Eric Rivera has a vision for an evening at Ravello Ristorante, the gourmet Italian restaurant that opens next month in the refurbished City Fed building in downtown Montgomery. It starts with light plates of crudo and appetizers washed down with Italian wine, then moves to a few shared small-plate pastas before the table collectively devours a mammoth porterhouse steak. A round of house-made Limoncellos accompanies dessert. Then they repair to the rooftop bar, drinking in the view down Commerce Street.

Green beer, Irish whiskey, and drinks like the unfortunately named Irish Car Bomb will drench St. Patrick’s Day parties across Alabama and the United States this month.

Alabama continues a remarkable run in this year’s James Beard Awards, which are considered the country’s top culinary honors. For each of the last 14 awards, multiple chefs, restaurants, and drink programs from the Yellowhammer State have been in the running, including four this year.

A server gently sets a long plate of finger sandwiches onto a table covered in stiff white linen. Another adds hot water to a bone-china cup, releasing the floral aromas of Earl Grey tea. A second course of scones and muffins follows, and finally a round of sweets. Tea cups are regularly replenished. It’s High Tea at The Anvil Pub & Grill, a monthly celebration of tradition at the modern British-style restaurant and bar off U.S. 280 in north Shelby County.

Have you ever sipped a cocktail that transports you to another place? Maybe a piña colada that lands you on a beach or a Sazerac that takes you to the streets of New Orleans? Well, a new canned cocktail lined from Drifter Craft Cocktails does just that—and they’ve tapped a well-known Birmingham bartender to contribute.

Eating at Black-owned restaurants shouldn’t be limited to Black History Month. Great food and drink deserve to be enjoyed year-round. Here are some places to try in the central part of the state, with barbecue, soul food, seafood, museum-quality food, as well as a place to get coffee.

She is self-taught, yet went on to win the nation’s highest culinary honor in her field, a James Beard award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Dolester Miles has spent 40 years working with Beard Award-winning chef Frank Stitt, playing a role in the birth, growth, and sustained excellence of his Beard Award-winning flagship restaurant, Highlands Bar and Grill.

Whether you want to chow down on barbecue, sample vegetarian food-truck fare, or crush on gussied-up funnel cakes, Black-owned food businesses in Huntsville and across north Alabama will make your belly happy. These aren’t just restaurants to support once a year, though. This is serious food for serious eaters, all 12 months of the year. 

The Birmingham area is known for a diverse restaurant scene, and its Black-owned restaurants only enhance that tasty reputation. With food from Ethiopia, the Mediterranean, and Jamaica to regional southern favorites from Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee, the world is your oyster at these eateries in the Magic City and environs.

Cheryl Harper offers a sample cup of infused olive oil with flavored balsamic vinegar to a visitor at her Birmingham specialty shop, Simply Infused.  “This is Tuscan herb with wild-raspberry white balsamic,” she says, reacting gleefully to the customer’s reaction after he takes a sip. “It’s very fragrant, complex. You get rosemary, garlic, and oregano from the oil, and a little tart and sweet from the balsamic.”

A man walks by the main lot at Fountain Heights Farms, where Maria Dominique Villanueva trims the outer leaves from just-picked winter cabbage that she and her husband, Chris Gooden, grow in a north Birmingham neighborhood. “Hey Wallace,” she calls out, waving to the man. “How are you? You want some cabbage?” They talk briefly and share a laugh before he continues on with a couple of heads of fresh produce. It’s a regular occurrence at the urban farm, spread over three separate plots that total a little less than an acre. They’re within a 10-block area in the historic neighborhood near the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, which has fallen on hard times since the community was left isolated by interstate construction that was completed in 1971. 

“Birmingham is one of the worst coffee cities in America, ranking 4th-worst in the U.S.,” blared the email from the data crunchers at Clever Real Estate. Wait. They say Birmingham is fourth-worst? In the country? Well, that just grinds my beans (which I actually do every morning—with locally-roasted coffee).

Valentine’s Day is famously one of the busiest days of the year for dining out. When February rolls around, suddenly everyone and their mother is out fighting for the same reservations at all the nicest restaurants. And while there’s nothing wrong with wanting to treat your special someone to a white tablecloth experience, there’s something to be said for putting a little thought into the other half of wining and dining. This Valentine’s Day, whether you snag a reservation, bring in takeout, or cook your own romantic dinner for two, make plans to incorporate a pre-dinner cocktail or nightcap into your date. Whether you’re looking for a chic speakeasy, classy wine bar, or drinks with a view, we’ve got you covered with our list of six places for a romantic drink in Birmingham.   

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Nothings says Valentine’s Day like a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates. But if you’re looking to surprise your special someone with something a little different this V-Day, why not skip the drugstore candy and opt for a locally made treat from one of Birmingham’s many bakeries, sweet shops, and confectionaries.  Here are seven places to treat your sweetie this Valentine’s Day.

When Ben and Laura Smith moved to Bluff Park from Birmingham’s Southside six years ago, they had no trouble falling in love with their new home. They loved the personality of the homes. They loved having a yard for their two sons to run around in, and they loved the community feel of the tight-knit neighborhood. As far as they were concerned, the neighborhood was perfect, save one thing: its lack of a community watering hole.

It’s game day and the libations at your home tailgate are running dry long before kickoff. Or the guests at your sunset soirée are proving thirstier than anticipated. Or everybody’s showing up to your adult house party. You can’t just buzz off to buy more liquor, beer, or wine. You probably shouldn’t get behind the wheel to buzz anywhere, anyway. What to do?

February 1 marks the Chinese New Year, a 15-day festival set by the traditional lunar calendar that many Asian countries still use for holiday dates. It’s now the Year of the Dragon. But the lunar new year also is celebrated in Vietnam and its diaspora (Vietnamese ex-pats in New Orleans, for example, hold an annual three-day weekend festival, set this year for February 4–6). 

As Jonathan “Jon” Harrison faces the judges on the Fox competitive cooking show, “Next Level Chef,” he’s concerned about his fate after a series of mishaps while he prepared that episode’s dish.

Juniper is one of those places that is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the taste buds.

Walking into the intimate establishment in the Forest Park commercial district, you see floral paintings and other artwork, framed by an ornate hanging loveseat. The lime-wash walls in the bar area—painted Wellington blue—enhance Juniper’s Victorian vibe.

Just because it’s winter that doesn’t mean nothing’s coming out of the ground on Alabama’s farms. Carrots, greens, root vegetables, satsumas, broccoli, fava beans, and sweet potatoes are all in-season now here. And if you know where to look, you’ll find the freshest homegrown food the state produces. The early season for markets selling Alabama-grown food direct from farms started this weekend, with the opening of Birdsong Farmers Market in Birmingham. The indoor winter market at nearby Pepper Place starts January 22.