Bottega, Helen, and Little Bird Chefs Shared the Recipes You’ll Want to Make at Home

A Gathering in Fairhope

Fairhope is the kind of town that makes you want to slow down — bayfront porches, live oaks heavy with moss, a downtown built for wandering. So when word came that four of the South’s most celebrated chefs were gathering there for a single night of cooking, just for each other, it didn’t take much convincing to make the drive.

The evening belonged to Bill Briand, chef and founder of Little Bird, who had invited three old friends to join him behind the stove: Frank Stitt of Bottega and Chez Fonfon, Rob McDaniel of Helen and Bayonet, and Adam Evans of Automatic Seafood & Oysters. Together they’d become known, affectionately, as “the Bama Boys” — a nod to years of crossing paths at each other’s restaurants, at industry dinners, at the kind of gatherings where great cooks end up trading notes long after the kitchen has closed.

This particular evening traced back to a tradition Briand started years ago at Fisher’s in Orange Beach: Southern Grace dinners, built on a simple premise — invite the friends whose cooking you admire most, and let them loose in your kitchen. At Little Bird, which Briand opened in 2025 alongside Robert and Bentley Evans of Deep Roots Restaurant Group, that tradition found a new home. The format hasn’t changed: a cocktail reception, a five-course dinner paired course by course, and a room full of strangers who leave as something closer to friends.

Courses, Pairing, and Community

Arriving early, there was time to slip behind the swinging kitchen door before the first guests took their seats. The mood back there was loose and bright — four chefs in their whites, trading good-natured jabs, walking through the night’s courses like old teammates running a familiar play: Warm Asparagus with Crawfish from Stitt, Oyster & Leek Soup from McDaniel, Crab-Crusted Red Snapper from Briand, Speck-Wrapped Swordfish from Evans. Briand’s own staff moved through the space with the same ease, the kind of quiet confidence that comes from a kitchen that trusts each other.

Eventually, hospitality called from the other side of the door. Cocktails were poured, passed hors d’oeuvres made their way through the room, and it was time to trade the kitchen for a seat at the table — a hard trade to make, but the right one. Each course arrived paired with a wine chosen by Little Bird’s wine director, Will Jones, who worked the room with the easy authority of someone who genuinely loves what’s in the glass. Course by course, the evening unspooled the way the best dinner parties do: unhurried, a little loud, full of new introductions and old stories.

A Lasting Legacy and Recipes to Try

By the time the last of the coconut ice cream profiterole had disappeared from the plate, no one at the table seemed in any hurry to leave. There was a final round of drinks, a last toast among the Bama Boys to a good night’s work — and already, the easy talk of when the next one might happen.

That’s the real takeaway from a night like this one: you don’t need four James Beard–adjacent chefs in your kitchen to borrow the spirit of it. You need good company, a menu built with care, and a table set for the people you love. Below, three recipes from the evening — including the tomato pie worth planning a whole dinner around.

PLAN YOUR OWN NIGHT IN FAIRHOPE

Fairhope has earned comparisons to Carmel-by-the-Sea, and it’s easy to see why — a walkable downtown, sweeping views of Mobile Bay, and a pace of life that encourages lingering. If a dinner at Little Bird is the draw, make a weekend of it. A few favorites:

• The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection — A Point Clear landmark since 1847, with sweeping Mobile Bay views, golf, spa amenities, and old-school Southern hospitality.
• Jubilee Suites — A boutique bed-and-breakfast perched on the bay, minutes from downtown Fairhope, with sunset views, made-to-order breakfasts, and complimentary kayaks and paddleboards.
• Emma’s Bay House — A quieter, cottage-style stay within walking distance of the pier and downtown shops — intimate, charming, and classically Fairhope.

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THE RECIPES

BOTTEGA’S TORTELLINI SALAD

Recipe by Chef Frank Stitt, adapted for the home cook

SERVES 8

Ingredients

• Sweet yellow corn, enough to yield 2½ cups kernels
• 1 large red onion, enough to yield one cup when diced
• 1 pound cheese tortellini (fresh or refrigerated, such as Rana 5 Cheese or Tricolor Cheese Tortellini)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup mozzarella, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons seeded and minced jalapeño (optional)
• ⅓ cup aioli
• ½ cup sherry–red wine vinaigrette
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high heat. Lightly oil corn and grill, turning often, until lightly charred on all sides. Remove and cool.
2. Slice red onion into 1-inch-thick rings, brush lightly with oil, and grill until charred. Cool, then dice; you will need 1 cup.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and cool slightly. Cut corn kernels from the cob, and place in a large bowl with tomatoes, mozzarella, and diced onion. Stir in parsley, basil, and jalapeño, if using.
4. Add aioli and vinaigrette; toss gently to combine. Fold in cooked tortellini, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve chilled or at room temperature, on its own or over salad greens.

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HELEN TOMATO PIE

Recipe by Rob McDaniel of Helen, adapted for the home cook

SERVES 8-10

Ingredients

• 2 prepared refrigerated piecrusts
• 10–12 medium ripe tomatoes (about baseball-size), sliced ¼-inch thick
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pound prepared white pimento cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Fit piecrusts into 2 (9-inch) pie plates. Line with parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans; bake 15 minutes. Remove weights, and bake 5 minutes more, until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
2. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then top with another layer of paper towels. Let rest at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate several hours) to draw out excess moisture.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Layer tomatoes tightly into prepared crusts, slightly overlapping slices and filling pies to the top.
4. Spread pimento cheese evenly over each pie, covering tomatoes completely.
5. Bake 20–25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
6. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

HOME COOK NOTES: Store-bought pimento cheese works beautifully here; look for a high-quality Southern-style version with white cheddar. Depending on size, expect to use about 5–6 tomatoes per pie. Allowing the tomatoes to drain before baking is the key to preventing a soggy crust.

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OYSTER SALAD WITH WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Recipe by Bill Briand of Little Bird Restaurant, Fairhope, AL

SERVES 4-6

HOME COOK NOTES: Ask your seafood market to shuck the oysters for convenience. For extra flavor, use a stone-ground Creole mustard. The warm bacon vinaigrette also pairs beautifully with grilled shrimp or roasted vegetables.

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Red Fox on the Run

For more conversation with Chef Bill Briand, tune in to “Red Fox on the Run” with Christiana Roussel. Available on YouTube, iHeart, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

More From Our Kitchen

• Make-ahead recipes