By Charles Gaines, Jeff Book | June/July 2009 | City Portrait

The Big Heart of Birmingham

Why Alabama's biggest city is loaded with small-town charm

Hot Spots

Where to Find the Magic
By Jeff Book

Everywhere you go, Birmingham crackles with life

Bettola
James Lewis apprenticed with a chef in southern Italy in his quest to create an authentic trattoria in Birmingham. It’s been a hit from the start, thanks to a convivial vibe and the old-world flavors of house-made salumi and pastas, pork ragu, and authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas (using only San Marzano tomatoes, grown on the slopes of Vesuvius). 2901 2nd Ave. S.; bettolarestaurant.com

Bottega
All three of Frank Stitt’s restaurants win kudos. But many locals favor Bottega, an elegant edifice with both a posh dining room and a vibrant café. Here (and in his new Bottega Favorita cookbook) Stitt does Italian cucina proud. From wood-fired pizzas to a parmesan soufflé to the pesce del giorno, Bottega may ruin you for the red-sauce joints. 2240 Highland Ave.; bottegarestaurant.com

Café Dupont
An 1878 brick building houses an airy, high-ceilinged dining room and Arts and Crafts–style bar at this elegant downtown destination. Lunch draws a mix of bankers, city hall pols, and University of Alabama medicos. At night, diners savor the soigné food of New Orleans native Chris Dupont. Choose from entrees like pork tenderloin with stuffed Georgia quail, sea scallops with crawfish and red rice, and grilled pompano with crabmeat cucumber relish—or take the multicourse tasting option and try them all.
113 20th St. N.; birminghammenus.com/cafedupont

Hot and Hot Fish Club
Chef Chris Hastings named his much-praised restaurant after his great-great-grandfather’s men’s club. A hickory-fired oven warms the open kitchen, where cooks in Hemingway caps orbit a big butcher-block island. Ask to sit at the curving chef’s counter to witness the creation of palate pleasers like crawfish bisque with asparagus flan and tomato salad with applewood-smoked bacon, fresh field peas, corn, fried okra, and chive aioli. 2180 11th Court S.; hotandhotfish club.com

John’s City Diner
This downtown mainstay had grown tired when Shannon and Shana Gober took it over in 2004. They renewed the retro-mod decor and focused on enhanced Southern comfort food. The menu offers meat loaf (“soon to be famous”), Not-Your-Mama’s Macaroni & Cheese (with prosciutto), and traditional sides like greens, grits, and buttered sweet potatoes. But chef Angela Schmidt also turns out panini, Asian-style pork ribs, crispy duck, and daily fish specials. Save room for the lemon icebox pie, “quite possibly the best known to man.” 121 21st St. N.; birminghammenus.com/johns

Little Savannah
You’ll find a warm welcome at Clif and Maureen Holt’s intimate restaurant in historic Forest Park. Chef Clif trained with Frank Stitt and shares his mentor’s yen for top-notch ingredients. His food has strong Southern roots (as in country-fried veal sweetbreads with grits and scallion gravy), with an occasional Asian or Latin flourish (Thai curry-coconut crab soup with basil and chili oil). Out back, beside a fertile kitchen garden, a long wood dining deck is a tranquil spot for supper or Sunday brunch. 3811 Clairmont Ave.; birminghammenus.com/littlesavannah

Niki’s West
Put away that cell phone and pay attention! The long line moves quickly. And you’d better have a clue when you confront the steaming line of ten entrees, thirty-plus vegetables, a surfeit of salads, and a dozen or more desserts. In the land of the meat-and-three, Niki’s West (since 1957) is king. Located just northeast of downtown, and worth pairing with a visit to the nearby Birmingham Farmer’s Market, open every day of the year. 233 Finley Ave. W.; nikiswest.com

Sol y Luna
Architect turned restaurateur Guillermo Castro conceived this Lakeview District fixture to give Southerners a true taste of his native Mexico. The menu of small plates invites friends to share several tangy tapas such as a chile-crab enchilada, salmon seviche tostada, and tomatillo lobster taco. 2811 7th Ave. S.; solyluna.net

Dram Whiskey Bar
An old filling station has given way to a new one: a wood-lined whiskey bar. Owner Tom Sheffer has roots in the Bluegrass State, so there’s burgoo on the menu and aged ceiling beams from a Kentucky warehouse. Naturally, Southern spirits prevail. Try a Smokehouse (bacon-infused Early Times, honey, bacon-strip swizzler), an Alabama Gentleman (Gentleman Jack and Buffalo Rock ginger ale), or a Sassafras Sazerac. 2721 Cahaba Rd. in Mountain Brook; dramwhiskeybar.com

The Garage
Sooner or later everyone rolls into this offbeat Southside refuge for its satisfying sandwiches and cheap brews. In warm weather head for the courtyard to sip and chat beneath the ancient wisteria, surrounded by the bays of a 1920s parking garage, which now display a picturesque jumble of statuary and other timeworn objects. Cash only, hence the on-site ATM. 2304 10th Terrace S.; garagecafe.us

The J. Clyde
Tucked away on historic brick-paved Cobb Lane, this popular pub draws a good mix of patrons with more than a hundred beers (forty on tap), a better-than-usual menu (try the vegetable boxty, a puff-pastry treat), and a roomy covered courtyard perfect for the regular jazz duo.
1312 Cobb Lane S.; jclyde.com

Jinsei
This stylish space in Homewood’s Soho Square boasts the city’s best sushi. But imbibers dig the lounge-y atmosphere, late-night scene, and cool cocktails. Try a cucumber mint mojito or a Jinsei julep (whiskey, triple sec, sour mix, muddled mint, and lime juice). 1830 29th St., Suite 125; jinseisushi.com

Aloft Hotel
Part of a fast-growing group—W Hotels’ more affordable sibling—this brand-new boutique inn channels urban chic, from sleek rooms to an indoor pool to the flowing lobby/lounge. Along with the shops and eateries of neighboring Soho Square, the Aloft adds a welcome slice of city life to suburban Homewood. 1903 29th Ave. S.; starwoodhotels.com/aloft

The Redmont
Hank Williams, Sr., may have slept here, but by the sixties this 1925 landmark was better known as a house of ill repute. After a major renovation in 1985, it reopened with appealing, larger guest rooms and spiffed-up public spaces. A new rooftop bar with an outdoor terrace opened this past spring. 2101 Fifth Ave. N.; theredmont.com

The Tutwiler
Downtown’s grande dame began life in 1914 as an upscale apartment building. A total makeover finished in 2007 restored the hotel’s lost luster. Historic photographs throughout conjure old Birmingham. Rooms feature cloud-soft bedding, the cozy bar draws local shmoozers, and Icon restaurant strikes an urbane note. 2021 Park Place N.; thetutwilerhotel.com

Alabama Booksmith
The unabridged zeal of owner Jake Reiss has made this modest building a mecca for writers as well as readers. No lattes or magazines here—just books, which Reiss purveys with rare panache. Southern, and especially Alabama, authors are well represented. 2626 19th Place S.; alabamabooksmith.com

Bare Hands Gallery
This downtown gallery functions as a nonprofit community center, directed with verve by Wendy Jarvis. The main room features contemporary paintings, sculptures, and other works by Alabama artists. But Bare Hands also hosts jazz and bluegrass performances and yoga classes. 109 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. S.; barehandsgallery.org

Clay Scot Artworks
“This is art we enjoy and want to live with,” states Darrell Ezekiel, artist and codirector (with Phillip Powell) of Clay Scot Artworks. That means not only paintings and prints but also craft objects, jewelry, wall reliefs, and other 3-D work, by artists from the South and beyond. 2915 Highland Ave.; 205-326-2350

Leaf and Petal
Yes, you’ll find plants, pruning shears, and containers at this shop at the Botanical Gardens. But experience as a magazine editor/stylist led proprietor Lydia Pursell to expand on the green theme with an eye-catching array of nature-related items, from jewelry and housewares to letterpress cards. One section displays earth-friendly bags and bangles made from felt, inner tubes, cans, and other recycled materials. A portion of sales supports the gardens’ educational programs. 2817 Cahaba Rd.; leafnpetal.com

Smith’s Variety
Smith’s has evolved and thrived since its start as a 1950s five-and-dime in Mountain Brook Village. It still sells sundries, notions, kitchen utensils, and bulk candy. But it also has a huge stock of specialty toys (wooden alphabet blocks, collectible dolls, old-fashioned games), myriad bags and totes, and a riot of party goods. Smith’s success rests on Southern tradition—locals come here for printed invitations, monogrammed baby and bridal items, hair bows to match little girls’ dresses, and free gift wrapping. No wonder it has the South’s largest ribbon selection. It’s the anti-Walmart—a small-box store. 2715 Culver Rd.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Inspired plantings and varied terrain make this diverse garden seem even larger than its 67-plus acres. It’s easy to find solitude as you wander through areas devoted to roses, rhododendrons, lilies, hostas, crape myrtles, and more. One end shelters a fern glade, the other a lovely Japanese garden complete with teahouse and torii gate, all free and open 365 days a year.
2612 Lane Park Rd.; bbgardens.org

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
As the urban epicenter of the South’s second epic struggle, Birmingham had deep wounds to heal. And this stately building—across from the 16th St. Baptist Church, site of a deadly 1963 bombing (and also worth visiting)—is both symbol and agent of that healing. It takes visitors from the birth of the Magic City to the bitter end of Jim Crow and beyond. 520 16th St. N.; bcri.org

Birmingham Museum of Art
Since its founding in 1951, this gem of the South has grown to include more than 17,000 works, representing American, African, Asian, European, Pre-Columbian, and Native American cultures. Albert Bierstadt’s astounding view of Yosemite Valley anchors a choice survey of American art and decorative arts. Under longtime director Gail Andrews, the museum has nabbed worthy traveling exhibitions, dedicated a gallery to Alabama’s remarkable folk art, and hatched a plan to expand. 2000 8th Ave. N.;
artsbma.org

Sloss Furnaces
Just east of downtown rises a metal-heavy monument to Birmingham’s industrial past. Before closing in 1970, Sloss Furnaces cranked out pig iron for ninety years. At one time Birmingham had fifty such plants, producing vast quantities of iron and smoke. Today this National Historic Landmark is the only twentieth-century blast furnace in America preserved as an industrial museum. It’s also a venue for weddings, music concerts, barbecue and beer fests, and Muse of Fire’s Shakespeare productions. Sloss is Birmingham’s Pantheon, an arrested ruin that still resonates. 20 32nd St. N.; slossfurnaces.com