Having Continental Bakery withdrawals. Happy Sunday y’all!
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Tag Archives: birmingham
Friday Five #3
image via Telfair Museums
Since opening its doors to the public in 1880s, the museum has grown from a renovated family mansion into a distinguished cultural institution boasting three architecturally-significant buildings and a permanent collection of approximately 4,000 works of art from America and Europe, dating primarily from the 18th-21st centuries. Located in Savannah’s historic district, the museum consists of the Telfair Academy and the Owens-Thomas House two circa 1820 National Historic Landmark buildings and the contemporary Jepson Center. It is the oldest public art museum in the Southeast. I’m dying to see the The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design.
image via Athens: Life Unleashed
The Georgia Museum of Art opened in 1948 and is the official state museum of art. The museum offers programming for patrons of all ages and free admission to the public for all exhibitions. The museum strives, most of all, to fulfill the legacy of its founder, Alfred Heber Holbrook, and provide art for everyone, removing barriers to accessibility and seeking to foster an open, educational and inspiring environment for students, scholars and the general public. I love the modern building it is housed in now…it makes for an interesting change given the majority of classical style architecture throughout UGA’s campus.
I always enjoy their permenant collection, especially the decorative arts. I’m looking forward to seeing the William H. Johnson exhibit this spring.
image via GMOA
image via Visiting D.C.
Some people might not consider D.C. in the South but technically it is South of the Mason Dixon… I visited Washington D.C. in fifth grade and being the nerdy child I was (and still am), dragged my family to every possible museum I could. The National Gallery exposed me many artists I had never seen in person…Rothko, Oldenburg, Calder, Lichenstein, Warhol, Matisse and many others. I remember feeling confused yet ultimately intrigued by the what I saw. In retrospect, my visit to the National Gallery inspired me to seek out/study art.
image via Destination Nexus
The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) will always be one of my favorites. I grew up going here when visiting family in Bham and spent countless hours here while in my art history program at Birmingham Southern College. Their collection of American Art is fabulous, with the portrait of Lady Helen Vincent, Viscountess d’Abernon by John Singer Sargent being one of my favorites.
image via BMA
image via BMA
Here is a little backstory about the lover’s eye jewelry…
Exquisite in craftsmanship, unique in detail, and few in number, lover’s eye miniatures are small-scale portraits of individual eyes set into various forms of jewelry from late 18th- and early 19th-century England. Featuring an impressive 98 pieces, the collection is considered to be the largest of its kind, with only 1,000 lover’s eye miniatures thought to be in existence worldwide. Part of a trend that began with Britain’s Prince of Wales (later George IV), clandestine lovers exchanged these customized tokens depicting one another’s eyes, as such a feature might only be recognized by persons of the most intimate familiarity. Thus, behind the skilled artistry with which each of these tiny portraits was painted, lie the enchanting stories of secret romance and love lost, which inspired the creation of this popular, albeit short-lived fashion.
1. High Museum of Art
image via ARTBERKSHIRES
It should come as no surprise that the High Museum is at the top of the list. With an incredible calendar of exhibits throughout the year and an impressive permanent collection, I love visiting The High. I can’t wait to visit this spring to see Friday & Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting and Gogo: Nature Transformed.
image via High Museum
Happy Friday y’all!
Hot and Hot
Birmingham has experienced steady growth as a food destination for some time now. It has been inspiring to see the resurgence of life in the urban areas spurred by restaurants and other small businesses and I hope it continues. On my last trip to visit family and friends, my aunt reminded me of a very important fact…my cousin William is a bartender at Hot and Hot Fish Club on Highland Avenue. I thought to myself…”How did I forget this important fact?” So I immediately text William to see if he can get us in Saturday night. To my relief and excitement he responds, “Absolutely!”
The building that houses the Hot and Hot Fish Club first opened as Caddell’s Creamery, a popular burger joint in the 1950’s. Those who may not remember the creamery may recall the site’s later inhabitant the Upside-Down Plaza, a popular pool hall in the 1970’s and 80’s. Much of the building’s original design has remained. However, with the help of architects Joe and Chris Giattina and Marzette Fisher, formerly of Birmingham’s Fisher, Giattina and Aycock, the casual classic nostalgia transcends perfectly into the Hot and Hot’s elegant décor and modern functionality.
image courtesy: Hot and Hot Fish Club
I’ve always loved Hot and Hot’s building. It’s fantastic that the Hastings were able to reuse this building as it is unique and was already established as a popular hangout in the area. It definitely has that minimalist mid-century modern aesthetic, but the remodel done for Hot and Hot exudes elegance while keeping it’s comfortable neighborhood vibe. The understated building is so inviting with its warm glow and quaint patio seen from the street; not to mention the superb reviews from Birmingham natives as well as national foodies.
Hot and Hot opened in 1995 by married couple Chris and Idie Hastings who met in Birmingham, then moved to San Francisco, and back to Birmingham to open Hot and Hot restaurant together. “Today, although the menus change daily to highlight the best possible products available, several signature items remain: the Hot and Hot Shrimp and Grits made with Country Ham, Fresh Thyme, Tomatoes and Ver Jus is always a favorite among the locals; and Elton’s Chocolate Soufflé with Fresh Cream continues to be the preferred ending to many meals at the restaurant.” –Hot and Hot
The restaurant and chefs have received many accolades including the Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” 11 consecutive years. In March 2007, Chris was one of five finalists nominated for “Best Chef in the South” by the James Beard Foundation, 1998 winner of the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence for “Best New Restaurant” and voted Birmingham’s best chef in Birmingham Magazine’s Readers’ Poll. In 2003, the Birmingham Business Journal listed Idie Hastings as one of the Top 10 Birmingham Women. This year she was listed in the Women’s Issue of Birmingham Weekly, which promotes women in business. Their incredible careers make me tired just looking at their bios….but wow! The most recent and one of the most prestigious…This year, celebrating their 25th year, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. Chef Chris Hastings was awarded Best Chef of the South.
Now let me get to the food….As we walked in, in true Hamrick family fashion (a standard 15 minutes late), we see our seats at the bar marked with very official “reserved” plaques. We quickly hustled over to them as if they might take them away because of our tardiness. William greeted us and placed a very interesting cocktail menu in front of us. The cocktail names immediately catch my attention…the Donny Draper, Attack of the Killer Tomato, Buck Shot, etc. My sister and I decided on the Mercenary and Claire went with the Southern “Sloe” Gin Fizz. We were not disappointed.
The Mercenary
The Mercenary consists of Sauza Silver tequila, Aperol, Fanta reduction, orange and grapefruit, and a chorizo tincture. Oh yea… It was basically a really awesome orange fanta soda with a kick. The trick, William explained, was to eat the chorizo first then take a swig. Yep; it was awesome. The gin fizz was equally good. Very refreshing with muscadine infused Bombay, lemon, lime, and soda.
We started off the meal with the cheese plate. What is better than cheese? Not a whole lot. The standout to me was from my neck of the woods… the Elberton Blue Cheese from Nature’s Harmony Farm in Elberton, Georgia. So creamy and sharp.
image courtesy: Nature’s Harmony Farm
We continued the feast with an amuse bouche of shrimp and corn cake then a palette cleanser of house-made muscadine sorbet. Both were delightful bites that held us over until the main event.
Madeline ordered the roasted Viking Village Sea Scallops with foraged chantrelle mushrooms, onions, granny smith apples, cerliac puree, and veal jus….fabulous.
Claire had the Border Springs Lamb: Roasted Chop, Leg and Crepinette with Lentils, Eggplant, Tomato, Mizuna, Curry and Yogurt. Cooked perfectly and so tasty.
I’m a sucker for heirloom tomatoes so for dinner I had the Simple Grilled Fish: Apalachicola Pompano with Tomato, Avocado, Grilled Vidalia Onions and Basil-Lime Vinaigrette. It was one of those plates with everything you love to eat, but way better than you could ever make it. Light, fresh, and was the perfect send off for my favorite summer foods and flavors.
We had fun taking suggestions from William and hearing about the unique farms that supply the restaurant. Their extensive wine list proved to be intimidating to us so we looked to William to pair wines for each dish. We were pleasantly surprised.
To really send us over the edge…William sent out the Chocolate Soufflé with Crème Anglaise and Whipped Cream and the Hot and Hot Doughnuts: White Chocolate Cream Filling, Lavender Gel and 9 Honey lce Cream and Sorghum Crunch.
I hate to say it but O-M-G. You read right…it was one of those moments. I’m pretty sure I said this out loud; a little louder than I probably should have given my respectable surroundings. To my surprise and almost horror that more was coming…we received our nightcap: the Donny Draper. This after dinner drink is Hot and Hot’s take on a classic complete with Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Sassafras Syrup, Bitters and Lemon.
Incredible meal made even better with wonderful company. Thank you William and the rest of the Hot and Hot staff for making us feel oh so VIP and incredibly full. I look forward to next time.
Related articles
- Gourmet Magazine names Birmingham one of 10 up-and-coming cities for food, music (al.com)
- The Southern Road: Visiting The Luxury South (gadling.com)
Goin’ to the chapel
As some of you may know, I’m goin’ to the chapel with my long time honey this December. The clock is ticking to get the necessary things done…save the dates, invitations, wedding website, registries, the list goes on and on. On a recent visit home, my mother in her infinite wisdom decided that we must get moving on our wedding
registry. Having been chained to my computer for the past month (finishing my thesis), shopping for kitchen essentials and home accessories for our future abode was the last thing on my mind, but my sister Madeline reminded me; “It’s just shopping Emily, this should come easy to you.” She was right!
After my first registry spree in my hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, I realized that we had only gone to independent, locally owned stores. I realize the ease of registering online and availability with big chain stores draws a lot of brides this way, and
I’m sure I will be utilizing one or two of these retailers. However, there is something to be said of registering with local shops too. I had so much fun talking with shop owners about registry trends, popular items, and their favorites. It was a more personal experience; having the shop owners and staff sharing their thoughts and stories about particular items and ideas…after all a lot of them have been brides, husbands, MOB’s, maid/matron’s of honor.
Shopping locally is something I try and do as often as I can, and I thought there might be other brides out there that want to do the same. I know I’m a little Golden Isles heavy, but I have to give it up for my hometown…we know how to shop 🙂 So here’s a list of some of my Southern favorites for wedding registries and gifts!
The Golden Isles, Georgia
courtesy of Market on Newcastle
Market on Newcastle: Brunswick, GA
Great shop located in historic downtown Brunswick, Georgia with fabulous antiques and a variety of gifts!
Cunningham Jewelers: Brunswick, GA Over fifty years of bridal registry experience.
Viola’s Market
Viola’s Market: St. Simons Island, GA Locally owned and operated shop in Redfern Village. Viola’s specializes in antiques, home and garden accents, tableware, cookbooks, and more.
Petite Maison:St. Simons Island, GA
Home decor, gifts, and antiques. Locally owned and operated in Redfern Village since 2009. Great selection of everday china and pottery!
Home decor, gifts, and antiques. Locally owned and operated in Redfern Village since 2009. Great selection of everday china and pottery!
Sea Island Home and Kitchen
Sea Island Home and Kitchen: St. Simons Island, GA
This ultra cool and modern shop is relatively new to SSI and located in the Shops at Sea Island. Part gourmet cafe part retail store…Sea Island Kitchen and Home has one of a kind antiques, furniture, and contemporary kitchen ware for the modern bride.
Athens, Georgia
Heery’s Too
Located in the heart of historic downtown Athens, Heery’s Too carries an exceptional variety of home decor, and gifts including: Juliska, Vietri, Pine Cone Hill, Rebecca Wood, Fire and Flavor and many more!
Atlanta, Georgia
Huff Harrington Home
Huff Harrington
Incredible furniture, art, antiques. They also have a fabulous selection of tabletop accessories and linens.
Charles Willis Charles Willis has been an Atlanta tradition since 1948. Locally owned and located in the heart of Buckhead, They have over 400 china patterns on display, locally made pottery, hand-cut crystal, excellent stationary selection, and other home accessories.
Boxwoods
Boxwoods Boxwoods has an eclectic mix of merchandise including vintage and antique pieces hand-selected from Europe and throughout the U.S., current and modern home accessories, affordable furniture and lighting, fine gifts, and an award winning plant department.
Birmingham, Alabama
Bromberg’s Downtown Birmingham location, circa 1946.
Brombergs has been an institution in Birmingham since 1836. This family owned and operated store offers exquisite diamonds, fine jewelry and gifts. As far as registries go, Brombergs has everything a bride would want for her table–they have the largest selection of formal china, crystal stemware, and sterling silver flatware in the
Southeast. They also feature the latest casual china, casual glassware, and stainless flatware, french table linens, and handmade artisan pottery.
Southeast. They also feature the latest casual china, casual glassware, and stainless flatware, french table linens, and handmade artisan pottery.
Table Matters Table Matters is a one of a kind gift shop nestled in the heart of Mountain Brook Village in Birmingham, Alabama. They specialize in pottery from all over the world and unique table linens.
Jackson, Mississsippi
The Everyday Gourmet About The Everyday Gourmet: “We believe that it is our genuine neighborhood hospitality that sets us apart from the big market chains. When you walk into our store or browse online, we want you to feel at home. We have one of the largest bridal registries in the South, and we pamper our brides and hope to make filling their kitchens with the things they need.”
Charleston, South Carolina
Vieuxtemps Formerly Brittain’s of Charleston, a downtown establishment for over 29 years, Vieuxtemps’ plans to continue the tradition of offering the largest selection of china, crystal and silver in the Lowcountry.
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner! It’s obviously not a traditional American holiday, but over the years it has grown in popularity, bringing together different types of people to celebrate and enjoy Mexican culture. In preparation for this year’s Cinco de Mayo, I thought I’d update my previous list of favorite Mexican joints in the South. Here we go!
5. Güero’s Taco Bar– Austin TX
photo Austin CVB
I’ve only been to Austin once in my life, but it made quite an impression. Luckily before I went, I got some helpful hints from a fellow grad student and Austin native. She pointed me in the right direction, and I ended up spending most of my time (outside of the National Preservation Conference) in SOCO (South Congress). After a long day of traveling, I had a hankering for a ‘rita on the rocks. My friends and I headed down the street and found Güero’s Taco Bar. Güero’s is located in a former seed and feed store circa the late 1800s. Back in the day, it served as a neighborhood meeting place for all of South Austin’s characters (picture dice games in the back room and bookies paying off bets on the front porch). As Austin experienced the development boom of the 70s and 80s, the SOCO neighborhood held onto its eclectic roots. In 1993 the owners of Güero’s came along and rescued the abandoned feed and seed store, having outgrown their original taco stand. Their food hit the spot- homemade tortillas, salsa bar, lots of variety and the house margarita packed a punch!
image Birmingham Happy Hour
Nestled in one of the many curves of Highland Avenue in Birmingham, Rojo is a lively bar and restaurant that’s a favorite among locals, visitors, and apparently Bob Dylan (the rock legend gave a shout out to Rojo during his radio show on XM radio show). The location is also perfect, close to downtown and close to the burbs, so you never know who you’ll run into. As one might expect the interior is decked in deep reds, dark wood and brick, and funky decor. Rojo also features lots of outdoor seating, perfect for people watching and enjoying the view of this gorgeous neighborhood. Their two sided menu is perfect for everyone in your party: one side features Latin fare and the other American favorites. My go to is the nachos (any topping) or the mahi mahi arugula tacos and house margarita on the rocks!
3. Sr. Sol– Athens, GA
Sr Sol frozen house margarita
When I first moved to Athens, my friend Libby (now experienced Athenian) introduced me to the legendary Sr. Sol. It’s located next to a gas station on the west side of Athens, and looks slightly sketchy at first glance…but once inside, all of your fears will subside. Sr. Sol serves up some of the best Mexican food in Athens. There is something for everyone at Sr. Sol; lots of taco options, enchiladas, fajitas, sopes, the list goes on and on… Adventurous eaters wanting to channel their inner Anthony Bourdain are in luck here; they have tripe and beef tongue on the menu. I must say they’re frozen house margaritas are awesome: ice cold, refreshing, good tequila kick, and plenty of salt!
2. Fat Mama’s– Natchez, MS
Knock You Naked Margarita
Home of the “Knock You Naked” margarita, Fat Mama’s is a laid back, neighborhood tamale stand in the heart of Natchez, Mississippi. Opening in the mid 1980s, on the iconic Natchez Trace, Fat Mama’s became one of the favorite stops along the trace. After the National Park Service created the Natchez Trace National Park, Fat Mama’s moved to their current location in downtown Natchez and were able to expand their menu adding new southwest inspired eats to accompany their famous margaritas and tamales. Their margaritas are dangerously good- frozen tangy lime concoctions with one hell of a kick! To top it off, the “knock you naked” ritas are served in NEON plastic cups, salt or no salt, and a firecracker drink swizzle- presentation is everything!
1. Bubba Garcias– St. Simons Island, GA
photo by H2O Design
One of these had to be at the beach…Home of the $8,000 margarita, Bubba Garcias is a funky, tex-mex cantina located in Redfern Village and the sister restaurant to Gnat’s Landing Bar and Grill on St. Simons Island. Since my family owns Gnat’s and Bubba’s, I’m obviously partially biased, but I can promise you that Bubba’s serves up authentic Mexican plates along with some new favorites with a Southern spin. My go-to when I’m home are the Cali Club tacos- fried chicken fingers, bacon, tomatoes, spinach, guacamole, and chipotle cream…add a splash of hot sauce and enjoy!
The margaritas are just as unique as the food. While my parents were building Gnat’s (late 1990s) my stepfather, Robert “Boz” Bostock, was bartending at the popular loggia bar on Sea Island. I recently asked him to retell me the story of the $8,000 margarita so here it is…”One day a group of 8 guys bellied up to the bar and started asking (rather convincingly I might add, been on the golf course all day) for what they called the 8000 Dollar Margarita. They gave me the list of the ingredients, and I told them I’d do my best to reproduce their favorite margarita. It turns out they were from Texas and that earlier that year they decided to agree unanimously on the best margarita they ever had. They traveled across the border to cantina after cantina, tasting, getting recipes from locals, buying exotic tequilas, orange liqueurs, bizzare sour mixes and experiment with different proportions. After a few months, they finally agreed on a recipe; they then totaled all of their receipts from travel and ingredients and the total tab was (you guessed it) $8,000. I can honestly say this cocktail is VERY strong but sooo smooth; the beer seems to help blend everything together.”
$8,000 margarita
Wanna give it a try? Here are the ingredients in equal parts: Premium tequila (although some of the guys said they like Jose Cuervo just fine), Cointreau, Minute Maid lime aide concentrate (defrosted and undiluted), and beer (we use PBR or Dos Equis).
So that’s my new and improved must visit spots for Cinco de Mayo! Bottom’s up y’all…
New home for the Barons
courtesy of The Birmingham News
Being from Birmingham, Alabama and attending college there, I have lots of love for the “Magic City.” The city has just announced the groundbreaking for a new downtown ball park for the Birmingham Barons alongside Railroad Park. Though most see this move as a positive thing for downtown and the UAB community…there will undoubtedly be some architectural casualties to make room for the new field. Bhamarchitect has brought up some great points regarding the need for documentation of the historic warehouse fabric that could potentially be lost due to this project. Hopefully those in charge of the project can find a way to integrate the existing buildings or reuse them/materials in some way. Time for a B’ham trip!
Willie!
I can finally say I have seen Willie Nelson perform. My fiance and I usually are very low key for the big V-Day but this year I was shocked to come home and find that he had bought tickets to see Willie Nelson at the Alabama Theater!
The show was on a week day so we had to leave right then to make the show and return that night because we both had class the next day. A little crazy- but we figured we could pretend we were 20 again make it to the show and chug several Redbulls afterwards to get back home to Athens.
Although we missed his classic opener, “Whiskey River,” the show was one of the best I have ever seen. He played some classics, payed tribute to his old friends, and autographed at least 100 cowboy boots and hats that people raced to the stage during the encore.
courtesy of Alabama Theater
Having opened in 1927, The Alabama Theater looks damn good for her age. Originally constructed to show silent films, the theater features a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, one of only 25 organs of its type ever built. Threatened by demolition in the 1980s, so much interest surrounding the rare organ was enough to raise funds and support to purchase the entire building. The Alabama Theater experienced an excellent restoration in 1998; the grandeur of the space has been maintained with restored gold leafing and plush new drapery and seating, new carpeting, and decorative chandeliers lining the halls. Having gone to college in Bham, I have seen many shows and movies here and love being surrounded by the incredible architecture, rich colors and details within the space.
It was a whirlwind of a trip- but totally worth it.
Em's on the road 