It may come as a surprise to visitors of the Magic City that Birmingham chefs regularly nab some of the nation’s most-esteemed culinary accolades, but locals know good food abounds beyond the restaurant scene (and mom’s kitchen too). From the butcher and baker to chicken coop maker, Birmingham is home to a diverse and ever-growing marketplace of passionate foodies offering generous helpings of handcrafted and curated selections that put Birmingham on the Southeast’s gastronomic roadmap. This year “The Foodies” list showcases producers who are lending incomparable interest and flavor to our hometown—and they share some of their favorite finds too.

For more #bhamhandgfoodies click here or here.

Alabama Biscuit Co.

Jonathon Burch

More information Visit the Alabama Biscuit Company’s Facebook page.

A sign hangs in the window of a red brick building in Cahaba Heights  promising that the Alabama Biscuit Company is “Rising Soon.” If you’ve already had a taste of their offerings at the Pepper Place market, you’re probably as anxious as we are to see the “Now Open” sign. 

“The farm-to-table/local/pasture-based movements are here to stay, and what tastebud could complain?  People want real, honest, full-flavored food. They want fresh food and to know its source and the methods used to prepare it.”

WHAT SETS APART AN ALABAMA BISCUIT COMPANY BISCUIT FROM A TYPICAL BISCUIT? A traditional Southern flaky favorite would probably contain Crisco or some other hydrogenated vegetable oil, bleached, nutritionally-stripped, flavorless flour. Ours are gluten-free, stone-ground, healthy, organic, and nourishing. We use organic sprouted spelt flour, real organic butter, and local buttermilk, and offer a variety of natural toppings.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO ENJOY A PIPING HOT BISCUIT? Definitely almond butter and wild blueberry jelly. It takes me back to simpler days in my life every time I eat it. The best part is that you don’t have to cut the crust off like a traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

IF WINE GOES WITH BREAD AND CHEESE WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED LIBATION AND PAIRING WITH BISCUITS? I’d say the biscuit with our blueberry cobbler sauce, fresh whipped cream, and a glass of Moscato d’ Asti is a pretty strong suitor.

4133 White Oak Drive Birmingham, AL 35243

Working Cows Dairy

Jonny de Jong •  workingcowsdairy.com

The de Jong family moved from Holland to Florida in the mid-1980s to escape the cold weather and start a dairy farm. At the time, organic wasn’t a big buzz word, though most of their dairy practices were headed that way. In 1991, the family relocated  Working Cows Dairy to Slocumb, Alabama. In 2009, they became branded as Alabama’s Organic Milk—the first in the state.

DID YOU KNOW? Cows consume 40 gallons of water each day. • Dairy farmers work from early in the morning until late at night. Working Cows Dairy milks 151 cows 2 times a day on a 48-stall carousel milking barn every day of the year. • Cows average about 25 pounds of milk per day. Most cows are milked twice a day at 12 hour intervals. • Working Cows Dairy cows eat, grass, haylage, dry hay and sea salt minerals. • Cows spend approximately 20 hours a day eating grass. • There are 5 breeds of dairy cows: Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Brown Swiss, and Guernsey. We got a mix of all of them • Organic milk is produced with out any chemicals on feed or genetic modified seed.

“We like to treat the ladies good. We start with our ‘open gate’ policy. Most conventional dairies run what’s called a confinement operation, but we simply open the gates and let our cows graze like they are naturally meant to. All our cows are 100% grass fed, using no type of concentrated grain ration. And yes, the ladies have it better than we do. They all have waterbeds. But hey! The ladies come first.”

WATERBEDS? REALLY? Really. Waterbeds for cows (made from rubber and water) create a stable cushion and floating effect that helps circulation to the udder and takes stress off of pressure points. Comfortable, happy, healthy cows produce more milk.

WILL YOU START PRODUCING INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED CONTAINERS OF ORGANIC MILK FOR ALABAMA’S SCHOOLS? We are getting the labels printed now, but the public can help. We need their support by showing interest in having our products available at Birmingham and Alabama schools.

WHERE ARE YOUR MILK PRODUCTS SOLD IN THE BIRMINGHAM AREA? Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Fresh Market, Piggly Wiggly (Homewood, Liberty Park, Clairmont Ave, and Crestline Village), Western supermarkets (Mountain Brook, Rocky Ridge, and on Highland Ave), V. Richards, Freshfully, and Organic Harvest in Hoover. For other locations in Alabama, visit workingcowsdairy.com. Visitors are welcome to the farm in Slocumb any time. Milk and milk-based products such as soap and lotion are available at farm prices.

What goes better with milk than cookies? Try this classic cookie recipe made with fresh butter churned from cream from the farm.

3/4 cups butter
1 egg (click here for Coop and Caboodle Foodie’s story)
½ cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix butter, shortening, egg, and sugar. Add flour and baking soda. Stir in vanilla and chips. Drop rounded teaspoonfulls on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 7 minutes.

Seeds Coffee Co.

Taylor McCall • seedscoffee.com

What is one fact about coffee and/or its production that would most surprise people? The average wage a coffee farmer receives for a pound of coffee versus the average amount a cafe in America sells a pound of the same coffee is significantly different. Also, coffee is technically seeds not beans.

For Taylor McCall and his business partners, peaching the Gospel is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee. He sees the simple seeds as a universal bond and a way to reach a diverse group of people—from Birmingham to countries across the globe.  Whether you need a little soulful advice or just a good cup of Joe, Seeds serves up a fine brew, message on the side.

“Countries that grow coffee have more than climate and farmland in common. These countries are some of the most deprived nations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the world. One of the missions of Seeds is to impact local, indigenous coffee farmers with the truths of the Bible and empower the farmers to make disciples of Christ in their own cultural contexts.”

HOW DID THE SEED GET PLANTED TO BECOME COFFEE ROASTERS? One of our partners started roasting his own seeds in  a popcorn popper in his kitchen. He perfected the flavor and we decided we could make a mission through his roasting efforts. It really serves three purposes for us. It’s a resource generator to help provide for some of the things we’re trying to do missionally. Through the cafe we’re hoping to connect more and more with people and their stories. And through the farming initiative we hope to build connections and relationships with farmers overseas so that we can plant churches and help improve their coffee growing and trading processes.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO BREW A CUP OF COFFEE?  The worst way to brew coffee is to be careless with the method you are using. Coffee can taste good in any brew style if you pay attention to detail (grind size, ratio, water temp, etc)­—Our current preference is the pour over method and the press pot. However, if we were to throw out any method, it would definitely be the pod. It’s hard to get a great cup out of that. But you can definitely get a consistent average cup.

ARE THERE WAYS YOU LIKE TO ENJOY SEEDS COFFEE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP? Coffee actually makes a great marinade rub for meats. Also, it makes a great topping when ground finely and sprinkled over chocolate cream pie or similar desserts.

For a live music schedule and full list of merchandise, stop by the Seeds Coffee shop or visit seedscoffee.com.
174 Oxmoor Road • Homewood, AL 205.259.6405

Text by Katherine Cobbs • Portrait Photography by Major Adam Colbert

It may come as a surprise to visitors of the Magic City that Birmingham chefs regularly nab some of the nation’s most-esteemed culinary accolades, but locals know good food abounds beyond the restaurant scene (and mom’s kitchen too). From the butcher and baker to chicken coop maker, Birmingham is home to a diverse and ever-growing marketplace of passionate foodies offering generous helpings of handcrafted and curated selections that put Birmingham on the Southeast’s gastronomic roadmap. This year “The Foodies” list showcases producers who are lending incomparable interest and flavor to our hometown—and they share some of their favorite finds too.

For more #bhamhandgfoodies click here.

Neighborhood Hops and Vine

Chandler Busby  neighborhoodhopsandvine.com

Like most wine and beer connoisseurs, Chandler Busby got his start in college. Little did he know that the weekends spent at parties would be the start of a career path. He graduated from screw tops (before they were cool) and cheap keg beer to fine vintages and craft beer with on-the-real-job training as a bartender at Highlands Bar & Grill and later as a rep for Grass Roots distributors. Now, seven years into Neighborhood Hops & Vine, a retail beer and wine shop in the heart of Crestline Park, Chandler speaks legs, lace, and finish as a second language. He hosts regular tutoring sessions—aka wine tastings. For scheduled events, become a fan on Facebook. For general knowledge, stop by anytime.

WHAT IS YOUR PERFECT MEAL AT HOME?  V. Richard’s Braveheart ground beef with Dak’s Bourbon Barrel Smoked Black Pepper pattied up into a monster burger cooked medium and dressed with a fresh ripe tomato, blue vein cheese, and Crystal Hot Sauce on a scratch-made bun. Pair the grilling effort with Good People IPA and serve the burger with a West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Add good music, my wife and kids, and a day to sleep in.

WHAT IS A GROWLER? Plastic jugs and reusable brown glass bottles (both considered “growlers”) are available for draft beer to go. Why do you need it? Many local breweries don’t package the beer, they only brew it.

WHAT’S ALL THIS HIGH GRAVITY BEER TALK ABOUT?
The higher the malt concentration, the highter the alcohol content. Hops, a grain, balances out the malt providing each beer’s unique flavor.

The whole craft beer scene, has been like a happy wave for us to ride. All of us wine nerds crave good beer—it’s like dessert after drinking wine all day.

“When it comes to what you put in your body—whether it is food or drink— you have to trust the local vendors to do their job and bring the best offerings to you.”

You and your wife Ginger want to sit outside for a great dinner. WHERE DO YOU GO? What do you eat and drink?
Ginger and I recently enjoyed a great dinner of soft shell crab and cobia with Hirsch Grüner Veltliner on the new deck at Dyron’s. Wherever we go, we usually try to sit at the bar because it is buzzing with people, conversation, wine, beer, and cocktail action! Our absolute favorite, though, is to pull up a seat at the back bar at Highlands Bar & Grill, put my arms on 6 inches of cool marble and order oysters on the half shell with a glass of Grower Champagne. That really takes the edge off of the summer heat. I look at the wine menu to see what chef is glassing and swap beverage experiences with the bartenders.

Which do you pour most often—wine or beer? What are you drinking nowadays?
Beer seems to get my attention more now because it’s new and exciting. I love a can of Westbrook White Thai—it’s an Asian-themed wheat beer, great with savory food. For wine, I love Thevenet Macon Pierreclos, a simple, delicious white Burgundy that has been made by hand for generations by the same family. For red, Lioco’s 2009 Indica blend. It’s rustic but undeniably ripe California fruit. For weird fruit though, I like Carignan, Grenache. That wine is so authentic and complex. Both reds are under $20.

Neighborhood Hops & Vine
1109 Dunston Avenue / Birmingham, AL 35213 / 205.915.9741 / [email protected]
HOURS: Sunday & Monday:  12:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Tuesday – Saturday:  10:30 am – 8 pm

Mr. P’s Butcher Shop & Deli

Charles Pilleteri mrpdeli.com

When Mr. Charles Pilleteri opened his butcher shop in 1975, his customers asked if he had a special seasoning or rub to put on their steaks. “They said that when they were younger and went to the butcher shop with their mother, the butcher would rub their steaks with his special seasoning rub, ” says Mr. P. “I did not have anything like that. So I had a customer bring some of the seasoning that her old butcher was using so I could see what was in it. It had some ingredients like ground charcoal that are not good for us to eat. I took out the bad things and added Worcestershire powder to get that marinated look and taste along with garlic, onion, black pepper, and a little salt. We went through several samples before we had the taste and appearance we wanted. That was the first Pilleteri product. We named it Pilleteri’s Original Seasoning and Rub. Today there are 10 Pilleteri’s Seasonings to choose from.”

“I started putting our products in grocery stores in 1990. Back then, I was selling out of the trunk of my car. Today we have seven salesmen distributing our products across Alabama and the Florida panhandle.”

FAVORITE KITCHEN TOOL? A heavy skillet is key. I love to brown meat on both sides then cut the heat to a simmer and cover to bake the inside just as I like. The key is to eat the meat while it is still hot and juicy. This works for steaks, pork chops, and chicken.

WHAT DO YOU DRINK WITH A GREAT STEAK? A Red Wine—Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir are good choices. At Mr. P’s when you buy meat and wine at the same time you get $1.00 off each bottle of wine. Of course in the South, sweet tea or a favorite beer is not bad either.

Mr. P’s Guide to a Perfect Steak
1. Buy Mr. P’s fresh-cut steak. 
2. Have Mr.P’s rub your steak in Pilleteri’s Marinade.
3. You can freeze your steak with Pilleteri’s Seasoning Rub on them at this point.
4. Sear steaks on both sides either in the skillet or on the grill.
5. Reduce heat to low or move to indirect heat on the grill and cook the inside as rare as you like. Enjoy your steak hot and juicy.

Today people are accustomed to getting their meat pre-cut, portioned, and shrink-wrapped at chain grocers and big box stores. Why is it better to buy from a butcher like Mr. P’s?
Most grocery stores are getting their meat from a central cutting warehouse. The pre-cut meat comes frozen. At Mr. P’s we cut our steaks, pork chops, and roasts by hand with a knife. Our meat is not frozen before we cut it and has been aged 21 days or longer. We call our hamburger ground sirloin and it is 100% steak. We grind round steak mixed with pieces of other steaks like New York strip, ribeye and filet mignon that are not big enough to sell as a single steak. We also make special meats like our homemade sausages and stuffed pork chops.

What old-fashioned cuts are experiencing a renaissance among cooks today?
I sold oxtails at my father’s grocery store in the 60’s. Customers would boil them, then grill them. Today’s recipes for oxtail use them as a good substitute for lamb shanks in braised dishes like Osso Bucco.

What is the most popular item from the butcher shop? What is the biggest seller in the deli?
We make our homemade Italian sausage fresh daily from a recipe my great grandfather brought to this country from Italy in the 1800s. My family made it in Italy for their village before we started making it here in our first Birmingham grocery store (Supreme Super Market) in 1934. Our holiday best seller is bacon-wrapped filet mignons rubbed in Pilleteri’s Seasoning Rub. Our best selling deli sandwich is the ribeye steak sandwich. We cook a whole boneless rib roast seasoned with Pilleteri’s Seasoning Rub. We add Pilleteri’s Liquid Marinade to the pan drippings to make the Au Jus for each ribeye sandwich.

Mr. P’s Butcher Shop & Deli
813 Shades Crest Rd / Birmingham, AL 35226
205.823.6136

Text by Katherine Cobbs • Portrait Photography by Major Adam Colbert

It may come as a surprise to visitors of the Magic City that Birmingham chefs regularly nab some of the nation’s most-esteemed culinary accolades, but locals know good food abounds beyond the restaurant scene (and mom’s kitchen too). From the butcher and baker to chicken coop maker, Birmingham is home to a diverse and ever-growing marketplace of passionate foodies offering generous helpings of handcrafted and curated selections that put Birmingham on the Southeast’s gastronomic roadmap. This year “The Foodies” list showcases producers who are lending incomparable interest and flavor to our hometown—and they share some of their favorite finds too.

Goodies Ice Cream

Neil Patrick goodiesicecream.com

Before the food truck phenom, there was the ice cream man. “Most folks don’t know it’s a family business, ” Neil says. “Owner, Fred Shain, was originally a Good Humor ice cream man in New York in the 60s. He moved to Texas to start his own business, Goodies Ice Cream. Finding too many trucks already on the road, he moved to Alabama and grew his business here.”

Anybody who lives in Mountain Brook or Homewood knows Neil Patrick, aka “The Ice Cream Man.” And if you didn’t know his name, you certainly recognize his truck’s jingle. Our children (and us before them), seem to have a keen ear for the familiar tune and always just enough change to get their favorite summer treat. For 25 years, Neil has served our communities. Next time he’s out, indulge your inner child. C’mon. You know you want that Bomb Pop!

“I have the most fun job in the world!!!!! Who can really say they are not happy when the ice cream truck comes by? In the end it’s a business. But who says you can’t have fun at work? I remember a saying that goes like this…if you like what you do for work then you’re not really working.” — Neil Patrick

DID YOU KNOW? Goodies offers 47 different items on the truck. Three other varieties are available for special events.

Click here to connect with Goodies Ice Cream on Facebook.

Coop & Caboodle

Growing up on a farm and raising her first chickens at age 12, Melissa Allphin became familiar with feathered friends and fresh food early on. She flew the coop for chef school and a career as a nutritionist for Cooking Light but returned to the flock when her son was diagnosed with cancer. Melissa wanted to offer her family the same healthy eating habits she enjoyed as a child. “Clean food is such an important part of a healthy diet. Organic and non-GMO (genetically modified organism) are critically important to us as we see cancer on the rise. It’s my way of fighting back, ” Melissa says.

Coop and Caboodle sells and rents free-range chickens and coops. For rentals, customers receive two hens, a coop, and feed for six months ($375). Coops are eco-friendly and locally constructed. Melissa sells her fresh eggs at local farmer’s markets. To find her, like her page on Facebook. To see her hens in action, stop by Leaf & Petal in Mountain Brook Village.

“I love good food—the fresher and simpler the better. Eggs are an integral part of so many of our meals. I wanted to provide the freshest, most nutritious eggs I could possibly produce and that meant raising hens myself. Finding hens raised and fed a non-GMO feed is difficult. The coops are a natural by-product of our egg enterprise, and who doesn’t love a cute coop?” — Melissa Allphin

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EGG? Most grocery store eggs come from chickens raised in a 4- by 8-inch area. Free-range commerical eggs simply mean they have access to the outdoors which might mean just one small door opening to a tiny yard for 10, 000 chickens. My hens have access to fresh grass, bugs, and sunshine every single day, and they are grass-fed. Any supplemental feed is of the highest quality. Eggs are rated 1 to 5 (5 being the top rated) and some of the eggs sold are not rated at all, meaning they are just too low to even score. Top-rated eggs are almost always small to medium-sized from a farmer who is doing things just right. Currently we have no top-rated egg farmers in Alabama. That’s something I plan to change! I expect my eggs to be at least a 4!

FAST SKILLET NESTLED EGGS

4 slices good-quality bacon
2 cups shredded raw potato
4 freshly laid eggs (from Coop and Caboodle)
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

1. Place bacon slices in 12-inch skillet and cook on medium-high until crispy. Remove bacon leaving bacon fat in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside. (Pour off vegetable oil.)
2. Return skillet back to heat and add shredded potato. Cook 5-6 minutes or until potatoes are browned on first side. Add crumbled bacon evenly over top of potatoes, flip potatoes to cook other side.
3. Immediately make 4 wells in potatoes and crack a fresh egg into each well. Continue cooking until eggs are just set (4-5 minutes) and place on individual plates, separating eggs’ “nests”.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4

ITALIAN STYLE BAKED EGGS

4 thinly sliced pieces of Prosciutto ham
4 thinly sliced pieces fresh Mozzarella
6 basil leaves, divided
4 Freshly laid eggs
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 350º.
2. Coat 4 ramekins or a cupcake pan with cook  
    ing spray. Drape 1 slice or ham into each hole.
3. Layer 1 slice of Mozzarella cheese onto ham slice in each ramekin and top with 1 basil leaf.
4. Crack fresh eggs into each ramekin. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until egg is set.
5. While eggs are baking, roll and thinly slice remaining basil leaves; set aside.
6. Remove baked eggs from oven and place 1 ramekin on each of 4 individual plates. Top with remaining sliced basil. Serve immediately.
Serves 4

PROSCIUTTO AND POTATO BAKED EGGS

This is a combination of both above recipes.

4 thinly sliced pieces of Prosciutto ham
11/3 cups cooked shredded potatoes
4 freshly laid eggs
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 350º.
2. Coat 4 ramekins or cupcake pan with cooking spray and drape 1 slice of ham into each hole.
3. Spoon 1/3 cup shredded potato into the ramekin, making a well for the egg to rest.
4. Crack fresh eggs into each ramekin. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until egg is set.
5. Remove baked eggs from oven and place 1 ramekin on 4 individual plates. Season to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4

Text by Katherine Cobbs • Portrait Photography by Major Adam Colbert