Health + Wellness

When It Feels Like Too Much

ESPN’s Lauren Sisler shares how she has found hope and gratitude in the face of unimaginable loss. Article by Lauren Sisler | Photography by Provided I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, and if you had told me years ago that Birmingham, Alabama, would become my forever home, I wouldn’t have believed you. I moved here in 2011 for a job at CBS 42, later joined AL.com, and eventually ESPN. My husband and I love this city, and now, as small business owners and parents raising our two-year-old son...

Arts + Culture

Gratitude by Hand

Etiquette educator Amy Rainer on embracing the tradition of the handwritten thank-you note Article by Blair Moore | Photography by Ambre Amari Amy Rainer keeps a special box that holds notes she’s received over the years. “Without exception, every single note in that box has some type of meaningful sentiment that speaks to the value of my relationship with that person,” she says. “Letters and notes can be kept and read over and over again. Those are the true ‘gifts.’” As an etiquette and...

Home + Design

Gather: A Cozy Season Dinner Party

Set the scene with scent, song, and sip — the makings of a perfect fall evening Article by Kali McNutt | Photography by Mary Fehr It’s cozy season, and that means it’s time to light the candles (and the fireplace), turn on the tunes, and gather with friends over a glass of something delicious. This evening at home is less about an Instagrammable place setting or picture-perfect meal and more about intentionally engaging all five senses, while enjoying the people who matter most. Invite a few...

Food + Beverage

Thanks Around the Table

Three gather-worthy dishes to enjoy with loved ones this fall Article by Birmingham Lifestyle | Photography by Provided Sausage Pinwheels Courtesy of Rob McDaniel of Helen Ingredients 1 pound of your favorite breakfast sausage 3 cups White Lily Self-Rising Flour, plus extra for rolling out 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter 1 ½ cups cold whole-fat buttermilk 1 teaspoon kosher salt Parchment paper Non-stick spray Recipe Mix the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a box...

Life + Culture

In the Spirit of Mr. Roseman

How one man’s devotion to service continues to guide CASA and inspire a community Article by Blair Moore | Photography by Provided This fall, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of Jefferson County introduced a new award honoring a man whose life was defined by service. Arnold “Pops” Roseman, who died in 2009, spent nearly two decades volunteering at Jefferson County Family Court. Sixteen years later, CASA created the award as an annual reminder of what steady, faithful...

Arts + Culture

Beneath Our Feet

The journey to English Village Lane is marked with grace and gratitude Article by Blair Moore | Photography by Mary Fehr Morning haze settles over a rural village outside Bhadohi, India, as men and women walk for miles down red-dust paths toward a loom strung tight with warp threads. A paper map guides the work: blue, blue, green, green. Six or seven inches of rug might be woven in a day, the rhythm steady, the artistry unchanged for centuries. Last fall, Angie Burge, owner of English Village...

Event Planning + Services

Party Help

Article and Photography by We’re often asked about private food and drink experiences. Whether you’re looking to uplevel a soiree with a mobile bar, host an intimate cooking lesson, or have an event catered to the nines, we’ve rounded up Birmingham’s top chef, catering, and bartending services. These folks make entertaining from the comfort of home seamless, swanky, and undeniably delicious.  Private Chef  Birmingham’s in-home chefs feel like a well-kept secret. They offer an array of...

Home + Design

An Evening Well Served

Around the Table with Son of a Butcher Article by Birmingham Lifestyle | Photography by Mary Fehr Luis DeLaTorre’s gatherings are as much about atmosphere as appetite. The generous spread — an array of meats, cheeses, seafood, and thoughtful accoutrements — came courtesy of The Son of a Butcher, Birmingham’s go-to source for provisions of this caliber. Head butcher Chris Spear cooked the rib roast with maître d’ butter, smoked ham glazed with honey-dijon, and prime tenderloin with horseradish...

Food + Beverage

The Stitt Effect

Tracing the roots and branches of Frank and Pardis Stitt’s living culinary legacy Article by Blair Moore | Photography by Mary Fehr The oysters arrived still hissing in their shells, dressed with spinach, pancetta, and cream that caught the light like satin, offset by a scatter of Parmesan breadcrumbs. Frank Stitt’s voice held reverence as he described the new dish to his staff: the brine of the Gulf, the smoke of the pancetta, the richness of cream held in perfect balance—flavors meant to...

Arts + Culture

Roscoe Hall: Cook, Create, Repeat

From California’s kitchens to his Birmingham garage studio, Roscoe Hall spins stories through food and art Article by Blair Moore | Photography by Ambre Amari Roscoe Hall is always cooking up something. For years, he plated dishes in kitchens that shaped American dining—from Alice Waters’ legendary Chez Panisse in California to Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York. “San Francisco was so expensive that I ended up homeless for a year, living in a flop house or crashing on a friend’s couch so I could...