Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum TORNADO RELIEF EVENT

Treat Dad to a train ride and help tornado relief efforts at the same time!

SUNDAY, JUNE 19th

Train departures at 2pm and 4pm

HEART OF DIXIE RAILROAD MUSEUM

1919 9th St Calera, AL

THE HEART OF DIXIE WILL DONATE ALL TICKET REVENUE TO TORNADO RELIEF

info and tickets at: www.HODRRM.org

Mt. Cheaha Harley Davidson in Oxford is sponsoring “

A Ride to Remember” June 5, and needs 200/250 riders to participate. The ride will have a police escort and will begin at 11 a.m. at the dealership and end at Williams First Baptist Church just north of Jacksonville. It will go through areas of Calhoun County that were devastated by the tornadoes. Riders with all makes and brands of motorcycles are invited and cash donations will be accepted the day of the event. All proceeds will be contributed to tornado survivors to aid in their recovery Actually will be handed over at Williams First Baptist Church.

For more information please call 256-832-8888.

Vulcan Park hosts exhibit of Alabama Folk Art

In celebration of the Year of Alabama Music, Vulcan Park and Museum presents The Music Lives On: Folk Song Traditions Told by Alabama Artists, an exhibition of works depicting the region’s great musical traditions created by the state’s most celebrated folk artists. Those represented in this colorful exhibition include such acclaimed artists as Lonnie Holley, Joe Minter, Charlie Lucas, and Thornton Dial. Through the creations of these great artists, visitors to Vulcan Park and Museum will encounter a parallel artistic universe – the world of blues, jazz, bluegrass, country, and other popular forms of music that define Birmingham, the state, and the region. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 26.

For more information please see www.visitvulcan.com.

FINDING REALLY OUTSTANDING FINE DINING

You may feel as I do. There are many “fine dining” restaurants that do not hit the mark of really outstanding food in the maze of eateries. It is always a serendipity moment when one discoveries a nugget of pure gold in a field of mediocrity. “The Classic on Nobel” is such a restaurant. Truly, a 24 carat experience in dinning.

We had been hearing such good reports about The Classic on Nobel (located on Nobel Street in Anniston, AL), so we dropped in for lunch this week.

Upon entering the restaurant you are given pause by the immensity of the main dining room itself. The 18^th century architecture is absolutely stunning and the décor is elaborate and rich in detail yet warm and inviting.

The tables are draped with white table cloths and fresh flowers in long steam crystal vases as the center piece.

But I deflect from the most important item; the food. The menu has a vast selection of scrumptious offerings from “Crispy Mandarin Glazed Chicken” to “Chilean Sea Bass”. However, with all the mouth watering entrees to select from, there was one that had a clarion call for any Southern boy or girl. It was one of the dishes chosen by the Alabama Tourism Department as, “One of the 100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die”. The Shrimp and Grits, but don’t be fooled, not just any shrimp and grits. I see why they were selected as one of the dishes to eat before you die. They are to die for indeed. The dish consist of Jumbo white gulf shrimp scampied served over grits with fresh collard greens, Andouille sauage, tomatoes and bacon topped with shaved parmesan cheese. Now, that’s good. It will make a Southerner out of a Yankee any day of the week. It truly is indescribable and has to be experienced. Of course, we began our meal with one of their many wonderful salad selection. We choose the “Nobel Salad” which is prepared with fresh greens, sliced strawberries, sliced apple, cranberries, crumbled bleu cheese, spiced pecans and a tangy dressing.

Then for the finale, and you just have to taste this before you miss out on one of the best deserts ever eaten. “The Bread Pudding”. Now, that sounds rather generic, however it is anything but what you imagine that dish would taste like. It is truly out of this world desert. Can you tell I liked this food? As an add enrichment to your dining experience, the service was without exception wonderful.

We met the owner and manager, David Mashburn during our visit. Such a likable gentleman with a obvious concern for serving outstanding food and meeting the needs of his patrons.

I can’t wait to return to Noble Street and enjoy the Classic on Noble. Here is their website for additional information. www.classiconnoble.com

You will not be disappointed, but very pleased when you visit the Classic.

Pepper Place market in Birmingham expands

Birmingham chef Frank Stitt inducted into Who’s Who of Food and Beverage

Birmingham expecting positive impact from Shoal Creek golf tournament

From the article “Regions, developers, bank on Shoal Creek golf tournament” by Michael Tomberlin in The Birmingham News:

Regions Financial Corp., economic developers and the Birmingham metro area are all banking on the new golf tournament at Shoal Creek paying dividends for years to come. The financial boost is expected to come the week of the Regions Tradition tournament May 2-8, but officials also hope the ripple effect will carry over into a boost in the metro area’s image and help in luring new business. For Birmingham-based Regions, the hope is that the lasting impact will be in its marketing and branding as the title sponsor of the PGA Champions Tour major tournament. “Certainly we will receive tremendous media exposure,” said Scott Peters, chief marketing officer at Regions. “We’ve found that we get back more than $1 for every dollar we spend on sponsorship.” But Peters said the benefit to Regions is even greater — whether it uses the event to build relationships with businesses or the large number of the bank’s employees who volunteer to help make the tournament a success. Officials with Regions and the tournament held a media event last week to provide new details about the event. Regions has not disclosed what it is spending to sponsor the event.

Patrick Murphy, head of economic development with the Birmingham Business Alliance, said the metro area benefits from the tournament because it gets positive exposure. But Murphy said there also will be a more direct economic development benefit. “We have some good prospects we hope to have here for at least a couple of days of the tournament,” Murphy said. “It’s a good opportunity to showcase a different side of our community to prospects, existing industry and site consultants.” Birmingham Mayor William Bell agreed. “Anything we can do to bring positive attention to the Birmingham area is always a good thing,” Bell said. “When you couple that with a first-class, multi-year event like the Regions Tradition and a venue like Shoal Creek, it can have a lasting positive impact.”

Coming off the Indy Grand Prix and last weekend’s NASCAR race in Talladega, the Regions Tradition in two weeks will help in Bell’s efforts to have sporting events help define the Magic City’s image. “I want Birmingham to be known as a sporting event town,” he said. “These events fulfill my hope that people will come to think of Birmingham in that way.” Fred Funk, one of the Champions Tour players who will play Shoal Creek next month and the defending Tradition tournament champion, already sees Birmingham that way. Funk has played the former Regions Charity Classic when it was held at Ross Bridge. He said he now looks forward to playing in Birmingham any chance he gets and he said the whole tour is abuzz about playing Shoal Creek for the Tradition. The tournament was held in Oregon the last seven years. “I love coming to Birmingham,” Funk said, citing the crowds’ passion for golf and the support the Champions Tour gets here. “This is a huge deal for the Champions Tour as a player.” Funk even confessed to having “Sweet Home Alabama” as his cell phone ringtone.

Mike Thompson, a Shoal Creek board member and co-chair of the tournament, said the excitement extends beyond the tour. “We’re almost sold out of the corporate sponsorships,” Thompson said. “We’ve sold out of the major hospitality venues. We do have a few tickets and some pro-am spots left. We are so pleased with the response we’ve seen.” Michael Stevens, president of the Champions Tour, said hospitality sales are more than double what they were at the Regions Charity Classic at Shoal Creek a year ago. “We can’t do this without the corporate sponsors and the volunteers,” he said. “They are vital to pulling off an event like this.” Stevens said the national corporate sponsors will likely boost their participation in the future at Shoal Creek once they are able to see this inaugural Tradition at the storied club.

The Shoal Creek tournament will be the first of five so-called “Majors” on the 2011 Champions Tour, meaning it is expected to draw nearly 70 of the top senior golfers such as Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Hale Irwin and Nick Price. Jack Nicklaus designed Shoal Creek but has yet to commit to play in the tournament. Shoal Creek hosted the 1990 PGA Championship, but media attention about the club’s all-white membership and remarks by club founder Hall Thompson touched off a controversy that kept the organization away for two decades. The tournament will have a $2.2 million purse and, because it is a major, will have four full days of play with just one day of the pro-am. The Golf Channel is expected to broadcast portions of the tournament. The Children’s Hospital of Alabama is the designated beneficiary of the tournament, though other charities can raise money through the tournament’s “Birdies for Charity” program.

For the complete article please see http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2011/04/regions_developers_birmingham.html.

Pepper Place Saturday Market Near Treasure Island Bed and Breakfast

Birmingham; May 14–Oct 8
Visit the central region’s farming families at the Pepper Place Saturday Market — they grow vegetables and flowers; bake breads, cookies, cakes and pies; keep bees and harvest honey and drive into the Lakeview District of Birmingham to sell the fruits of their labors every Saturday morning. Enjoy local musicians on two stages while sipping a fresh cup of coffee or enjoying a light breakfast. Birmingham’s best chefs host cooking demonstrations every Saturday at 9 a.m. Market runs 7 a.m.-noon.

Birmingham chefs Frank Stitt, Chris Hastings happy to be in running for Beard award

This is starting to become an annual tradition for Birmingham chefs Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings.

On Monday, for the third year in a row, the James Beard Foundation named Stitt’s Highlands Bar and Grill one of five finalists for its award as the country’s most outstanding restaurant.

Also, for the fourth time in five years, Hastings, the chef and owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club, is a Beard finalist for best chef in the South region. Hastings was previously a finalist in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Neither Stitt nor Hastings has yet to win either award, but both are hoping this year may be different.

“We used to kid about it how it was just great just to keep being nominated, so that people would keep talking about you,” Stitt said Monday afternoon.

The Beard Awards are considered the Oscars of the food world, and this year’s winners will be announced on May 9 at New York City’s Lincoln Center.

Also on Monday, the Beard Foundation announced that it will induct Stitt into its 2011 class of Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, which recognizes “a cadre of the most accomplished food and beverage professionals in the country,” according to the Beard website.

Previous Who’s Who inductees include such celebrated chefs and food writers as Julia Child, Graham Kerr, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Martha Stewart.

In addition to Highlands, this year’s other finalists for the country’s outstanding restaurant are Blue Hill, New York City; Boulevard, San Francisco; Eleven Madison Park, New York City; and Vetri, Philadelphia.

“It is a little tougher for places that are in smaller cities to get voted in, because there is almost a propensity to vote on places where you go, and where you go is to New York and California and other major cities,” Stitt said. “So just to be included among the finalists is big enough recognition or me.”

Hot and Hot’s Hastings was on a turkey-hunting and bass-fishing trip to Florida when his wife, Idie, sent him a text-message with the news of his Beard nomination Monday.

“It is the perfect way to celebrate,” he said. “Killed a turkey this morning, caught a few bass this afternoon, and then have a great meal with friends.”

Besides Hastings, the other finalists for best chef in the South are Zach Bell of Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach, Fla.; John Harris of Lilette in New Orleans, Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans; and Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon in New Orleans.

Hastings said it’s significant to keep being nominated.

“After being around 16 years, staying relevant is important,” he said. “I’ve known chefs who have been nominated five, six, seven, eight times, so it’s a maddening process.”

The James Beard Awards are named for the late chef and food writer whom The New York Times called the dean of American cookery.

Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Carlton at bcarlton@bhamnews.com.

Alabama Folk Art and Music Exhibition

In celebration of the Year of Alabama Music, Vulcan Park and Museum will mount a unique exhibition of art that depicts Alabama folk musicians at work and play. The works of art – on loan from the collection of Bill Arnett – are the creations of local self-taught visual artists who share similar backgrounds and artistic viewpoints as their subjects. Those represented include such acclaimed artists as Lonnie Holley, Joe Minter, Charlie Lucas, and Thornton Dial. Through the creations of these great artists, visitors to Vulcan Park and Museum will encounter another artistic world – the world of Alabama folk music. Alabama’s folk music tradition includes its own take on blues, jazz, bluegrass, country, and rockabilly. Folk Art & Music will present original research into Alabama’s amazing folk music tradition alongside the works of art.