Bham.news.10.25.2006

Birmingham becoming known as up-and-coming food city By Cathy Wood Myers STAFF WRITER

wo hours down 1-65 from the Shoals is one of the country's top dining destinations - Birmingham, which successful New York restaurateur Danny Meyer recently called an "up-andcoming" food city in a New York Times Sunday Magazine interview. ''We were pleased and surprised by that We've hit the big time now!" said Dilcy Hilley, vice president of marketing and communications for the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. ''We all knew how good the food was here and now everybody knows." Birmingham's food-city reputation rests on its strong independent restaurants that offer a variety of cuisines at a variety of prices. And more open . every year, Hilley said. Frqm nationally acclaimed gourmet restaurants to locally favored roadside diners, Birmingham has it all. "TIris year, bigger magazines such as Food and Wine and writers for nationally prestigious and renowned publications have been in town to visit," Hilley added. ''Word has gotten around, as it does in any professional community, that there are so many good independent restaurants in Birmingham ~ unlike other cities, where there are good chain restaurants. We just have an incredIble mix of ~sorts of dishes." But why is this happening in a small city in Alabama? ''We have to point to Frank Stitt for taking the chance and opening sucha fine restaurant here as Highlands," Hilley said.

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Stitt sets the bar Stitt, an Alabama native with extensive culinary experience outside of the South, opened Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham in 1982. At the upscale restaurant, he combines down-home Southern ingredients with subtle French elegance - a mixture that intrigues and delights food fans across the country. , In fact, it was Stitt who influenced his friend Meyer to come try Birmingham's food. Stitt also has written a cookbook, "Southern Table," and frequently has been on 1V - and th, t GREAlER BIRMINGHAM VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU growing reputation has brought mou~..w;.""'-'''''''''''-UJEi.European-s1:yle Bakery at Culinard in Birmingham, part of the Culinary Institute of Virgii1ia Birmingham to train under him and others. College, is one of the must-eat places that have made Alabama's largest city known across TOP continued on 2E the c0l;lntry as an ulHlnd-coming food destination.

ATAGlANCE Want a sample of Birmingham's flavors? The Birmingham Originals, a chapter of the Council of Independent Restaurants of America, recently sponsored the Break 'n Bread tasting and fundraiser. Here's the menu and restaurant list: Sol y Luna ~ Pork medallions with corn and jalapeno salsa; Franklin's Homewood Gourmet ~ Baby Blue Salad; Little Savannah Shrimp ceviche with golden sweet com, smoked red onion and local green tomatoes; Local- Salmon tartare with Asian flavors; Hot and Hot FISh Club - Hot and Hot Shrimp and Grits with country ham, fresh thyme, tomatoes and ver jus; Icon - Roasted Pumpkin Ginger Risotto Cake with Fall Apple Compote and pecorino romano cheese; Irondale care - Peach bread pudding with custard sauce; The Bright Star - Seafood gumbo; Out Takes - Pasta Pesta and'Swiss Almond Chicken salads;

Chez Lulu and Continental Bakery - Artisan breads and local butter from the bakery and warm bread pudding with Bourbon hard sauce from the cafe; Costa's - Costa's Famous Black Angus Steaks and Grilled Chicken and Award-Winning Spare Ribs and Mini Q's; Cosmos - The Soprano, a cracker-thin-crust with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil and parmesan cheese; Ocean - Thai-spiced seared scallops with wilted baby greens and plum sauce; 26 - Red Chili Miran Braised Pork with Soba Noodle Salad and Wok-Seared Asian Slaw; V. Richard's - Nutter Butters and brownies; daniel george - Braised beef and chicken tamales; Standard Bistro - Seared Scallops with Three-Mushroom Ragout, truffled mashed potatoes and crisp fried leeks; and Nabeel's - Vegetarian Lasagna with Feta. Other restaurants at the tasting were The Fish Market, La Reunion, Open Door Cafe and Silvertron. - birminghamorigina/s.org

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TOP: An up-and-coming food city ,

Continued from IE Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Vrrginia College, also contributes to Birmingham's stellar food scene. "Culinary science really is so hot right now. Culinard turns out great talent," Hilley said, "A lot of those students who might have in the past left to go somewhere such as Boston to Charleston are staying here now." But it's the standards Stitt set at Highlands andbisother restaurants - the ltalian- and Mediterranean-flavored Bottega and the intimate French-bistro Chez Fonfon - that keeps the dining bar high. "A lot of Birmingham's reputation has to do with Highlands being recognized. That kind of national attention and also from the cookbook and TV shows has sort of helped put Birmingham on the culinary map," he said.

Sophisticated diners Birmingham chefs' commitment to using fresh and local ingre-

dients when they can and high- here so that people go out tc quality ingredients always is anoth- and enjoy dining. Also, diners 1 erplus. travel, and the University ofA1 'The 'cottage industry' of small, rna at Birmingham doctors h local farmers and growers and the been all over the world and er purveyors that provide incredible at top restaurants. There's a products to the restaurants has prisingly sophisticated wine kn, grown tremendously," said Chris edge - people who are real Hastings, chefat Hot and Hot Fish cionados of wine and food liv. Club. 'These are the people who Birmingham." provide the hand-erafted cheese, That means increased expe farm-raised meats and local pro- tions for quality dining, he add duce that give chefs the opportu'The locals here have com nity to express our regional flavors. . expect high standards becauSl This type of cottage industry did- .places like Standard Bistro, Oce. n't exist 15 to 20 years ago to the daniel george and my restauran extent that it does today. Now, There's a pretty good level Birmingham restaurants are able understanding about how food an to showcase local, Alabama restaurants are supposed to be products, and the quality of the Stitt said. food that's served is superior to the "People travel to New York an mass-produced products that used San Francisco, eat there, comt to be our only option." back and say, That sure was fun, An appreciative audience is but we like it here'." another key to Birmingham's burHilley agreed. geoning food fame. 'Th~re are places that are very 'The people of Birmingham are sophisticated here and you step in . sophisticated." Stitt said. 'There's and forget that you're in Birmingsufficient affluence and income ham, Alabama," she said. "We're really so proud." Cathy Wood Myers can be reached at 740-5733 ()Y cathy. [email protected].