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)
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.
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.
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.
It’s always a vibe at Alicia’s Coffee LLC., where drinks are served with a side of community and conversation.
But this summer, they’ve added a fresh brew to their batch, and we’re not talking coffee beans. It’s a live DJ with drink specials known as the “Brown Sugar Set,” which is scheduled to go from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with DJ JRad today, Aug. 9, at their shop inside the A.G.Gaston Motel, 1510 Fifth Ave. North.
Roc Harrell and Naimah Elmore wait on a customer at Alicia’s Coffee at the A.G. Gaston Motel. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
The “Brown Sugar Set” was created in collaboration with The Modern Green Book and Voltron Printing to showcase some of Alicia’s Coffee’s mocktail specials. The name was inspired by the 2002 romantic comedy movie, “Brown Sugar,’’ which highlighted entrepreneurship and the love for hip hop.
When Takeeka Goshay started Adored Sweets a decade ago, her cheesecake menu had one flavor:classic vanilla with two topping options. Fast forward to today, and that simple menu has exploded into 12 flavors, including banana pudding and the holiday-inspired sweet potato.
And now, she’s adding three more flavors to the lineup: caramel, pure decadence with a hint of nostalgia; Samoa, the chocolate, caramel and coconut magic of a Girl Scout classic; and red velvet, a Southern charmer with a kiss of cocoa.
Takeeka Goshay’s popular strawberry crunch cheesecake was released in 2024 to rave reviews. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
“It’s about keeping things fresh and giving people more to love,” Takeeka said. “You do better when you offer what you love, and I love these flavors.”
Seretha Williams had one goal today, and that was to drive nearly an hour from Sylacauga, AL to Birmingham, AL to try the new brunch menu at Encore Rouge.
Seretha and her family are big fans, and they didn’t want to miss the new roll out, which includes Creole shrimp and grits, French toast, chicken and waffles and more.
The Creole shrimp and grits from Encore Rouge can come in different ways. This version is “all the way,” featuring shrimp, sausage and crumbled bacon. Customers can also get it with just shrimp or shrimp and sausage. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
“When I used to stay in Birmingham, I would be at the (Encore Rouge) food truck all the time. So when the owner opened the restaurant (in 2022), I was like ‘OK, I’m supporting us,’ ” said Seretha, 35. “I make it a habit to come up here every couple of months.”
Encore Rouge added the Saturday brunch to its menu to help kick off the new year and see if it’s something that patrons will like. It received high praise from Seretha; her mother, Kina Kelly, 60, and their cousin, Shirley Conley, 61.
“I just moved back to Birmingham in June, and I’ve been back six or seven times since June. I love it,” Shirley said. “One thing about Encore Rouge, you can’t go wrong.”
When Antoinne Davis woke up this morning, he checked social media and his heart sank.
Post after post talked about the rainy forecast for Saturday, Jan. 18, the same day he plans to launch his new brunch menu at Encore Rouge, bursting with bold bites such as New York Cheesecake French Toast with a strawberry compote, peach cobbler egg rolls with a vanilla drizzle, cinnamon French toast, collard green rolls stuffed with dirty rice and pieces of turkey, chitterling eggrolls, and much more.
Antoinne Davis owns Encore Rouge Gourmet Street Food Restaurant in downtown Birmingham. (Photo provided by Antoinne Davis)
But Antoinne, 41, didn’t let a wet forecast wash away his determination. He got up and headed to his restaurant.
“If you think negative, negative things will happen,” he said, after chopping vegetables and marinating meats for Saturday. “Encore Rouge is going to bring the sunshine, rain, sleet or snow.”
It’s 1 p.m. on the afternoon of Jan. 4, and Denise Peterson is wearing a T-shirt that says, “Imma Overcomer.”
It’s a meaningful mantra for a woman who is moving Yo Mama’s, a 10-year-old restaurant she runs with her daughter, Crystal, into a new and larger space in downtown Birmingham.
Crystal Peterson, left, and Denise Peterson are a daughter-mother duo who started Yo Mama’s in Birmingham, AL in November 2014. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Walking through the new 5,500-plus square foot space, which is a huge shift from the 1,300 square foot original location, Denise admits that one thing she had to overcome was the fear of growth.
“You can get content in where you are and end up staying there, but not be where God wants you to be because of fear,” said Denise, 68. “So, I had to overcome that part of it to say, ‘OK, we can make this happen.’ ”
“In this environment, there can be a lot of things that can come against you, but when you make it through it, you overcome it,” said Denise, a Birmingham native. “If it doesn’t take you down, then you are all right.”
The chicken and waffles at Yo Mama’s has received high praise through the years. In 2024, Southern Living said it was one of the top 35 restaurants to visit in Birmingham, AL. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
For years, Reatta Myers-Hall worked to help other companies thrive.
Whenever she saw areas that needed improvements, she offered suggestions. But she and her ideas were ignored. A lot.
Although Reatta was brokenhearted, she was never broken over what happened, for she knew that one day someone would listen.
Slutty Vegan offers four different types of plant-based burgers. The Fussy Hussy burger, pictured, comes with pickles, onions, tomatoes lettuce, a special sauce, an Impossible burger patty on a Hawaiian bun. In 2023, Yelp rated Slutty Vegan as No. 3 on its list of “Top 100 Burgers in America.’’ (Photo source: Slutty Vegan)
That day finally came in the fall of 2024 when Pinky Cole, the founder of the multi-million dollar Slutty Vegan brand, asked Reatta if she would like to own and operate Alabama’s only Slutty Vegan store as a franchise. Since Reatta already had a history of running the store as its manager when it first opened in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Birmingham in August 2022, she jumped at the chance. And Pinky gave her the store, which is located at 7 – 55th Place South.
“What happened at those other businesses never made me want to quit,’’ Reatta said. “I just tucked (the ideas) in my back pocket, and now I’m pulling them out.”
Today, Reatta is rolling out new value meals and products for Birmingham Slutty Vegan consumers, along with the long-cherished plant-based burgers on vegan Hawaiian buns, vegan desserts and fries that Pinky first started selling when she launched the Slutty Vegan burger stands in 2018 in Atlanta. There are now 12 Slutty Vegan locations in Georgia, New York ,Texas, Alabama and Maryland. Birmingham still has the only Alabama location.
“A lot of people don’t like to accept the nos that they get, and they get discouraged. But that should be fuel for you to keep going on and pressing to get to that yes,’’ Reatta said. “You have all the keys. You just have to create your own door.’’
In July 2023, Justin Jones received the call no one really wants to get: Your job has ended.
Saddened over losing his good-paying job in the steel industry, Justin nervously broke the news to his wife. But Charity Jones saw the loss as more of a gain.
“I said, ‘Well, congratulations! You always wanted to work for yourself, and this is your opportunity,’ ” Charity recalled.
Stunned by Charity’s response at first, Justin knew she had a point. So, he followed his heart and started making the sweet potato pies that so many of their relatives had already come to love. Meanwhile, Charity started scheduling Justin to sell pies at as many farmers markets and events as possible. By August 2023, Sweet Daddy’s Sweet Potato Pies was selling out every weekend.
Sweet Daddy’s Sweet Potato Pies is offering a holiday bake sale Dec. 19 – 22, 2024. Orders can be picked up on Dec. 23, 2024 at noon at Red Cat Coffee House. See details at the end of this story for ordering. (By Chanda Temple)
“Immediately, I felt in my soul that that was the best thing for my husband,” Charity said of Justin making pies full time. “I believed in him. I believed in our product.”
The two are co-owners of Sweet Daddy’s Sweet Potato Pies, which are made in a commissary kitchen in Hoover, AL and sold across metro-Birmingham. Their menu includes sweet potato pie, apple pie, peach cobbler, pecan pie and a gluten-free sweet potato pie.
They also sell mini pies, which is their top seller. They recently delivered 400 mini pies to an organization looking to distribute them for the holidays.
Charity and Justin Jones started Sweet Daddy’s Sweet Potato Pies in fall 2023. They call him, “Sweet Daddy” and call her, “Sweet Mama.” (Photo by Chanda Temple)
“Just to see this grow, it lets me know that my belief in what we are doing is right. I can only imagine next year,” Charity said.
