 Anniversary Dinner
Kev and I celebrate 29 years at Bottega Dining Room.
By Jan Walsh
Seems like yesterday… I married the love of my life. Few people ever find what we have. And we cherish it. For our anniversary, tonight we choose a restaurant that we both love, Bottega Dining Room.
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 Bread for Thought
The making of a weekend bread list from Birmingham Breadworks…
By Jan Walsh
Mothers never stop thinking and overthinking. This was well played in the movie, What Women Want… We want a happy, healthy family! And when my family heads home for the weekend, I start planning with a Birmingham Breadworks list, where breads only include water, salt, and yeast. And now with online ordering on their website, I have time to shop at my leisure and send someone to pick it up. And anything on my list that is not available in the online ordering system can also be picked up.
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 Chowhounds Night Out
Doggies with discerning palates recommend FoodBar.
By Jan Walsh
For Mother’s Day weekend, Jordan and Courtney bring their new fur baby, Jayce home to meet the family. After initial sniffs, he starts taking over Rudy’s bed and Wyckie’s toys. Kev, Ross, and I commence spoiling Jayce rotten. And our snooty Cavalier King Charles tolerate him, which is the best you can expect because this is how Cavaliers are with other breeds. “At least he is not a poodle…” I expect Wyckie and Rudy are mumbling to each other. But they have a gift for him, a leather collar like theirs. I don’t think Jayce should be left while we go out to dinner. So, Director of Operations, Heather Hay reserved the perfect table, for all our poochies, on the patio. Appreciation and congrats to Heather, who was recently accepted for membership in the Birmingham Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier International.
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 Cat and Dogs
Dog friendly series starts at The Red Cat
By Jan Walsh
We had never taken the dogs with us to dine until we were forced to go on a dog friendly vacay last year while our hardwood floors were being refinished. Delighted by their behavior we no longer hesitate to take them to local restaurant patios.
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 Birthday Wishes
Private party at Dyron’s Table One for mother, son’s birthdays.
By Jan Walsh
Tomorrow is my rainy birthday. Ditto… same every year. I get more weather alerts on my phone than birthday cards. Thus, we schedule our celebrations accordingly. Earlier this week we had a birthday lunch on Chez Fonfon’s patio, which I published Saturday. And for my birthday dinner, I chose Dyron’s Lowcountry, owned by Dyron and Sonya Powell.
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 Blue Skies
Escaping the weather with an early birthday lunch on Chez Fonfon’s patio
By Jan Walsh
Almost every year it rains on my birthday! Even when we travel for my birthday, somehow the clouds follow. Year after year, since a little girl, I have looked out the window watching it rain out my birthday plans... playing outside, riding my pony, or picking early strawberries in my bonnet. But don’t cry for me because on these rainy days I was treated to shopping trips. My favorite spot was the ladies’ hat department at Loveman’s department store, trying on all the hats too big for my little head. And I have dreamed of a silk sash such as this ever since. So, I turn off the weatherman and reserve lunch, for a sunny day this week, on the patio at Chez Fonfon.
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 Chef Eli Recommends
We are in good hands at Eli’s Jerusalem Grill.
By Jan Walsh
Eli’s is a family-owned and operated business. Here off Highway 280 in Hoover, you will find the whole Markshtien family. Eli’s wife Laurel greets us and works the front of the house along with their daughter, when not in school. And Eli is always where he belongs, in the kitchen.
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 Birmingham’s Best Patios
Dine al fresco at Birmingham’s favorite patios, sidewalks, and balconies.
By Jan Walsh
Birmingham metro area boasts al fresco dining options galore. There are patios, balconies, and sidewalks where I can eat lunch and get a little sun or hide under an umbrella table like That Guy, in this month’s Culinary Cartoon. We also have dog friendly outdoor spaces where we can take our pups. And in the coming months I will be publishing a series of patio reviews including dog friendly, in which I will take my own, Wyckie and Rudy along.
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 19 Years
Birmingham Restaurants newsletter, Wine & Dine Weekly celebrates 19th anniversary.
By Jan Walsh
On March 1, 2006, I launched BirminghamWine.com and its newsletter, Wine Weekly. I was an unintentional pioneer back in the early (www) wild, wild, web days. In 2006 most businesses did not have a website, including wine shops, food markets, and restaurants. Twitter launched later that month. And Facebook had become a public site two years prior.
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 Be Ours
Valentine’s Day Lunch at Bottega Café
By Jan Walsh
Bottega Café takes no reservations. So, we show up early to get in line for Valentine’s Day. We are third in line at 10:45. In minutes the line is from the door, through the gates, and onto the sidewalk. The sun shines warmly on this cold day. So the wait just builds anticipation and appetite. Recently I noticed that after several years of a different seating arrangement, our old table was back in the window above the driveway. And today I have my heart set on it for Valentine’s. Promptly at 11:00 the doors open and we are welcomed inside. Surprisingly the first couple in line choose to sit at the bar. The two ladies in front of us are taken to the opposite side of the restaurant. I point and ask for our table. And it is ours! So many years since we have sat right here in this corner. Déjà vu, this happened to us a couple of months ago at Chez Fonfon! Just like that, our tables are reappearing. Both restaurants along with Bottega Dining Room, next door in this building, are the Culinary masterpieces of Chef Frank and Pardis Stitt.
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