Archive of ‘Wednesday’s Word’ category

Where Cherith Fluker Ate While Writing ‘Secret Birmingham’

By Chanda Temple

Cherith Glover Fluker walks into General coffee shop on Birmingham’s Clairmont Avenue and orders food that helped fuel her future as a first-time book author.

Coffee, black. Cinnamon roll, warmed.

She settles in at a small chestnut-colored table that’s flush against a huge window. Looking through the glass, the city street starts to stir as people walk their dogs or jog past for a morning run. It’s a scene that played on repeat for Cherith for almost a year as she visited the coffee shop six or seven times to jot down notes for, “Secret Birmingham: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure.”

Cherith Glover Fluker pauses for pic with her new book, "Secret Birmingham,'' inside the General coffee house, where she made the final decision to write her book. The project took a year, and she visited the shop several times to reflect on her writing process. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Cherith Glover Fluker pauses for pic with her new book, “Secret Birmingham,” inside the General coffee house, where she made the final decision to write her book. The project took a year, and she visited the shop several times to reflect on her writing process. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

The book, which highlights well-known and not-so-well-known nuggets about the Magic City, was released on Aug. 1, which was a big day for Fluker. But an even bigger day for her was in April 2024 when she decided to stop letting her fears of wondering if she was “good enough” to write a book, get the best of her.

“This is my table when I come here,” she says, as steam rises from her coffee cup and sunlight streaming through the window sort of bounces off the glaze on the cinnamon roll. “This is where it all started.”

Cherith Glover Fluker loves the homemade pastries made daily at General, a coffee shop in Forest Park. Her favorite is the blueberry scone, bottom left. She also likes the cinnamon roll, top right, and the olive cake, top left. She has not tried the cheese danish, bottom right. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Cherith Glover Fluker loves the homemade pastries made daily at General, a coffee shop in Forest Park. Her favorite is the blueberry scone, bottom left. She also likes the cinnamon roll, top right, and the olive cake, top left. She has not tried the cheese danish, bottom right. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

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Giving back never tasted so good at RyRy’s Wings, Fries and Pies

By Chanda Temple

Ever since he was a kid, Ryan “RyRy’’ Burch has loved pizza.

And today, at the age of 43, he’s living his dream of running a food truck, RyRy’s Wings, Fries and Pies, which produces pizzas that are all the rage. People line up to get their fill of his handmade dough, freshly cut vegetables and red sauce with just a hint of sweetness.

“A lot of times, we don’t pursue things because we don’t think we can do it,’’ Ryan said, as the scent garlic and other seasonings hung in the air at his food truck. “But I’m just glad I went out there and did it. I learned a long time ago, that if God gives you the vision, he will give you the provision.’’

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Volunteer slots still available for the World Police & Fire Games in Birmingham

By Chanda Temple

June 15 is the deadline to sign up to be a volunteer for the World Police and Fire Games, which will be in Birmingham June 27 – July 6.

Different opportunities are available, including registration, competition assistant, athlete check-in, timers/counters, results runners, medals, set up and tear down, and more. A majority of the volunteer slots are in Birmingham, but other slots are in Jefferson, Shelby and Talladega counties. There are no remote positions. Some positions, such as registration, check-in, score keepers, etc., are available for those who cannot stand for long periods of time. Groups and clubs are encouraged to register, too.

Applicants must be 16 years old by June 1, 2025 to volunteer.  

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Birmingham foot soldiers to re-enact the 1963 Children’s Crusade

By Chanda Temple

Foot soldiers and more than 200 students will gather in Kelly Ingram Park on Friday, May 9 to re-enact the 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade, also known as the Children’s March. Participants will meet at the park’s pavilion at 8:30 a.m. At 9 a.m., they will gather at Sixth Avenue North and 17th Street North to start walking toward Birmingham City Hall.  They will end their walk at Boutwell Auditorium, where they will watch a 40-minute documentary and hear from speakers. Organizers estimate that they will arrive at Boutwell around 9:30 a.m. Several community partners will have tables set up in the Boutwell lobby for students to collect resources.

Birmingham’s historic Children’s Crusade, which took place May 2-10,1963, involved more than 1,000 students walking downtown to talk to leadership at City Hall about segregation. At the time, many students left their schools to conduct peaceful marches. They were arrested, released from jail, marched again and arrested again. Children were sprayed with fire hoses and attacked by police dogs. The event, which compelled President John F. Kennedy to publicly support federal civil rights legislation, eventually led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  

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The John Lennon Tour Bus will roll in front of Birmingham City Hall on April 29

By Chanda Temple

Food trucks will be present in front of Birmingham City Hall on Tuesday, April 29 when the John Lennon Tour Bus rolls up for the public to visit.

The bus will be parked on Short 20th and open for free tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This bus tours across America, showcasing its one-of-a-kind mobile recording studio created by Yoko Ono in memory of her late husband and Beatles legend, John Lennon. Throughout the day, selected Birmingham students will be creating music inside the bus studio and learn about the music industry.

Organizers said this will not only be a chance to appreciate Lennon history but also support entrepreneurs running their food trucks.

Food trucks will start serving at 11 a.m.

The following vendors are slated to attend:

Amber’s Desserts

Frozen Rooster

Terrific Treatz

Yummy Ice

Corazon

Luvin Freshly Lemonade

Hit Different BBQ

Battle Axe Feast

Good Ole Dawgs

Craving Cajun

Yo Chef!

Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at  http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple. 

Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.

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Birmingham’s Spring Festival Returns to Railroad Park with Food Trucks and More

By Chanda Temple

The City of Birmingham’s Spring Festival presented by Shipt will be held on Sunday, April 13 at Railroad Park from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will feature Easter Eggs, a DJ, food trucks, face painting, a balloon artist, free samples provided by Coca-Cola, photos with Buddy the Bunny and more. The Birmingham Squadron mascot and the Birmingham Stallions mascot will also make appearances.

This will be a free event. Families should bring Easter baskets and lawn chairs.

First Avenue South between 14th Street South and 18th Street South will be closed, starting at 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 through the evening of Sunday, April 13.

“The Easter season is a time to reflect, to come together and to celebrate new beginnings,” said Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “We’re inviting families from across Birmingham to join us at Railroad Park for a day of fun, community and connection.”

The following food vendors are slated to attend:

  1. 1918 Catering
  2. Dirty Red
  3. Travis
  4. Mi Pueblo
  5. Aww, Shucks
  6. Eugene’s Hot Chicken
  7. Nawlins Po Boys  
  8. A-Train
  9. Good Ole Dawgs
  10. Ry Ry’s Wings and Fries
  11. Lil Bougie
  12. Cheezin’
  13. O’ My Turkey Leg
  14. Terrific Treats
  15. Treats So Sweet
  16. Jolly Cakes
  17. Naughty But Nice
  18. Yummy Ice
  19. Luvin Lemonade
  20. Berries By Crystal
  21. Deb’s Italian Ices

Birmingham makeup artist Katasha Thomas-Peterson Lifts a Cancer Survivor’s Spirits with free makeover

By Chanda Temple

When the City of Birmingham’s StrongHer campaign hosted the Pink Parade in Linn Park in October 2024 for breast cancer survivors and supporters, StrongHer honoree and makeup artist Katasha Thomas-Peterson of KP Artistry 7 saw that as the perfect time to make someone’s day.

Katasha had applications in the park, asking breast cancer survivors and breast cancer patients to explain why they needed a makeover. After reviewing the applications, Katasha selected Arica Etheridge, who was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in June 2019. Arica, 56, completed her treatment in October 2020.

Arica’s journey resonated with Katasha, 43. Arica lost her mother in December 2018, and then she lost her father in January 2020. Katasha lost an aunt and a mother-in-law to cancer, so she could only imagine the hurt Arica experienced in mourning her parents while undergoing breast cancer treatments. 

Makeup artist Natasha Thomas-Peterson with breast cancer survivor Arica Etheridge. (Photo by Daniel Roth)
Makeup artist Natasha Thomas-Peterson with breast cancer survivor Arica Etheridge. (Photo by Daniel Roth)

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HGTV’s Unsellable Homes twins Leslie and Lyndsay chat pizza and decorating in Birmingham

By Chanda Temple

When Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb of HGTV’s Unsellable Homes rolled into the Magic City this weekend for the Birmingham Home Show at the BJCC, they kept their tour tradition alive: ordering takeout pizza and catching up with each other in their hotel room.

There are no fancy dinners. No big plans. Just good food, deep convos and an unbreakable twin bond. Because sometimes, the best part of the journey is the downtime.

After their first appearance on Friday, they ordered pizza from Donato’s in Vestavia Hills. Leslie went sweet and savory with a Hawaiian personal pan pizza loaded with shaved ham, smoked provolone, sliced almonds, and cinnamon. Lyndsay kept it fresh with a veggie gluten-free pizza topped with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Twins Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb from Unsellable Homes on HGTV appeared at the Birmingham Home Show, which was at the BJCC, Feb. 21 and 22, 2025. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Twins Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb from Unsellable Homes on HGTV appeared at the Birmingham Home Show, which was at the BJCC, Feb. 21 and 22, 2025. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

And the best part of the experience was getting thin crust without even asking. Their pizza was cut into little squares, which is something the twins said they hadn’t seen anywhere else. “That was very unusual for us. It was very good,” Leslie said. “And I had four types of cheese instead of just mozzarella. We love finding different types of unique pizza.”

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City of Birmingham’s “Food Truck Friday’’ Turns Pink on Oct. 4 in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Chanda Temple

All summer, the City of Birmingham has hosted Food Truck Friday in front of City Hall for consumers to experience the area’s growing food truck scene. On Oct. 4, Food Truck Friday will be held but with a twist of “pink” as organizers raise awareness about breast cancer.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be food trucks, music, and local organizations sharing information about breast cancer.

A “Pink Parade’’ will start at 12:05 p.m. with breast cancer survivors and supporters of those who’ve been impacted by breast cancer. Those who’ve lost a loved one to breast cancer are also invited to walk. Walkers are encouraged to arrive by 11:40 a.m. to pick up pink pom poms and ribbons and start assembling for the walk.

This parade will not be in the street but will be in Linn Park. The address for Birmingham City Hall is 710 – 20th Street North. Participation is free.

This event is being presented by the city’s StrongHer campaign, which highlights “unsung’’ sheroes in the community. Every March, a new class of StrongHer honorees are highlighted during Women’s History Month. Organizers decided to take StrongHer beyond March this year in an effort to honor breast cancer survivors, their caregivers and anyone impacted by the disease. Several StrongHer honorees will be present on Oct. 4 as a way to give back. Other walkers will include members of the Army Reserve, the fire departement and more.

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Magic City Art Connection offers art that heals the artist and the art buyer

By Chanda Temple 

When things got tough, Atlanta artist Lauren Lane turned to painting. 

Through strokes of vibrant oranges, greens and blues, she painted through the worries and pains of family health challenges, a difficult workload and the self doubt of “Is my art good enough.” 

Never one to break, she placed her trust in God. And He delivered. 

Atlanta artist Lauren Lane said this piece was inspired by Joseph from the Bible and his multi-colored coat. She’s at Magic City Art Connection 2024 at Sloss Furnaces. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

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