Food & Drink

Browse exclusive SoulGrown stories about the flavors and libations of Alabama's cuisine

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The harvest that Underground Forest displays on its stand at the Tuscaloosa River Market is colorful, with soft blues, golden yellows, bright pinks, bony whites, dusky grays, and mottled browns. […]

Underground Forest: The urban farm found in one of Tuscaloosa’s oldest buildings

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July 7, 2023

July 4th is the perfect time to celebrate with creative cocktails. We have put together three exclusive SoulGrown cocktails for you to enjoy this holiday. Land of the Free The […]

3 festive cocktails to celebrate the summer season

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July 2, 2023

Fourth of July and barbecue are soul mates. For many Alabamians, smoke-kissed ribs, pork shoulder, chicken, or beef brisket are as crucial to the celebration as family, fireworks, and flags. […]

The ultimate guide to Southern barbecue sauce

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June 30, 2023

Restaurants in Auburn, Birmingham, Fairhope, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Orange Beach are among the world’s best places to enjoy wine, the experts at Wine Spectator say in the publication’s 2023 Restaurant […]

15 restaurants named among the world’s best places to enjoy wine

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June 29, 2023

  If you love fresh field peas, this is your time of year. From now until fall, Alabama-grown legumes are abundant, from crowder peas and black-eyed peas to their summertime […]

In-season Produce Guide: Alabama field peas

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June 25, 2023

Are your children already bored during their summer vacation from school? Want to find a fun way to exercise both their bodies and minds? Blue Ribbon Dairy in Elmore County […]

Alabama’s Blue Ribbon Dairy: The perfect family field trip

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June 20, 2023

Be sure to order the Gulf seafood next time you dine at Voyagers restaurant at Perdido Beach Resort. Its executive chef, Brody Olive, is the 2023 champion of the 8th […]

Great American Seafood Cook-Off: Alabama’s top chefs and their restaurants

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June 16, 2023

Mid-June normally is high time for blueberries in the Yellowhammer State, peaking with the annual Alabama Blueberry Festival in Brewton, set this year for Saturday, June 17. The rabbiteye variety—native […]

5 U-pick blueberry farms across Alabama

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June 14, 2023

Beer was a common part of Father’s Day celebrations with my late dad. I wrote a beer newsletter at the time and brewed myself, so we loved enjoying my latest […]

Alabama Brewpubs: What’s on tap for Father’s Day?

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June 13, 2023

When you’re a food nut in an agriculture-rich state like Alabama, you mark the seasons by when nearby farms harvest certain vegetables and fruit. Winter’s greens, broccoli, and satsumas give […]

Produce Picks: Our current farm fresh favorites

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June 12, 2023

Fifty years is a mighty long time in the restaurant business. But 50 years in a single building for an even older establishment is an extraordinary achievement. The folks at […]

Ted’s Restaurant: Beloved Birmingham staple celebrates 50 years of business

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June 11, 2023

Big Spoon Creamery is beloved in Birmingham and Homewood. Now the husband-wife team of Geri-Martha and Ryan O’Hara bring their creative, hand-made ice creams to Huntsville. The creamery’s third location […]

Big Spoon Creamery opens new location in Huntsville

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June 8, 2023

On a warm summer evening, is there any better place to go out for cocktails and conversation than a rooftop bar? Gathering with friends or sharing a patio table with […]

5 must-visit rooftop bars in Alabama

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June 4, 2023

Traditions run deep at The Bright Star in Bessemer, Alabama’s oldest family-run restaurant. And plans are coming together for one of its most popular rituals, the annual Night in New Orleans featuring a guest chef from the Big Easy. The “night” is actually three nights, featuring a special menu representing cuisines by both the guest chef and The Bright Star. The 34th annual Night in New Orleans is set for Thursday, August 3 through Saturday, August 5. Eric Cook, co-owner and executive chef of the restaurants Gris-Gris (Magazine Street) and Saint John (French Quarter) returns to Bessemer for a second year to conjure his creole dishes

Alabama’s oldest family-owned restaurant to host Night in New Orleans

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May 28, 2023

Signs of summer are everywhere across the state. The days are increasingly sticky-hot. The sun lingers a little longer each day. And watermelon margaritas have returned to Taco Mama’s restaurants […]

The story behind one of Alabama’s favorite seasonal margaritas

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May 27, 2023

Baskets of peaches now appearing at local farm markets and stands herald the arrival of Alabama’s favorite fruit. Between now and late August, state growers will harvest more than 80 […]

Your guide to this year’s Alabama peach season

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May 25, 2023

Memorial Day weekend unofficially marks the start of grilling season, a summer of eating flame-kissed meat and veggies. For many, the vegetables will be grown nearby and purchased via one […]

Memorial Day Grilling Guide: Where to find the best locally raised meats

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May 24, 2023

It’s a new day at Homewood Gourmet, which has moved to a new home in the heart of Homewood after 26 years wedged into a narrow storefront at a nearby […]

Homewood Gourmet’s new location sparks excitement among locals

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May 18, 2023

It’s been a great year so far for Nathan and Michael Pocus, the Birmingham brothers and founders of Domestique, a decade-old coffee-roasting company with a growing roster of cafes and […]

Domestique Coffee: Reinventing the coffee experience

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May 17, 2023

At a commercial kitchen inside an 1890s Victorian home in downtown Greensboro, Sarah Cole reconnects with how her ancestors cooked – taking what grows nearby and turning it into something […]

The local bakery bringing Egyptian sweets to the South

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May 12, 2023

Once upon a time, life was simple for craft beer drinkers. They basically needed to distinguish pale ales from IPAs, with bonus points for knowing where extra-special bitter fit into […]

Spring Sipping: An Alabama craft beer guide

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May 9, 2023