News for October 19th 2011

Birmingham chef Frank Stitt selected to Esquire Restaurant Hall of Fame

Frank Stitt
In 1984, when the words Southern and cuisine were rarely used in the same sentence, Esquire named Highlands in Birmingham one of the Best New Restaurants in America. I wrote that chef-owner Frank Stitt’s bistro appealed to “the affluent suburban crowds coaxed out of their clubs to come downtown and eat well for a change” – Georgia Bay scallops with basil, for example, and local baked oysters. Back when Paula Deen was working as a bank teller, Alabama-bred Stitt was already at the forefront of New Southern cuisine. Since then, he’s opened two other excellent restaurants and racked up awards. But what he hasn’t done is also remarkable: He has not left Alabama, instead staying put to turn out highly personal food that has inspired a wave of Southern chefs. And yet like any great chef – and any true Southerner – he keeps searching for better ways to do things, which means his days of influence are far from over.

For the complete article please see http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/best-restaurants-2011/best-chefs-america-1111.

Edited: October 19th, 2011