Chef Shelby Adams creates a nightly menu of fresh favorites at Grey House Grille.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Grey House Grille's appeal grows wider with the addition of a chef driven dinner menu. These creations are determined by the seasonal produce and proteins that executive chef, Shelby Adams finds the freshest. The menu typically offers two appetizers, a soup or salad and three entrees. Their regular dinner menu is also available.

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Dip into a decadent dark chocolate fondue at The Melting Pot.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Who can resist a late night bite of fondue and chocolate?

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Cafe Dupont's cuisine wows and whets the appetite for more.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Cafe Dupont draws diners from both near and far. When a writer for Food & Wine magazine called me from New York to discuss Birmingham as a culinary city, she asked for recommendations of restaurants to review. Cafe Dupont was one of my suggestions. Upon her arrival to town she popped in for lunch, and called me afterwards with her critique. "I was wowed by Cafe Dupont!" she exclaimed, before going on to describe in detail each delicious dish. I was not surprised, as I have been "wowed" again and again since the restaurant opened in 2003. And Cafe Dupont led her "Food and Wine Across America" article on Birmingham, which was published in the October 2007.

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Plaza III serves prime beef and fresh seafood in an upscale ambiance.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Plaza III is now open at Colonial Brookwood Village. The Kansas City based, Plaza III Steakhouse was established in 1963. And the purchase and evolution of Copper Grill Lobster and Steak to a prime steakhouse is the fifth Plaza III Steakhouse in the country.

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Remember this number, 26.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Being a writer I am not number oriented. I find it difficult to recall phone numbers, account numbers—any numbers. But there is one number that I have no problems with at all. And that is 26. Perhaps it is the memories of good times shared lunching there with friends and nights out with my husband. Perhaps it is the Monday night special of unforgettable baby lobster tails with Champagne. Perhaps it is the chocolate desserts. 26 makes a lasting impression.

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Hot and Hot Fish Club's tasting menu has it all.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Co-Owner and executive chef of Hot and Hot Fish Club, Chris Hastings created a menu just for my table. Sommelier John Rusiecki paired each course with wines. And they will happily to do the same for you.

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Have your cake and candy too with Veranda on Highland's Praline Cheesecake.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Some chefs are savory chefs. Others are dessert chefs. And some are equally talented at both, such as Veranda On Highland's executive chef Thomas Robey. His desserts are as delicious as the savory dishes they follow, and this makes selecting only one of his desserts quite difficult.

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Tavern on the Summit's Traditional Onion Soup satisfies my soul.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Tavern on the Summit serves Traditional Onion Soup for lunch and dinner—seven days a week. Other scrumptious soups are offered as daily specials. But their onion soup is always on the menu and deservedly so.

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Chez Fonfon is classically French and absolutely excellent.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Excellence is easy to observe and difficult to replicate. Frank and Pardis Stitt replicate excellence without replicating restaurants. Each of their eateries—Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega, Bottega Café, and Chez Fonfon—has its own identity, style, cuisine, and standard of excellence. With each dining experience comes a renewed respect for the Stitts. Being a bit of a Francophile, Chez Fonfon satisfies my appetite for French bistro fare and French wine.

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Tria Market's Pumpkin Chiffon Cake is a Thanksgiving treat.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Tired of serving the same desserts Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving? Try the Pumpkin Chiffon Cake with Roasted Apples and Maple Bavarian Cream. This four-layer cake has three layers of Bavarian cream and apple filling. It is iced with sweetened cream and is garnished with candied pecans, maple leaf cookies, and apples.

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Standard Bistro's Peach and Blueberry Cobbler is ripe with flavor.

By Jan Walsh

After suffering from the devastating drought in 2007, Alabama peaches are back and still in season. Celebrate this bounty with your own ramekin of Standard Bistro's Peach and Blueberry Cobbler.

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Open Door Cafe's shrimp is dark, deep and rich in flavor.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

I frequent Open Door Café for Sunday brunch. But tonight I find a standout on the dinner menu—the White Barbecued Shrimp. Executive chef Dave Knoll— brings the best of New Orleans to the table at Open Door. So rather than covered in a white sauce, this New Orleans dish arrives in a white bowl filled with a pink pile of shrimp resting atop a dark, deep and rich garlic butter sauce.

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One memorable meal leads to another at the Standard Bistro.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Tucked away in the Town of Mt. Laurel is one of the best restaurants in the greater Birmingham area—and the South. Having dined at Standard Bistro numerous times since it opened back in 2002, executive chef Alan Martin's consistently divine cuisine makes me envious of those who live in this neighborhood. Fortunately, the restaurant is easily accessed from my neighborhood, Liberty Park, via Highway 119 and Hugh Daniels Drive. Residents of other nearby neighborhoods—including Greystone, Highland Lakes, and Shoal Creek—also frequent the Standard Bistro.

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GianMarco's cheese ravioli is both large and light.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Ordering lunch or dinner at GianMarco is always a dilemma. But no matter what I order, it is consistently delicious and always arrives hot with steam rising from the plate. And this always reminds me of co-owner, Giani Respinto's line, "People wait for pasta. Pasta does not wait for people."

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Children's favorites and adult selections make for a family-pleasing place.

By Carla Jean Whitley
Photography by Beau Gustafson

As I approached the cashier at The Loop Pizza Grill, I wondered aloud what I should order. Pizza is always tempting, but I love a good burger. It's a dilemma I've always experienced when visiting The Loop, but I'm glad to continue those deliberations at the Trussville location. The only problem I've found during a decade of eating at The Loop is that everything is so good.

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Brock's puts the perfection in parfait.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Parfait is a French word that means “perfect.” But it can be perfectly confusing. A French parfait is frozen custard made of cream, often including a fruit puree. An American parfait is typically served in a tall glass with ice cream, syrups and topped with whipped cream and a cherry—a sundae. Brock's executive chef, Robert Kamm makes the ultimate parfait, but named it Frozen Mousse on the menu—for clarity.

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The Bright Star celebrates 100th Anniversary.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The Bright Star is the oldest, continuously operated, family owned restaurant in Alabama. And June 2007 begins the second century of success for this landmark restaurant.

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From ambience to cuisine Martinis Fine Food wows diners.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Martinis Fine Food offers fine dining in a swank atmosphere. The glow of a crystal chandelier welcomes guests into the lobby. Beneath the chandelier, water bubbles from the bowl of a massive stone fountain, overflowing to its basin. Candlelit tables, set with white tablecloths, surround two black baby grand pianos. Enclosing the space are walls partially covered in cherry toned wood. Above the paneling black and white images of singers and celebrities line the walls, and their timeless music drifts through the air. “People walk in and are wowed by the ambience. Afterwards they are wowed by our cuisine,” executive chef, Scott Lokey says.

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Billy's Bar and Grill opens second location, Billy's On Overton.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Every neighborhood needs a Billy's. Liberty Park, and nearby Mountain Brook area residents, just got one. Billy's On Overton is the brother restaurant to Billy's Bar and Grill in Mountain Brook—a longtime neighborhood favorite of many who live, work and shop in English Village. Satisfying the need for an upscale sports bar and grill, the new eatery on Overton opened its doors in April 2008. Those of us who live in the area have watched, waited and been looking forward to this for months.

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Brock's sister restaurant offers casually upscale Southern fare.

By Jan Walsh

Clubhouse is the Ross Bridge alternative to Brock's. “Brock's is about finesse. And Clubhouse is about fast,” executive chef of Brock's and Clubhouse, Robert Kamm explains. But you don't have to be staying or playing at Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa to drop in for a bite at Clubhouse. The restaurant is a neighborhood favorite to Ross Bridge residents for both dining in and taking out. Birmingham area residents have also discovered that Clubhouse is a great place for lunch and dinner.

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The Melting Pot offers fondue for intimate, business and social dining.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

As the X Generation discovers fondue, we Baby Boomers are bubbling over with memories of swirling chunks of French bread in melted cheese, beef tips sizzling in hot oil and dipping fruit into pots of deep, dark chocolate for dessert. But Bob Dylan was right. Times are a-changing. And much is new in fondue.

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Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar serves a summer showpiece.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Take a bite out of summer with a Chilled Seafood Tower at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

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Billy's Bar and Grill's Santa Fe Salad is big on flavor.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Billy's Bar and Grill in English Village is a family-owned, neighborhood pub Located in English Village. They offer an extensive menu featuring appetizers, grilled burgers, steaks and salads. And the Santa Fe Salad is a favorite for those who want, not just a salad, a meal.

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Imagination reveals what a restaurant can be.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The opening of Icon Restaurant & Bar unfolds another chapter in the history of The Tutwiler. It might have been easier to build a new restaurant from the ground up rather than to synthesize a chic eatery in a time-honored,Southern hotel. Yet managing partner Alan Dobbs and culinary partner Geoffery Slate, along with Hendon and Huckestein Architects, achieved a contemporary restaurant that preserves both the charm and spirit of The Tutwiler.

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Are these Egg Rolls made from Joy Young's recipe?

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

I heard a rumor. And I am spreading it… There is a little Chinese take-out place that makes Joy Young's egg rolls—or egg rolls just like them.

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Fox Valley's fare continues to captivate diners from near and far.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Helena's Fox Valley restaurant opened its doors in 1990. The cuisine of partners and executive chefs Sue Lemieux and Anthony Mangold—paired with an extensive wine list—immediately brought a regular following. And through the 17 years that followed, the crab cakes became famous, and the wine list has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year for over a decade.

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Offering Diners a Variety of Cuisines

By Carla Jean Whitley
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Walking into Costa's Mediterranean Café is nothing special. The Trussville location is a former Bennigan's, and the chain restaurant atmosphere still exists. But when you're at Costa's, it isn't for the atmosphere, it's for the food.

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Brio Tuscan Grille's fall menu includes a palatable pork tenderloin.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Fall and winter appetites crave comfort food. And Brio Tuscan Grille's fall menu offers a satisfying selection of Tuscan peasantry home cooking.

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Explore the depths of Ocean's diverse offerings.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Ocean celebrates its fifth anniversary. And patrons continue to discover fresh, new pleasures from its extensive menu. Ocean and 26 (located next door) are locally owned and operated by executive chef, George Reis and his wife Harriet.

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Wine and dine aboard the William Penn.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

I was not quite sure what to expect when I was invited to a wine dinner aboard the William Penn. I had not traveled by train since 1996, when I journeyed from Beijing to Moscow on the Tran Siberian Railway aboard the Orient Express. So William Penn had quite an experience to follow.

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Village Tavern's Birmingham location is home to the company's corporate executive chef.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Mary Grace Viado is the corporate executive chef for the eight Village Taverns across the United States. As corporate executive chef for the company, it is Viado's job to create and execute recipes.

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Become a regular at Jackson's Bar & Bistro.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Jackson's Bar & Bistro is habit forming. Patrons are drawn back again and again-not just once a month or once a week-but throughout the day and night. Stop by for a weekend breakfast or brunch. Lunch there with friends, enjoy a hearty dinner, or drop in for a late night bite. "It is much like a bistro in Europe where people go to the same place for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a drink at the bar," owner Tom Sheffer describes.

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Shula's 48-ounce Porterhouse satisfies the heartiest of appetites.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

If you can't get enough of a good steak, join the club. Shula's Steak House offers a steak that will satisfy any appetite. This 48-ounce Porterhouse is made of Shula's own certified Angus beef, breed on The Graham Angus Farm in Albany, Georgia. And if you “make the cut,” by can finishing this 48-ounce Porterhouse, you become a member of The 48 Ounce Club.

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Prairie Fire Grille satisfies both those who like it hot and those who do not.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Prairie Fire Grille has stood the test of (five years) time and remains a Highway 280 hot spot. Nic Laird has been the executive chef since the restaurant opened in 2002. And his Southwestern fare continues to draw a loyal following from nearby neighborhoods of Brook Highland, Greystone, Highland Lakes, Chelsea and beyond.

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Dine at a dream restaurant, Veranda On Highland.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Gustafson

Veranda on Highland is everything that a chef and his guests could wish for in a restaurant. Dinner is served in nine separate dining rooms amidst the glow of fireplaces and stained glass windows. Weather permitting, dine alfresco on the patio or upstairs on the veranda. Dating to the 1920s, this charming, historic building is a beautifully, renovated home.

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John's City Diner serves familiar fare in a slick, suburban ambience.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

In 2004, husband and wife, Shannon and Shana Gober transformed the downtown John's City Diner into a landmark of their own. Just two years later they opened a second location in Trussville. And today the Gobers have not one, but two successful diners in the greater Birmingham area.

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Clubhouse at Ross Bridge chef Scott Cohen makes a namesake sandwich.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The Clubhouse is a popular eatery for those who are staying at the Ross Bridge Renaissance Hotel & Spa, golfing, or live in the Ross Bridge neighborhood.And it is being discovered by many other diners who enjoy the five flat screen televisions, the open fireplace and the casual, comforting fare.

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Table is fresh and vibrant in both ambience and cuisine.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Reserve a table, or just drop by Table for dinner or Sunday brunch. The restaurant opened late in 2007 and is located in the former Mauby's building, on Oak Street in Mountain Brook's Crestline Village. But don't expect a made over Mauby's. Owner Brian Lewis totally remodeled the interior, creating a chic, stylish eatery that befits chef Michael Brandon's scrumptious, contemporary American fare.

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Cafe Dupont celebrates three years of culinary excellence.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

In December 2003, Chris Dupont opened Cafe Dupont on 20th Street North-to rave reviews. The consistently divine cuisine soon brought a host of regulars. And three years later this perfectionist continues to outdo himself. "Looking back, I was very fearful of where I was, what I was doing, and how long it took to get the restaurant open..."

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Start with an upbeat ambience, add an eclectic mix of menus, and the sum is George Reis' new restaurant, 26.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Ocean is no longer an only child. Owners George and Harriet Reis recently added a new member to the family. "Brother restaurant," 26 (Twenty-Six) is located just next door to Ocean. Its name is a play off the numbers two and six-as their two sons were born two years and six months apart, both were born on the twenty-sixth, and wore baseball jerseys numbered two and six. Yet like many younger brothers, 26 quickly developed an identity all its own.

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Highlands Bar & Grill transcends time and exceeds expectations.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Convinced that Alabama would support a restaurant with "southern soul and Provencal flavors," Frank Stitt raised money teaching cooking classes, his mother mortgaged her home, and Highlands Bar & Grill opened November 21, 1982. Stitt quickly became Birmingham's celebrity chef and put the city on the culinary map.

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Jinsei Sushi Bar and Lounge rolls out the freshest Japanese cuisine in a chic ambience.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Jinsei Sushi Bar fuses Japanese fare with French Champagne. Owner of Zöes, John Cassimus and partner Charleston Wilson chose the name Jinsei (Jin-sey) for its definition-meaning life in Japanese-just as Zoe means in Greek. "Life as in living," Wilson describes. And those who patronize Jinsei obviously know how to live.

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La Dolce Vita serves the charm, elegance and flavors of Italy.

By Jan Walsh
Photography Beau Gustafson

Indulge in the sweet life, Italian style. Enjoy the pleasures of the present with a special dinner and bottle of wine at La Dolce Vita. Proprietor/chef Benard Tamburello and wife Sophia dined at the restaurant for many years before finally buying it. And this month as they celebrate their first anniversary as owners of La Dolce Vita, the Tamburellos' life has never been sweeter.

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Ruth's Chris celebrates 15 years in Birmingham.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

In 1993 the first hotel-based Ruth's Chris Steak House opened in the Embassy Suites property in Birmingham. Situated in the lobby of the Embassy Suites hotel the restaurant is conveniently located just off the Red Mountain Expressway between Homewood and Mountain Brook. And over the past 15 years many from these neighborhoods and beyond have become regulars for both lunch and dinner.

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Family owned and operated, GianMarco's serves the finest authentic Italian fare.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Less than three years ago, GianMarco's opened in Homewood and quickly became a neighborhood favorite. Soon afterwards, recommendations of their authentic, Italian cuisine and treat you like family service brought diners from far beyond the neighborhood. And today brothers, Giani and Marco Respinto and their father Giovanni's restaurant is a small, "Italian" landmark for Birmingham area diners.

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Brock's at Ross Bridge blends Southern substance with Mediterranean style.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Brock's, at Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, opened only a couple of months ago, but already has a loyal, local following. Appetizing aromas of familiar Southern fare accented by exotic Mediterranean notes drift through the air, luring both hotel guests and local foodies. The appealing ambiance of warm, energetic colors-azure, lime, and cherry red-balanced by cool metals of iron and copper bridge the gap between the two cultures. And its picturesque views of the golf course and patio-where roaring fire pits and tunes of bag piper, Jim MacRae-entice diners to linger longer.

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Muy Caliente! Cocina Superior lights a fire at Brookwood.

By Jan Walsh
Photography Beau Gustafson

The anticipation is over. But the temptation has just begun. For months, Brookwood Village passersby watched the demolition of the former East City Grill. Both puzzled and intrigued by the tearing down of exterior brick walls and the gutting of the interior, the building's transformation became a spectator sport for future diners. Eventually evolving into a glistening glass eatery with panoramic views, this wide-open ambiance is now home to chef Jess Bourgeois, formerly a Creole chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, which remains closed since Hurricane Katrina. Prior to Commander's Palace, Bourgeois graduated from LSU with a degree in food science and nutrition before earning an associate's degree from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Austin, Texas.

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Chic meets casual at the Wise family's Grey House Grille.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

From ambiance to entrees, Grey House Grille pleases all. Outdoor tables dot the patio in warmer months. And when the temperature drops, a roaring fire welcomes guests inside this city swank atmosphere of neutral colors and dark woods. Couples, singles, and an after work following line the massive bar and bar area banquettes. Families also arrive early, filling dining room booths and enjoying the menu's familiar fare. But afterwards the ambience evolves as the lights are lowered. Soft sounds of ice rattling in martini shakers echoes from tables nearby. And laughter rises to the floating ceiling, as adults unwind, dining on the delicacies of the day.

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Fire's cuisine sparks new flames in Crestline.

By Jan Walsh
Photography Beau Gustafson

Like a slow burning flame, Fire's ambiance is both intimate and relaxing. The cuisine is consistently comforting. And executive chef/owner Danny Lasseter avoids predictability by garnishing with a touch of chic-and presenting with panache.

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Dinner at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar is a rare pairing of vintage wines with the freshest of fare.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Investing both their money and their lives in Birmingham, operating partner John Cowan and chef partner Oliver Robinson opened Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar at the Summit in 2002. And with their continued dedication of time and talents, it's still sizzling.

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Paul Casey creates Italian American cuisine and a French atmosphere at Rock House Grill.

By Jan Walsh
Photography Beau Gustafson

Multi talented Paul Casey finds a home at the Lakeview's Rock House Grill. Everything in this house has that Casey touch-summer blossoms ushering diners inside, chandeliers he crafted with antique crystals, and scrumptious Italian American fare-all designed with an artistic flair.

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Four delectable dishes are paired off at The Wine Loft.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The Wine Loft is a new wine bar-located in the Goodall Brown Building in Birmingham's loft district-at 2200 First Avenue North. This hip, cosmopolitan wine bar offers over 40 wines by the glass, 150 by the bottle, and a menu of 12 wine friendly dishes. Birmingham's Wine Loft was opened in February by franchise owners and father and son partners, Mike and Mick Dunnavant. The Dunnavants have strong belief in, and high hopes for, the future of the downtown district. "It is my dream that downtown will one day have 50 of the best restaurants and bars in the area where people can walk from one to another," Mike says.

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