Hard to believe it was more than 25 years ago that Giuseppe "Joe" Magnolia got tired of the cold in New York and moved his family to Alabama and started an Italian restaurant in Roebuck. I

Better watch what you see when you look at forbidden fruits. Then don't look here anytime soon. 

After roughly a year-long hiatus, lunch is back at Bottletree Cafe, and it may be better than ever. I used to take the crazy girl there, because it had all the vegetarian and even vegan dishes she preferred.

If you thought Crestwood Coffee as just a place to stop for some Zambesi roast (just like you thought Bottletree was just a place to hear The Great Book of John), then you may want to think again next time you are styling down Crestwood Boulevard with hunger pangs, heading east with nothing but fast food and an abandoned Hooters ahead.

(Anonymous Translation) Once again our publisher went looking for Mexican food that is not a Tex-Mex adulteration and didn’t come out of a microwave (not just another gratuitous jab at the country girl, since use of this unpreferred cooking method is not uncommon). And he was looking for an authentic environment, where Spanish is spoken by recent immigrants who really eat the food in the place. Worthy goals, but even he admits his commentary on Hispanic demographics and culture in Birmingham is a little silly.

Now that Avondale is overrun with whitebread tourists from Birmingham, with many of them coming to see, among the trendy sights of the Brewery and Freshfully, the new Saw's Soul Kitchen, you should not forget that Saw's was there in Homewood long before the country girl from Trussville would even dare to set foot west of Crestwood.

Now that Avondale is overrun with whitebread tourists from Birmingham, with many of them coming to see, among the trendy sights of the Brewery and Freshfully, the new Saw's Soul Kitchen, you should not forget that Saw's was there in Homewood long before the country girl from Trussville would even dare to set foot west of Crestwood.

I wandered past the newish taco place in Crestline many times, trying not to be noticed as usual. A couple of things I noticed myself in my passing observations, though, that the place was hopping in the style of Crestline these days—busy and...

There I was in church, all focused on my Lord and Savior when Anonymous slipped in next to me on the pew and suggested we try Dyron’s Low Country Sunday Brunch after the service. Wouldn’t you just know it....a Southern girl depriving herself during Lent of culinary delights in pursuit of deeper spirituality gets a good offer on Sunday.

There I was in church, all focused on my Lord and Savior when Anonymous slipped in next to me on the pew and suggested we try Dyron's Low Country Sunday Brunch after the service. Wouldn't you just know it....a Southern girl depriving herself during Lent of culinary delights in pursuit of deeper spirituality gets a good offer on Sunday.