Bham Blogs

  • The Terminal: Taking its identity from the old Birmingham Terminal Station, this web publication focuses on Birmingham, Alabama and the surrounding region. "We exist to provide a different point of view for those that choose to call the Magic City home as well as those that are interested in what it has to offer (and it has a lot). The Terminal hopes to make you think more about issues that are affecting the region and know more about what’s going on."
  • Wade on Birmingham: Haikus and other blogging about Birmingham by Wade Kwon, who was features editor of the Birmingham Post-Herald for nearly a decade.
  • Get on With Your Nightlife: Check here for recommendations on live music and other entertainment in Birmingham.
  • The Intown Green / UrbanUpscale Minute: This resident of historic Norwood wants to encourage people to move to Birmingham's historic "Intown" neighborhoods, and blogs about Norwood, downtown Birmingham and related topics.
  • buchananart.jpgPop Goes the City: "Charles Buchanan's Printworks -- and the Magic City that inspires them." Buchanan does "pop, urban, graphic, retro modern block prints," mostly related to the Birmingham area, and comments on Birmingham topics such as art, culture and politics. (We've got a couple of his prints hanging in our hall -- see his website at www.cbuchanan.net.)
  • My Tiny Kingdom: This well-written and often hilarious blog by a Mountain Brook mom is more about parenting, but local issues and food occasionally make an appearance, as well. And a post about taking the family to eat at a hip place in Chelsea during a visit to New York where they could "drink sangria and feed the boys octopus and squid stewed in its ink" convinced me this is blog that belongs in our links.
  • Photo Mojo: Local photographer Chris "Mojo" Denbow shoots a lot of local Birmingham events, such as the Magic City Art Connection and Corks & Chefs, Moss Rock Festival, concerts, and more.

Birmingham Websites

(For restaurant web sites, check individual listings.)

  • Birmingham Originals: The Birmingham chapter of the Council for Independent Restaurants of America (CIRA), promoting local independent restaurants. Says President Chris Hastings of Hot & Hot Fish Club: "We feel strongly that a healthy, vibrant, independent restaurant community makes our city a better place to live."
  • Birmingham Menus: Restaurant information and menus for nearly 100 local restaurants
  • Bham Wiki: "BhamWiki, part of the Project to Document the Birmingham District, aims to become the foremost resource and guide for anyone curious about Birmingham, Alabama and the region around it." Based on the popular Wikipedia, but with more oversight to ensure accuracy. BhamWiki has been running since March 2006 and as of October 2007 contained more than 3,000 articles.
  • Fleabomb.com: Calling itself "Birmingham's online alternative source," offers info on events, music, politics, art, film, culture and more. Commentary, forums, photos, mostly about local topics.
  • Downtown Birmingham: Sponsored by Operation New Birmingham, Birmingham Weekly, City Action Partnership and Metro Area Express, this site promotes downtown businesses, such as Safari Cup, Bon Ton Hatters and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
  • The Birminghamster: In the satirical tradition of "The Onion," this website offers funny "news" articles such as "Mountain Brook Library to Add White Guilt Section," "Gwen Sykes to Hire Non-Pervert," and "Oak Mountain Invites Postal Workers to Thin Deer Herds."
  • Reed Books: More than 23,000 rare books, movie posters and magazines for sale. You can spend pleasant hours browsing through author Jim Reed's loft store in downtown Birmingham.
  • The Alabama Theater: "The Showplace of the South," beautiful restored theater, home to classic movies, concerts and live theatrical productions.
  • Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce: News, upcoming events, tourist information.
  • Birmingham Convention & Visitor's Bureau: Aimed at visitors, with info on tourism, things to do, lodging, nightlife, etc.
  • Birmingham Magazine Online: The glossy magazine of the Chamber of Commerce.
  • Birmingham Weekly: A weekly alternative paper that's truly local
  • Birmingham Design: A site devoted to architecture and design in the Birmingham area; great photos
  • Jefferson County Health Department: Health code ratings for Jefferson County restaurants.
  • Magic City Photo Group: Cool collection of photos from in or around Birmingham on Flickr.


Southern Food Links 

  • Southern Foodways Alliance: An institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, headquartered at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Its mission is to document and celebrate the diverse food cultures of the American South.
  • The Southern BBQ Trail: The Southern Foodways Alliance and Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q created the Southern BBQ Trail in an effort to document the history, tradition, and culture of BBQ throughout the South. This ongoing project includes oral histories -- interviews with the owners of such Alabama favorites as Archibald's in Northport, Bob Sykes in Bessemer, Demetri's in Homewood, and more.
  • Seven Winds Kitchen: Started in 1994 in Logan, Alabama, by two sisters, Seven Winds Kitchen features gift baskets filled with homemade cakes, jams, jellies, and candies, including Bert's Brittle, unique peanut and pecan brittle made in small  batches and stretched by hand into paper-thin pieces to create a delicate and delicious candy.
  • Hope's Cheesecake: Featured in Southern Living, this Gulf Shores family business offers more than 30 flavors of cheesecake, including pecan praline, key lime, chocolate kahlua, raspberry, New York style, chocolate marble and more.
  • Louisiana Cupboard: Huge selection of Louisiana style food, such as pickled quail eggs, hot sauces, spices, rice and beans, coffee, gumbo mixes, alligator, chow chow and more.
  • CajunGrocer.com: "The world's largest selection of genuine Louisiana products on the Web today," with food, recipes, music, pantry staples, cookbooks and gift sets.
  • Chef Rick's Southern Cooking: Food writer Chef Rick is serving up a delicious blend of Cajun, Creole, and Southern home cooking, along with a touch of Soul food and some good old fashioned down-home cooking. You'll find cooking tips, food trivia, advice on choosing and using cookware, and of course recipes.
  • DixieDining.com: A web site that pays homage to the unique traditional dining of the South, such as the family-run diner, barbecue pits, rib joints and soul food shacks.
  • Gritlit.com: Comfort food comes home -- from authentic Southern groceries to Southern cookbooks to care packages to a growing recipe collection. Southern, Soul, Cajun, Creole, Low country, BBQ and beyond... they're all here.
  • Grits.com: No, this is not "Girls Raised in the South." This site is really devoted to grits, plus other real Southern specialties like sweet tea and stuff cooked in bacon grease. Expats can even order real stone-ground grits.
  • Smith Farms: Based in Cullman, offering hickory smoked meats, stone-ground grain products, honey, sorghum syrup, james and jellies, Amish cheeses.

General Food Links

  • Chow.com: Fantastic site, with stories, recipes, blogs, and their very active and helpful Chowhound.com message boards.
  • Dine Originals: (Formerly Council of Independent Restaurants of America) An organization of locally owned and operated restaurants, with chapters in 20-plus cities, including Birmingham.
  • RoadFood.com: A site devoted to finding the most memorable local eateries along the back roads and highways of America.
  • Epicurious: Our number one pick for overall food site. Recipes, cookbook reviews, food definitions, gourmet goodies to order online, cooking tips & techniques, and more.
  • The eGullet Society: Everything restaurant- and food-related, including blogs, forums, recipes, and more. 

 

Wine Links

  • Wine Lover's Page: Robin Garr's wine lover's site claims to be the oldest, largest and most popular independent wine-appreciation site on the World Wide Web. It has something for everyone, from the novice wine drinker looking for a good under-$10 bottle to the expert searching for rare vintages.
  • International Wines: International Wines in Birmingham offers this site as a non-commercial, educational site that acts as a "hub" for hundreds of other wine and food related sites.