Reviewed by: Patience Itson
19 must-visit restaurants, bars and chefs on Alabama’s ‘James Beard Trail’
Reading time: 7 minutes
Written by: Ben Pierce
The shorthand, quick explainer to those not familiar, is that the James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the restaurant and hospitality industry.
A nomination is an honor. Short listing, being named a semifinalist is an enviable distinction.
It’s a rewarding strategy, before travelling, to check the destination city for places that have caught the eye of The James Beard Foundation. It’s a seal of approval that takes guesswork out of the equation; promises an exceptional level of quality and service.
Alabama’s made noise in Beard circles. Below is a list of homegrown honorees, some familiar to most but Alabama’s a big piece of real estate. Confirm what you know but look for what you don’t. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite place to be.
Read on to learn about the incredible restaurants, bars and chefs on Birmingham’s James Beard Trail.
Acre, Auburn, David Bancroft, Best Chef South, 2019 Semifinalist
The promise of oysters, a nice glass, and Maple Leaf Duck Breast just a short stroll from Toomer’s Corner is an most attractive proposition. Add a commitment to locally sourced ingredients. The menu boasts the “Solid Oak Sampler” which in turn boasts “all the charcuterie, all the fixins… family style!”
Atomic Lounge, Birmingham, Outstanding Bar Program, 2019 Semifinalist
Atomic closed and has, and will continue to be mourned, but owner Feizal Valli’s new bar House of Found Objects picks up and carries on with off the wall charm.
Automatic Seafood and Oysters, Birmingham, Adam Evans, 2022 Winner
Chef Evans is one of three from the Yellowhammer State to win Best Chef South. A distinction within a distinction. I recommend whatever he has on offer (especially if it’s the Duck Fat Poached Swordfish.)
Bettola, Birmingham, James Lewis, Best Chef: South, 2013 Semifinalist
This is Neapolitan woodfired pizza so good, it’s been a mainstay of and tremendous draw to what started as a clever idea by a few to revive a warehouse district and is now one of the most fashionable areas for dining and playing.
Bottega Cafe, Birmingham, Outstanding Hospitality, 2023 Nominee
This is one of Frank and Pardis Stitt’s establishments, and that tells more about what to expect than I ever could. If I may though, the Bottega experience is so welcoming, I painted my dining room at home the same color – as close to – they did theirs.
Bright Star – Bessemer, American Classic, 2020 Winner
Since 1907, folks brimming with anticipation have walked in and walked out with smiles on their faces. It’s meat and three, that most Alabama or Alabama lunches, done right and turn to more formal dinner after.
Chez Fonfon – Birmingham, Outstanding Hospitality, 2020 Semifinalist
An omlette with chanterelles or a croque madame at Chez Fonfon is transportational. The right wine is always at hand. Next time you see Manet’s The Bar at the Folies-Bergere, you’ll pause.
Café Dupont, Birmingham, Chris Dupont, Best Chef: South, 2011 Semifinalist
Chef Dupont took an interest in a very minor point at a wine lunch I attended years ago. Something surprising was said and he was curious. It was a very interesting conversation as he drew out and clarified what none of us knew before. I look at his menu and see that attention to detail. It’s so impressive.
Golden Age Wine, Mountain Brook, Outstanding Wine Program, 2022 Semifinalist
Wine shops are fun to hang out in, all the more so with cheese boards and a French bread grilled cheese.
Helen, Birmingham, Rob McDaniel, Best Chef: South, 2024 Semifinalist
Chef McDaniel has a lively downtown dining room serving plates of substance. I could go on about some quail I had, but a great deal of fun was had in sharing vegetables, passing them around and trying to take credit for ordering.
Highland’s Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Outstanding Restaurant, 2018 Winner
Birmingham’s Highlands Bar and Grill won the award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2018. That’s a nationwide category.
What’s almost as impressive is that not only was owners Frank and Pardis Stitt’s flagship recognized as the best restaurant in the country that year, it held a spot as a semifinalist for ten years. That’s consistent excellence over appreciable stretch; Frank Stitt won Best Chef: Southeast in 2001.
Highlands Hasn’t reopened since Covid, but people still talk about the Parmesan Grits.
The Hope Farm, Fairhope, Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program, 2024 Semifinalist
The wine list is impressive, wide in scope but curated. Cocktails are made with fruit and herbs grown on site, and it’s a beautiful site. Enjoy coffee in the Barn, again set off with ingredients grown on site.
Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Chris Hastings, Best Chef South, 2012 Winner
I’ve worked with a lot of chefs who trained with Chef Hastings and they all speak reverentially. You don’t get to be a respected teacher without a great deal to teach. Hot and Hot Fish Club and his newer Ovenbird are known and renowned. I’ve left ordering in the waiters hands, “Surprise me,” and always bragged to friends later about what I ate.
Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q, All Over (18 Locations in Alabama Alone), Nick Pihakis, 2015 Outstanding Restauranteurs, Semifinalist
Ubiquity ain’t easy. Serving first class pork, chicken, and more simultaneously at locations across distances is a feat and requires talents few possess. They’ve expanded beyond our state’s borders but that’s missionary territory. Alabama is their cradle.
Johnny’s Restaurant, Homewood, Outstanding Hospitality, 2022 Semifinalist
Chef Hontzas, a Beard semifinalist for Best Chef South, serves unassuming food – Greek meatballs, Chicken Pot Pie, Chipotle BBQ Meatloaf – done really, really well. It’s a trick to, as he does, take something familiar and make it even a bit better. He gives more than a bit.
KBC, Dothan, Kelsey Barnard Clark, Best Chef South, 2024 Semifinalist
Chef Clark spent time at Café Boulud and Dovetail in New York, shares insights in her book Southern Get-Togethers, lends her talents to Food Network, and won Bravo’s Top Chef. Her home base at KBC in Dothan is an experience.
Last Call Baking, Birmingham, Chanah Willis, Emerging Chef of the Year, 2024 Semifinalist
Chef Willis takes influence from French and Japanese traditions to make exquisite cakes, chocolate croissants, and all manner of baked delicacies. “Each petal, jam and leaf feel like they carry a great deal of weight to create the perfect landscape I have in my mind —visually and taste-wise.”
Pizza Grace, Birmingham, Best New Restaurant, 2023 Semifinalist
Stroll down the cobblestones on Morris Ave for a Turkey and Bacon Sandwich for lunch, some Beef Tallow Potatoes to start off dinner, and sourdough pizzas all day.
Red or White, Mobile, Best Chef South, 2024 Semifinalist
Choose from a considered selection of wines that changes regularly – so there’s always something youhaven’t tried – and try a wood fired pizza or, this caught my attention, Smoked Brisket Pate with Bacon-Onion Jam and Grainy Mustard.
SpringHouse, Alexander City, Rob C McDaniel, Best Chef South, 2017 Semifinalist
Before opening Helen in Birmingham, Chef McDaniel made a name at SpringHouse. Chef Pete McKenny continues the excellent tradition that makes this a destination and a Lake Martin treasure.
Not everybody takes reservations, but many do so it’s always a good idea to call ahead. A little planning and a well-chosen dining companion/navigator and there’s a moderately humorous pun on the word “course” in your future.
The Foundation has opened nominations for 2025. Their panel will consider applicants and narrow them down, sort them for region, and such. If you have a favorite spot, consider throwing the name in the hat. Maybe they’ll be added to a long list of local honorees.
What’s your favorite restaurant, bar or chef along Alabama’s James Beard Trail? Let us know by tagging us on social @Thebamabuzz .
