September 2025 archive

Southbound Food Festival fans flock to Bomb Biscuit for stacked-high biscuits

By Chanda Temple

Erika Council is used to lines.

One forms outside her Atlanta restaurant, Bomb Biscuit Co., every weekend as people wait to get their fix on one of her stacked, pillowy buttermilk biscuits filled with fried chicken, scrambled eggs, bacon and more. The wait is usually an hour.

But luckily for Birmingham residents, the wait at Sloss Furnaces today wasn’t anywhere near that long. Granted, there was a continuous line at Erika’s tent during the Southbound Food Festival’s Funk Brunch, where she offered buttered, golden biscuits filled with a hot honey glazed fried thigh and bread and butter pickles. Yet, the line moved quickly and easily as a team fried the chicken on site, dipped it into the glaze, plated it and handed it off to attendees, one by one.

The biscuit looked like a skyscraper on a plate. Its height and layers were enough to turn heads.

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How a bowl of snow cream and 32 million views sparked Jimmy Proffitt’s cookbook deal

By Chanda Temple

Can we talk about the power of manifestation for a minute?

About six or seven years ago, Jimmy Proffitt told himself he was going to write a book. He didn’t know when. He didn’t know how. He didn’t even know the topic. But he knew he was going to write one.

Then, he wrote it down and said it out loud. (Which are all ways to stay true to manifesting, which is believing you can do something, staying focused on it, remaining positive on it and working on it until it becomes reality.)

It took Jimmy Proffitt of East Tennessee only six months to write his first cookbook, "Seasoned in Appalachia,'' because he had been preparing for years as he manifested that he would write a cookbook one day. He already had the recipes and stories when two publishers contacted him in 2024. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
It took Jimmy Proffitt of East Tennessee only six months to write his first cookbook, “Seasoned in Appalachia,” because he had been preparing for years as he manifested that he would write a cookbook one day. He already had the recipes and stories when two publishers contacted him in 2024. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

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From Naysayers to New Flavors, Sarah Cole Brings Egyptian Food to Rural Alabama

By Chanda Temple

The blood that runs through Sarah Cole’s veins is half Egyptian and half Southern, a blend that shows up in her food story.

Chef and writer Sarah Cole, from Greensboro, AL with her husband, Robert Fitzpatrick, and their son, Theo. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Chef and writer Sarah Cole, from Greensboro, AL with her husband, Robert Fitzpatrick, and their son, Theo. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

That mix is what fueled her dream of bringing Egyptian food to Greensboro, a rural city in west-central Alabama, where fast food chains and meat-and-three restaurants appear across the landscape like dots on a domino. While friends supported her, some people questioned her vision. Their whispers got back to her: “Make sure she knows to include something very Southern on the menu because we are probably not going to like her spices too much.”

The words stung, but Sarah refused to let negativity stop her because they were just opinions, and opinions don’t build dreams. Courage does.

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Dinner, dessert and a movie

By Chanda Temple

If you are planning to eat before or after catching “Love, Brooklyn” in Birmingham, the team at Sidewalk Cinema has you covered.

Both Chloe Cook and Corey Craft recommend Salud Taqueria . Chloe loves their tacos, and Corey goes for the Pastor Al Trompo tacos, which features thinly-shaved pork shoulder, fresh pineapple, red onion and cilantro. (But here’s a tip: the Pastor Al Trompo, which is marinated overnight in a family recipe, is not available on Sundays.)

Salud's Pastor Al Trompo taco is made with pork shoulder, pineapple, red onion, cheese and cilantro. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Salud’s Pastor Al Trompo taco is made with pork shoulder, pineapple, red onion, cheese and cilantro. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

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A packed room, a powerful voice and a day to remember

By Chanda Temple

Ninety-five minutes.

That’s about how long I stood in line today to meet New York Times Best-Selling author Kennedy Ryan and have her sign my book, “Before I Let Go.”

And during that time, something struck me. I stood in a line full of mostly women. They were happily chatting and holding tight to their own best-selling books by Kennedy. Their ages were wide-ranging and so were the places from where the attendees came.

Greenville. Atlanta. Huntsville. And more!

They joined me in standing 95 minutes and some even longer just to say, “Hey!!” to Kennedy and snap a photo with her. As they shifted their weight from side to side, their faces never grew weary. Instead, their faces filled with anticipation.

“My life has been changed!” one woman exclaimed as she exited the room and held one of Kennedy’s books like it was her first born.

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Birmingham’s Cutie Chutes Serves Up Faith, Flavor and Fresh Ideas

By Chanda Temple 

One week before Willie Williams was to host an event at his art studio in North Birmingham, his catering fell through.  

Unable to contact another caterer, he wondered what he was going to do. He found his answer after tasting the sandwiches Lauree Blair of Cutie Chutes had prepared for a Yelp Elite event that was being held at Willie’s Studio 2500 just days before his own event. 

“Divine timing kind of hooked us up,” Willie said as he talked about Lauree. “You’d think she’d have just regular sandwiches. But she took it a step further and made them unique.”

Think gourmet sandwiches made withmaple Dijonaise, maple glazed ham and Swiss cheese, warmed inside croissant bread that’s encrusted with honey on a griddle. There was also a pretzel bun filled with Lauree’s homemade Buffalo chive spread, Blazin’ Buffalo chicken, butter lettuce, Vermont white cheddar, marinated tomatoes and hickory bacon. 

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Alicia’s Coffee Co-Owner Works on Birthday and Labor Day to Serve Community

By Chanda Temple

Naimah Elmore had a choice.

Today is her 42nd birthday and Labor Day, and she had originally planned to be off. But after thinking about how much people enjoy visiting Alicia’s Coffee shop in downtown Birmingham, she decided to be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Alicia's Coffee is located at the A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham. They offer more than 60 flavors of beverages, breakfast and lunch. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Alicia’s Coffee is located at the A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham. They offer more than 60 flavors of beverages, breakfast and lunch. This is their Harlem Renaissance, which is made with almond syrup, vanilla syrup, their cold brew, cane sugar, cold foam and topped with a dash of cinnamon. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

“Sometimes, it goes back to ‘What are you willing to sacrifice?’ ” Naimah said. “Are you willing to sacrifice being off on a holiday and just being at home? Or, can you get up, get out in the community and open up the doors?”

“You have to be able to make a sacrifice to get the things you want in life.”

Roc Harrell, left, and Naimah Elmore are the co-owners of Alicia's Coffee. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Roc Harrell, left, and Naimah Elmore are the co-owners of Alicia’s Coffee. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

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