Persistence sometimes
pays off, when it comes to love
and nonstop tweeting.

• • •

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The heart keeps racing
long after the terror has
subsided. Fear wins.

• • •

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One breath means yes, two
breaths mean no. But ongoing
breaths mean confusion.

• • •

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Roast Pork Loin Stuffed with Rosemary, Bacon, and Onions,
from a recipe in “Frank Stitt’s Southern Table.”
Photos by Jason Horn.

By Jason Horn

I make a dish a week (or so) from “Ad Hoc at Home,” by Thomas Keller, arguably America’s greatest chef. Everything’s made from scratch, using time- and labor-intensive methods.

It is my summertime personal quest, The Thomas Keller Challenge, documented on the Messy Epicure.

But how would Keller fare against Birmingham’s indisputably best chef, Frank Stitt?

The plan

1. Choose similar recipes from “Ad Hoc at Home” and “Frank Stitt’s Southern Table” [aff. links]: stuffed pork roast and coconut cake.
2. Spend a day-and-a-half in an orgy of cooking.
3. Have foodie friends over to judge the fracas.

The results

I’m sad to report that our hometown contender put up a valiant effort, but came up short.

Both roasts were delicious, but Keller’s version was legendary, while Stitt’s recipe merely great. I think the brining in Keller’s instructions left the pork perfectly moist. The fig and balsamic jam stuffing was sublime as well.

Stitt won the cake battle, though only by a nose. Both versions had some issues: Keller’s cake is a bit dry, while Stitt’s cake collapsed after baking (this seven-layer cake had just five layers). Of the near-identical meringue frostings, Keller’s recipe is much easier to make. My ultimate coconut cake would pair Stitt’s pastry-cream filling and rich cake with Keller’s meringue.

Recipes, after the jump …

Continued »

Beyond the madness,
tears and wreckage, the world is
really beautiful.

• • •

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By Brian Heptinstall

In creating a recipe that best represents Alabama, I couldn’t help but think of the shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. The quality of the shrimp hasn’t suffered one bit despite the recent BP oil spill disaster.

I came up with Greek Salad with Gulf Shrimp, a simple, yet perfectly matched summer salad that takes a cue from Birmingham’s rich Greek culture.

The salad alone isn’t necessarily special, but the sweetness coming from the grilled shrimp adds another layer of flavor you can get only from the Gulf. For another great taste, try grilling these shrimp with Old Bay or Creole seasoning.

• • •

Photo by Brian Heptinstall.

Greek Salad with Gulf Shrimp

• Preparation time: 30-45 minutes
• Cooking time: 10 minutes
• Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup olive oil

Salad:

• 1 package spring salad mix
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 1 jar kalamata olives, pitted, sliced
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, diced
• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
• 3-5 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Dressing: In a bowl, add all ingredients together except the olive oil. Mix well, and slowly add in oil while constantly stirring. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, be sure to stir again as the dressing might separate.

Salad: Place the spring/romaine mix in a bowl big enough to toss the salad. Add feta, tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts. Refrigerate.

(Use your judgment in ingredient quantities for the salad. We suggest making the salad in layers.)

Place shrimp on skewers. Right before placing the shrimp on hot grill, drizzle with olive oil and lightly dust with salt and pepper (Old Bay or Creole seasoning would also be good). Grill shrimp until done, and remove from heat. (Be careful not to burn yourself when taking shrimp off the skewers.)

Add shrimp to the salad. Pour dressing, toss and serve.

• • •

Also:

• Is Gulf seafood safe? Reports from the Associated Press | Mother Jones Magazine | New York Times
• Sugar and Spice by Celeste’s recipe for Roasted Shrimp and Orzo.
• Stay Hungry’s recipe for Chile Shrimp.
• The Messy Epicure’s recipe for locally sourced gumbo.

• • •

Gadsden native Brian Heptinstall (@bheptin) writes the AL.com blog Food and Farce and produces how-to videos featuring his favorite foods from Walt Disney World on A Taste of Disney. A classically trained chef, he has worked in several top kitchens including Mar-A-Lago, the Four Seasons, Il Cioppino Italian Restaurant and the PGA Resort and Spa.

• • •

Hungry for more? Check out the menu of Birmingham’s Best Eats!

Time to go after
one last kiss. Time to find the
last one true soulmate.

• • •

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Trattoria Centrale offers breakfast on weekdays, but
Breakfast ’Za during Sunday brunch only. Photo by Brad Daly.

By Glenny Brock and Brad Daly

Pizza for breakfast is often inelegant. Even the finest pie can lose its piquancy after being stored overnight in cardboard next to desiccating lemon wedges and other odds and ends in your refrigerator.

Happily, the guys at Trattoria Centrale have a decidedly different approach to early morning pizza: They put an egg on it.

“The egg functions as the sauce,” says Geoff Lockert, co-owner of the downtown pizzeria. “Even on a breakfast pizza, we could use other things for the sauce, but we feel the egg creates a good bit of texture.”

Trattoria Centrale serves Breakfast ’Za ($3 per slice) at Sunday brunch only. Lockert’s partner Brian Somershield starts the pie with dough, then adds diced potatoes, scallions, bacon, sausage, mozzarella, Fontina and Pecorino Romano. Each serving is made to order: Somershield fries an egg as soon as a slice goes in the oven.

“On the pickup, we pull the pizza out and put the egg on it right when the yolk is nice and runny,” Lockert says. “We add a little salt and pepper, and that’s it.”

The result is nearly a religious experience. Once you’ve had Trattoria Centrale-style pizza for breakfast, cold leftovers just won’t cut it.

• • •

Trattoria Centrale

• 207 20th St. N., downtown [map]
• (205) 202-5612
• Trattoriacentrale.com
• Hours: 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday

• • •

Also:

• Bhamwiki: Trattoria Centrale
• Birmingham News: “Za Za Trattoria is now Trattoria Centrale”
• Anthro101′s review of Trattoria Centrale
• Pavo Magazine Q&A with Trattoria Centrale’s co-owners Geoff Lockert and Brian Somershield.

• • •

Writer Glenny Brock (@glennybrock) and photographer Brad Daly (@bwdaly) launched the Birmingham food blog Stay Hungry (@stayhungrybham) in June. He cooks, she writes, and they both eat, thoughtfully.

• • •

Hungry for more? Check out the menu of Birmingham’s Best Eats!

To be unknown in
a public age, suspect for
remaining subtle.

• • •

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The marinated slaw from Zoës Kitchen pairs
cabbage with feta. Photo by John-Bryan Hopkins.

By John-Bryan Hopkins

Nothing says Southern at a family get-together, potluck or cookout like a bowl of slaw sitting alongside deviled eggs and baked beans. Coleslaw seems to be a common thread that pulls these meals together.

(“Coleslaw” is an anglicization of the Dutch word koolsla, a shortening of koolsalade, meaning “cabbage salad.”)

Unfortunately, I’ve never been a fan, being more of a meat-and-potatoes guy when it comes to Southern food. (Side dishes are those “other things” littering the table.) The first thing that comes to mind is the milky, mushy, chopped cabbage/carrot concoction — usually too sweet for my taste.

That was until I stumbled upon the marinated slaw at Zoës Kitchen a couple of years ago. My opinions completely changed in a single bite. The fresh, thinly sliced white cabbage paired with feta cheese and a little olive oil makes for a wonderful combination.

Soon, slaw went from a rare side dish to a staple in the refrigerator. It is not uncommon to find me visiting the Birmingham-based chain to replenish my stockpile of quart-size containers ($6.95).

Choosing the right side dish can make or break a meal. I haven’t found many things that don’t go well with this slaw. Zoës’ version hits it out of the ballpark and onto my plate every time.

• • •

Zoës Kitchen

• Five locations in the Birmingham area
• Zoeskitchen.com

• • •

Also:

• Bhamdining.com capsule on Zoës Kitchen.
• Southern Foodways Alliance interview with Zoë Cassimus, co-founder of Zoës Kitchen.
• Magic City Mom review of Zoës Kitchen.
• Bhamwiki: Zoës Kitchen.

• • •

Birmingham’s John-Bryan Hopkins loves talking about food facts, their origins and, most of all, what food means to us.

His site/blog is Foodimentary (@Foodimentary).

• • •

Hungry for more? Check out the menu of Birmingham’s Best Eats!

Call. No answer. Call.
Voicemail. E-mail. No reply.
Avoidance as game.

• • •

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1. The only political or social cause you’ve ever been involved with was to legalize stronger beer. (@david_carter)
2. You can’t stop wishing corruption didn’t kill City Stages. #didanybody’schecknotbounce? (@sandybirmingham)
3. You’ve never used public transportation in Birmingham. (@bwdaly)
4. You go to a “meat n’ three” because someone said that they have “good vegetables.” (@rebecca_morrow)
5. Your panhandler rides a nicer bike than yours. (@WadeOnTweets)
6. You think Surin is a really nice restaurant. (@Iva4Gov)
7. You’re a judge with a law degree from an unaccredited law school. (@bwdaly)
8. You can do an impression of Bill Bolen saying “Momma.” (@bwdaly)
9. You are sitting around trying to think up clever sayings for #You’reSoBirminghamIf. (@filamentartists)
10. You say “Vulcan” and not “The Vulcan.” (@CreekRat)
11. You’ve never lived in a real city and don’t understand how bad things are here. (@bwdaly)
12. You used to drink beer at Norm’s. (@CreekRat)
13. You grew up 30+ miles out in the suburbs, but still claim the ‘ham as your “hometown.” (@feralparakeet)
14. You know the truth of Birmingham retail: If you can’t park and see it, the shop is unlikely to survive. (@politicalparlor)
15. You’ve ever wanted to get the clippers after James Spann’s hair to shave that little center part off. (@StaceyHood)
16. You bought your 205 jersey at a yard sale or Goodwill. (@WadeOnTweets)
17. You voted for Ruben, Bo and Taylor. (@sandybirmingham)
18. You constantly tell people how awesome Birmingham is, even though you know it’s a lie. (@david_carter)
19. You don’t know how to get over the mountain without using 65 or 31/280. (@bwdaly)
20. You can drive from downtown to the Inverness Target without getting on 280. (@piercingwit)
21. Anyone you ever elected went to jail. (@WadeOnTweets)
22. You discussed how sad you were when the Stallions and the Fire folded, but you never went to a game. (@MellowBHAM)
23. You wish the Iron Bowl was moved back to Legion Field. (@Iva4Gov)
24. You’ve always wanted copies of the Legion Field lions to guard your driveway. (@theCapNdavid)
25. You’re one of the badasses from @BAAMfest who proved you don’t need the city government to put on a successful festival. (@bwdaly)
26. You have to fly through a hub in Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, etc. to get to the West Coast. (@Iva4Gov)
27. You judge the severity of severe weather by how James Spann is dressed. (Coat off, sleeves up: Better pay attention!) (@kristenmstewart)
28. You went to an all-white or all-black school. (@bwdaly)
29. Your only political trope is race. (@bwdaly)
30. You’ve ever heard slot machines described as part of the civil rights movement. (@chris_depew)
31. You prefer faith to knowledge. (@bwdaly)
32. You’ve had a supermarket checkout person refuse to sell you beer at 11:53 a.m. on a Sunday. (@messyepicure)
33. You remember going to Century Plaza! (@briancauble)
34. Your megachurch has its own ZIP code. (@WadeOnTweets)
35. You’ve dressed up as a former Jefferson County commissioner for Halloween. (@UrbanPat)
36. You confess to friends that your parents were racists … “but I’m not!” (@collirp)
37. You pick a lunch place solely based on its dancing sign guy. (@WadeOnTweets)
38. You have a favorite Mike Royer hairpiece. (@joey__t)
39. You kill the messenger. (@bwdaly)
40. You believe “progress” requires the destruction of our history. (@tbdcreativeinc)
41. You don’t valet. (@Iva4Gov)
42. You’ve moved out of the city, but still keep whining about its leaders. (@seankelley)
43. The compass on your iPhone points toward Vulcan. (@andyspain)
44. You have hope and work for change despite the naysayers. (@bikeskirt)
45. You are so paranoid about what outsiders think you can’t laugh at your own expense. (@chris_depew)
46. You drink Grapico and Buffalo Rock. (@Iva4Gov)
47. The new Bass Pro Shops store is a destination for you. (@aathu)
48. You look forward to seeing what Mickey Ferguson is going to do on Halloween! (@Iva4Gov)
49. Your life was enhanced by Cecil Whitmire. (@bwdaly)
50. You do that ghetto “Electric Slide” to every damn song. (@yendisak)
51. You know not to read the comments on AL.com. (@Owsley9)
52. You go off-roading on unpaved city streets. (@WadeOnTweets)
53. You know Marty and Ona really well. (@aathu)
54. You whine that criticism is part of the problem. (@bwdaly)
55. You can’t find the humor in the negatives. (@filamentartists)
56. You use Dale’s Steak Seasoning. (@Iva4Gov)
57. You have no idea of the pernicious effect of college football on Alabama’s public university system. (@bwdaly)
58. You remember seeing Survivor @WrightCenterSU. (@WrightCenterSU)
59. You’ve known or met at least two people that have worked for EBSCO. (@rebecca_morrow)
60. You whine about metro traffic but would never dream of taking a bus. (@AR_Kirby)
61. Your favorite sports team is at the college level or below. (@khcreative)
62. You pop a woody every time a new chain store or chain restaurant opens. (@bwdaly)
63. You helped elect Larry Langford mayor without a runoff. (@bwdaly)
64. You grew up wanting to live in the big city and ended up in Birmingham. (@WadeOnTweets)
65. You recognize something good must be afoot, if the naysayers come out play. (@Owsley9)
66. You wish the Birmingham Barons played more games at Rickwood (and actually in Birmingham). (@politicalparlor)
67. You’d drive downtown for hockey but not to Hoover for baseball. (@WadeOnTweets)
68. You’re generous. Birmingham is ranked as the most charitable city in the United States! http://bit.ly/aEiJXW (@alabamapossible)
69. You have the front of Vulcan as your view instead of the butt. (@motionmind)
70. You confuse tourists needing directions and say, “Follow me …” (@aathu)
71. You know the steam table at Fife’s. Yum. #ILoveBirmingham (@Jerry_Griffies)
72. You remember when Dreamland only had ribs, white bread and sauce. (@StaceyHood)
73. You’ve ever spent a week’s pay on a tailgate party. (@chris_depew)
74. Your political campaign has distributed flyers calling your opponent an Uncle Tom. (@bwdaly)
75. You give and understand directions that are nothing but numbers: 31, 280, 459, 150, 119 … (@KnowTea)
76. You write a blog post for @aldotcom about this hashtag. http://ow.ly/2vmWd (@KristenHeptin)
77. You’re addicted to Milo’s sweet tea. (@aathu)
78. You are a struggling freelancer. (@filamentartists)
79. You learn that you and the person you just met have seven mutual acquaintances. (@AR_Kirby)
80. Your “minister” was part of Richard Scrushy’s Amen Mafia. (@bwdaly)
81. You miss Ollie’s barbecue. (@DrNemoJr)
82. You have no sense of irony. (@bwdaly)
83. Everybody in your circle is banging one another. (@yendisak)
84. You think Pam Huff has been on TV for too long. (@aathu)
85. Your parking meter is actually a sawed-off pole. (@WadeOnTweets)
86. You are sick and tired of hearing the word “potential.” (@filamentartists)
87. Your sewer bill could pay for clean drinking water for three African villages. (@sandybirmingham)
88. Most of your tweets are about shopping. (@bwdaly)
89. Everyone you know — grannies, hippies and pastors included — is in at least one football pool. (@chris_depew)
90. You don’t tell your customers who you pull for in the Iron Bowl because you don’t want them to hold this against you. (@APPRAISALSOURCE)
91. You have a favorite BBQ joint, sports talk show, hot dog place, high-grav brew and wing shack. (@WadeOnTweets)
92. You had a dream last night featuring Jim Skinner. (I did.) (@bwdaly)
93. Your former mayor is a shopping addict. And is now in jail. (@cmhallua)
94. You only spend money in the Lakeview District drinking. (@aathu)
95. You buy sweet tea at the grocery store. (@juliesenter)
96. You’ve ever felt sick when you heard someone say “the neighborhood changed” and realized what they meant. (@glennybrock)
97. You call Pam Huff “Ham Puff.” (@bwdaly)
98. You have more square feet of TV than linear feet of books. (@bwdaly)
99. You aspire to live in Hoover. (@aathu)
100. You jus’ got you one o’ nem “tweeter pages.” (@aathu)
101. You ignore the fact that most of the city’s population is poor and struggling, while you just care about lunch/bars/events. (@david_carter)

The full list of #YoureSoBirminghamIf tweets from Aug. 26, 2010.

• • •

Read more Wade’s 101.

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Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q serves chicken superior
to the other joints in Birmingham.
Photos by Jason Horn.

By Jason Horn

One barbecue rule we’ve found to be universal: The more anthropomorphic the pigs on the sign or in the restaurant, the better the food. Don’t laugh, it’s true.

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q has shelves covered with dozens of pigs, doing all kinds of human activities. This red-roofed cathedral of smoked chicken sits just a couple blocks from the Summit shopping center, in the Cahaba Heights section of Vestavia Hills.

Inside, the place resembles all great barbecue joints: a little dingy, a little dark and featuring at least two photos of the legendary Bear.

But the food.

It’s chicken that makes Miss Myra’s the best in town. This restaurant’s version is five times smokier than anyone else’s, perfectly juicy and the reason Alabama white sauce was invented. (That’s a barbecue sauce based in mayonnaise, rather than tomato sauce.) A dark-meat plate ($6.25) consists of a leg and thigh, bread, a pickle and two side dishes.

Make sure to order a deviled egg for one side dish. They’re the absolute best we’ve ever had: nice and mustard-tangy but still creamy and dense.

And don’t forget a slice of home-style pie ($2.75). Four or five kinds are on display daily, from Key lime to coconut to a lemon meringue that’s a good 4 inches tall. All are delicious.

Key lime pie is one of the handful of varieties
available at Miss Myra’s every day.

• • •

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q

• 3278 Cahaba Heights Road, Vestavia Hills [map]
• (205) 967-6004
• Missmyrasbbq.com
• Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday

• • •

Also:

• Reviews of Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q from Boston Globe | Gastronomy | Marie, Let’s Eat | Wall Street Journal.
• Birmingham News: recipe for Miss Myra’s white sauce.

• • •

Jason Horn (@messyepicure) is a Birmingham writer, sometime culinary student and big fan of zombie movies who blogs at The Messy Epicure.

• • •

Hungry for more? Check out the menu of Birmingham’s Best Eats!

Weeks pass, and the heat
subsides little by little
for times autumnal.

• • •

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sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com

Actor Adrian Grenier is returning for another opening night in Birmingham.

Sort of.

The “Entourage” star directed the documentary “Teenage Paparazzo,” which opens the 2010 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival on Sept. 24. Grenier also stars in the movie. He was also in the 2008 Sidewalk opening night film, “Adventures of Power.”

“Teenage Paparazzo” features 13-year-old photographer Austin Visschedyk and Grenier as they develop a relationship based on fame, celebrity and mutual exploitation. Grenier turns the tables on his pursuer by filming Austin and his budding career as a paparazzo.

Also added to the lineup:

• Closing night film “Brotherhood,” with Jon Foster and Trevor Morgan.
• “The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan,” by director and producer Henry Corra.
• “Dogtooth” from director, producer and writer Giorgos Lanthimos,
• “Black, White and Blues,” starring Michael Clarke Duncan, Luke Perry, Taryn Manning and Alabama’s Morgan Simpson, and directed by Mario Van Peebles.

• • •

‘Teenage Paparazzo’

• Starring Alec Baldwin, Lewis Black, Noam Chomsky, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Jake Halpem, Paris Hilton, Perez Hilton, Martin Landau, Lindsay Lohan, Eva Longoria Parker, Mario Lopez, Rosie O’Donnell, Michelle Rodriguez and Jaleel White.
• Directed by Adrian Grenier.
• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Sidewalk page
• 8 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Alabama Theatre.
• Scheduled to attend: co-producer Evan Ferrante.

• • •

The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival takes place Sept. 24-26 in downtown Birmingham. Tickets: three-day pass, $50, $40 for members and students; one-day pass, $20, $15 for members and students.

• • •

The lineup is set, but which movies will you see? Let us know in the comments.

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.