajuns.  Some of the teams at the Cajun Cook-off

MetroPrime Wine Dinner

This Thursday March 1, Josh DeLoach, the chef from the Hook & Ladder Winery, will be at MetroPrime for a wine dinner organized by International Wines.

Top Echelon Wine Pairing

At a recent dinner at Avondale Bricks Gallery we were charged with the challenge of pairing wines for Chef Gray Byrum’s on-site cooking demonstration by Echelon Catering. So surrounded by the ambience of the art exhibition, we kept our focus to avoid striking any jarring dissonant chord with a wine that clashed with the cuisine.

This Summer, Drink Pink!

It´s easy to dismiss pink wine. After all, most Americans associate rosé with cheap, sweet "blush" wines, like Sutter Home´s white Zinfandel. (Shades of the Country Girl!) This style of wine traces its roots to the early 1970s.

Wining in Austin

I recently traveled to Austin for wine business, and being somewhat of a connoisseur of wine bars, decided to see how Texas' capital city wine aligned in comparison to other culinary cities. I was surprised to learn that Austin is the 14th most populous city in the U.S.