Food & Wine Trail

Download the "100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die" brochure

Alabama Food & Wine Trail
by Marilyn Jones Stamps

If you set out on a trail to discover the "100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before you Die," you are guaranteed to find yourself enjoying some of the most distinctive cuisine in the country, if not the world.

Any way you slice it - be it the fried green tomatoes at the "Original" Whistlestop Cafe in Irondale, crawfish pie at Ca-John's Bar and Grill in Faunsdale, meatloaf at G's in Huntsville, some mouth-watering barbecue, or steak and seafood all along the Gulf - Alabama has culinary boasting rights.

With literally hundreds of restaurants, cafés, and markets, Birmingham is a must-taste for any visitor. Taste the array of vegetables at Niki's West, sample the she-crab soup at Cobb Lane, or enjoy the baked grits at Highlands. In nearby Bessemer, The Bright Star has been serving customers its signature gumbo and famous pies since 1907. A short drive will take you to Clanton, where Peach Park and Durbin Farms offer ice cream delights and market-fresh produce, and Heaton's serves up a piece of pecan pie that tastes just like what mom used to make.

Dreamland in Tuscaloosa and Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur top Alabama's list of award-winning barbecue joints where you will never get tired of licking your fingers. When it comes to deliciously different, you've got choices ranging from freshly squeezed lemonade at Toomer's Corner in Auburn, key-lime milkshakes from Stacey's Old Tyme Soda Fountain in Foley, and orange rolls at All Steak in Cullman. Wake up to a grits-and-eggs breakfast at an Alabama bed and breakfast or enjoy a soulful lunch at places like Davis Cafe and Derk's Filet and Vine in Montgomery, Sisters in Troy, or Taliaferro's in Tuskegee.

On the Gulf, there are more great places to eat than you can count, offering everything from succulent seafood favorites such as shrimp, lobster and oysters to delicious desserts, such as cheesecakes from Hope's in Gulf Shores and coconut cream pie from the Tiny Diny in Mobile. And, of course, there are the Gulf Coast standards for the raging appetite, including famous Creole-style gumbo from Roussos, "stewed, nude or any way you like it" shellfish from Wintzell's Oyster House, or the famous whiskey steak only from Jessie's in Magnolia Springs.

In addition to the great places to eat, Alabama is home to a growing number of wineries that offer free guided tasting tours, including Perdido Vineyards, Alabama's first farm winery, and Morgan Creek in Harpersville, site of an annual grape stomp.