By LeNell Camacho Santa Ana
Never say never. When I left the city in 2000 for the big lights of NYC, I never thought I’d come back to find Birmingham, Alabama filled with so many food and drink options to keep even a big city girl happy. I said I would never move back to the ‘Ham but when my husband and I visited in 2011, we were so impressed by the prevalence of delicious cocktails, craft beers, and farm-fresh foods that we decided to call it home.
Steva Casey, bartender at Veranda on Highland and the Alabama Restaurant Association’s 2012 Bartender of the Year, believes that Birmingham is a burgeoning playground for cocktail enthusiasts with bar staff eager to explore new flavors much like the chefs that they work for. Asking restaurant and bar insiders for recommendations is always a great way to initiate a tasting tour. She loves to hang out at Bettola and Hot and Hot for cocktails and catch a beer at the Garage. For eats, she says don’t miss Satterfields, Pho Que Huong, Miss Myra’s, and Niki’s.
Since Ollie Irene was nominated for the James Beard’s Best New Restaurant for 2012 within a few months of opening, I asked the owners Chris Newsome and his wife Anna for their favorite haunts. They highly recommended the brunch at Veranda and the good ole country meat and three cookin’ of
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