The Masters Tournament is officially underway at Augusta National Golf Course. Just across the state line in Georgia, the week began with a ceremonial first shot from one of the game’s greats, as patrons cheered and anticipation built for the days ahead. As is tradition, the reigning champion hosted the annual Masters Champions Dinner last night—a gathering reserved for past champions and Augusta National chairmen. Each year, the defending winner curates a menu that reflects his home country, personal tastes, and the people and recipes that have shaped him.

When this year’s menu was released, it sparked a question: If Alabama were to host a “champions dinner,” what would be served? What dishes and ingredients best tell the story of Alabama’s culture?

To explore that idea, we turned to a chef who knows the heart of the state well. Chef Bill Briand, owner and executive chef of Little Bird in Fairhope, is a thoughtful, deeply rooted Southern cook with a strong sense of place. We knew he would bring valuable perspective to what we’re calling the “SoulGrown Readers Table.”

The menu itself is grounded in a balance of tradition and elevation, drawing from ingredients that thrive across Alabama while highlighting the restaurants and dishes that have helped shape the state’s food culture. From barbecue staples to coastal classics, each selection ties back to a place, a story, or a memory. With Chef Bill’s guidance, we focused on food that feels both seasonal and familiar—tomato salads at the height of summer when gardens are overflowing, backyard barbecues with family, and seafood pulled straight from the Gulf.

Alabama’s reputation for barbecue made certain choices easy. Smoked chicken with white BBQ sauce from Big Bob Gibson’s is an obvious inclusion—a nod to the North Alabama institution credited with putting the now-iconic sauce on the map. Chef Bill also highlighted dishes deeply rooted in the state’s identity, like the revered Hot & Hot Fish Club Tomato Salad, the Gulf-inspired West Indies Salad, and, of course, Miss Maudie Atkinson’s Lane Cake. Made famous by To Kill a Mockingbird, the cake is rich, layered, and—depending on who’s baking it—not shy on the bourbon.

Then there are dishes like fried green tomatoes, which have taken on a cultural life of their own—immortalized in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and firmly rooted in small-town Southern storytelling.

As attention turns to Augusta and another Masters Tournament unfolds, this menu offers its own take on that tradition—one rooted a little closer to home. With Chef Bill Briand’s guidance, each dish reflects something distinctly Alabamian, whether it’s an ingredient that thrives here, a restaurant that helped shape the state’s culinary identity, or a recipe passed down and perfected over time.

It’s not about recreating the Champions Dinner, but about imagining what it would look like if Alabama told its own story through food. Because while the Masters ends with a green jacket and a single champion, Alabama’s table has never been about just one name. And if Augusta has “Georgia on My Mind,” this menu makes a case for “Sweet Home Alabama”—told through its flavors, the people behind them, and the traditions that endure year after year.

See our full menu below!