Travels With Darley: The Alabama for Foodies Episodes
It’s the Year of Alabama Food, and Darley Newman of Travels With Darley has embarked on a two-part series exploring the great eats in Central and South Alabama, with a little bit of biscuit making, farming and history thrown in.
In the first of her two-part Alabama for Foodies series, Darley visits Tuscaloosa and Birmingham where she finds an eclectic mix of hole-in-the-walls and James Beard award-winning restaurants to visit.
Home to the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa also has bragging rights to some of the South’s tastiest barbecue and Southern comfort dishes. Two of the places Darley visited are the Dreamland BBQ’s original restaurant and City Cafe in downtown Northport.
Dreamland is located about two miles from the intersection of Hwy 82 and Interstate 59 just south of Tuscaloosa in Jerusalem Heights and has been a favorite among football fans and locals since 1958. Little has changed since John "Big Daddy" Bishop first opened his store. The roads have been paved much the same as they were back in 1958. White bread and Dreamland’s barbecue sauce are a staple appetizer along with their hickory smoked ribs. You never know who you might rub elbows with here, and it’s a must-do when visiting the Tuscaloosa area.
Across the river is Northport, an eclectic arts community that is home to the City Cafe. Since 1931, this down-home Southern meat-and-three has been a staple in the city, attracting diners near and far who crave their authentic Southern meals. After leaving Tuscaloosa, Darley heads an hour south to Marion, Alabama, where she makes biscuits with James Beard Award-winning chef, Scott Peacock.
Darley’s next stop is Birmingham’s Hot and Hot Fish Club, owned and operated by the James Beard Award-winning chef, Chris Hastings. Hot and Hot Fish Club offers a menu with Southern and French fusions. From there, she visited The Bright Star in Bessemer which has been named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation. While in the area, she went to the Irondale Cafe to taste their famous Fried Green Tomatoes.
In episode two, Darley makes her way to downtown Mobile to visit the Cuban Speakeasy Las Floriditas for drinks, For dinner, it was Dauphin's, a restaurant located on the 34th floor that offers diners panoramic views of Mobile while enjoying French-creole-inspired cuisine. Before heading out to Montgomery, Darley visited Squid Ink in Mobile. Owner Chef Panini Pete is an icon in the Mobile area and has been featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
When she arrived in Montgomery, her first stop was Chris’ Famous Hotdogs, which has been in business since 1917. The secret to these famous hotdogs is in the sauce. Famous regulars were F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, and it's rumored that Hank Williams wrote the lyrics to “Hey Good Lookin” at Chris’ counter.
After leaving Montgomery, Darley headed to Auburn where she ended her visit by checking out Auburn University's 1856 Culinary Residence, The Rane Center for Culinary Science and the James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Acre.
Watch the full Alabama Foodie episodes of Travels With Darley at these links: Alabama For Foodies 1 and Alabama For Foodies 2.