Seventeen years ago, Michelle Mei visited America for her first time.
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She cannot believe that she owns two Chinese restaurants now. Mei’s sister married an American and moved to Birmingham, and her sister got a legal immigration status 17 years ago. Because Mei wanted to live with her sister, she decided to immigrate to America in 2000 and has lived in Birmingham since then. Although Mei lacked a high education or special skills, she was indeed faithful dreamer of the “American Dream.”
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“This is what life is about,” Mei said. “I had to find a job by myself and stand on my own feet.” Gaining a foothold in order to earn her living in America was her biggest dream.
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Black Pearl Chinese Restaurant
“Birmingham was kind like a drab and one-horse town when I first arrived. ” Mei said, “There were almost no Chinese people, Chinese restaurants, or Chinese supermarkets.” Mei found it difficult to adapt to a new environment without any attachments to China when she first settled at a strange country. Along with the development of Birmingham, more and more Chinese people even Asian lived in this city for a variety of reasons (Table).
Black Pearl is more popular in the younger millennial groups than the senior groups in Birmingham. Mei said, “Young people are prefer to try and accept new things in Birmingham.”
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For the future, Mei wants to open her third Chinese restaurant in Birmingham. She wishes that the local people will be interested in Chinese culture through Chinese food, and the community will become more diversified and inclusive.
Unwilling to see people who travel here feel uncomfortable because the city has no any familiar characters for them, Mei choose to run Chinese restaurants.
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Weekends are the busiest time of the week for Black Pearl. Although the volume of customer flow and takeaway meals makes Mei feel exhausted sometimes, she still enjoys her daily job. Mei said she is pleased that more local people love Chinese food.
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By Dan Zhao
Michelle Mei has owned two Chinese restaurants for almost 10 years.
They are both called Black Pearl.
Birmingham, The Fledgling Foodie City
Food • ie. Foodie: an individual formerly known as a gastronome or epicure. One who has a keen interest in the enjoyment of food, cooking and beverages.
Birmingham continues to top the lists of travel and eatery guides year after year, recently including Southern Living’s “15 Southern Cities All Food Lovers Should Visit Now.” The Southern Living article offers Chez Fon Fon, Big Spoon Creamery and The Pizitz Food Hall as some of the city’s must-eat gems. In 2016, Zagat published “The 26 Hottest Food Cities of 2016” and named Birmingham as number 14, citing Real and Rosemary, El Barrio Restaurante y Bar, and Hotbox at Parkside as some of the stand-out eateries. Other articles will point to Hot and Hot Fish Club, Oven Bird, Carrigan’s Public House, and, of course, Highlands Bar and Grill, where the foodie scene in Birmingham was born.
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Since Frank Stitt opened Highlands in 1982, and especially in the last 10 years, Birmingham restaurant owners have taken Stitt’s strong start and run with it, forks and sauté pans blazing, into the pursuit of culinary greatness. Though Birmingham may not boast the size or dazzle of Nashville or Atlanta, the ‘Ham is making its own seat at the table in its own unique way. “The food scene has allowed Birmingham to differentiate itself from the rest of the South,” said Wade Cline, Birmingham native and sales manager at Bham Now. “Of course we have our barbecue and small sandwich shops, but now more authentic options are becoming prominent.” Cline’s words ring true – Birmingham has no shortage of authentic Japanese and Chinese cuisines, as well as fusion spots.
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One of Birmingham’s greatest fusion eateries is Wasabi Juan’s, tucked away unsuspectingly next to Avondale Brewery. The location may seem unconventional to some, it isn’t in one of Birmingham’s trendy suburbs like Homewood or Mountainbrook, Avondale and Wasabi Jaun’s go together like sushi and burritos. “It was the right place at the right time,” said Jessica Toro Hardisson, the Kitchen Manager at Wasabi Jaun’s. “We always loved coming to Avondale and loved the atmosphere of it. We originally were considering a food truck, but this opportunity came up and we took it.”
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The Sushi-Mexican fusion was born in 2014, resulting in sushi burritos that are a crowd-pleaser across all generations. “I took my mom here when she visited a few months ago,” said Marcus Witzel, a junior at Samford. “She thought it was really cool and said she understood why I ate there so often.”
Birmingham foodies love Wasabi Jaun’s, and they love them right back. Toro Hardisson said the best part of having a unique restaurant has been, “all the love and support we get! Our customers are so awesome! We have always felt very welcomed and supported in everything we do.” She hopes to see the food scene in Birmingham continue to expand. “We are foodies [ourselves], so we really enjoy all the new options we have...There are so many cool concepts in different states that we hope will make its way here.”
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Birmingham restaurants are also finding success because in addition to innovative cuisine and drinks, they’re helping to foster community. “[Birmingham restaurants] are very passionate about carrying local products, (beer/produce) and some even host bands in their space that are local to Birmingham. They foster community by being actively involved and doing things to support other local businesses.” said Cline.
With unique eateries that strive to provide not only great dishes, but great community experiences, there is no doubt that Birmingham’s food scene will continue to rise like a perfect cheese souffle.
Bir • ming • ham. Birmingham: a growing southeastern city gaining national media attention for its up-and-coming food scene.
By Rachel Williams
Avondale Ascends
By Rachel Williams
A fter crossing the railroad tracks on 41st Street, the main thoroughfare of Avondale comes into sight. To the left stands a squat, two story building with seven rounded-top windows, two firehouse doors, and sign bearing the name Avondale Brewery. The brewpub’s mascot, Miss Fancy, is a tribute to the elephant known as the Queen of Avondale in the early nineteenth century. Miss Fancy lived in the old Birmingham Zoo, and is rumored to have enjoyed a libation or two in her day. A staple of the neighborhood and of Birmingham’s fledgling craft beer scene since 2011, it’s hard to imagine a time when Miss Fancy and her pints weren’t watching over the neighborhood. Atmospheres like the one Avondale offers are relatively new to Birmingham’s entertainment scene – prior to June 2011, there wasn’t a single brewery with a tasting room in the state of Alabama.
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Due to restrictive alcohol laws left over from the Prohibition Era, breweries were barred from selling their beer on site. In 2011 the first part of the Brewery Modernization Act (BMA) passed through state legislature and partially removed the red tape surrounding the beer business. After the 2011 act, breweries, or “brewpubs” were no longer required to have an 80-seat restaurant on premise, and were allowed to package and sell their beer to distributors for out-of-brewery sale. While helpful, the BMA still stipulated that brewpubs had to be located in a historic building, or in an economically distressed area. The act also mandated that brewpubs could only operate in counties where beer had been brewed prior to 1918. Even with the remaining stipulations, the brewery business took off in Birmingham. “The Brewery Modernization Act allowed breweries to have tasting rooms on site really started the movement for breweries to open in Alabama,” said Taylor Lander, the COO of Avondale Brewing Company, or ABC.
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Avondale isn’t just a brewpub, though. Avondale has been an active part in breathing life back into the neighborhood. “I think ABC [was] the catalyst to revitalize the Avondale neighborhood by bringing in some of the now most popular restaurants and bars in town, ABC helped grow the food and beverage scene in all of Birmingham,” Lander remarked. Avondale has truly come to life thanks to the booming brew business. Wasabi Jaun’s, Post Office Pies, Saw’s Soul Kitchen, and Melt are just a few of the restaurants lining 41st; Saturn’s Satellite and 41st Street pub contribute their fair share to the city’s bar scene. Though there are six other breweries in town, Avondale Brewery is set apart from the crowd. “Avondale is much different than a lot of the others,” Lander said. “We are a production facility, tasting room, event venue and a premier 2,000-person music venue. A lot going on over here!” The tasting room offers regular tours, and the courtyard stage has quickly become a destination gig for local bands.
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In just five years of operation, Avondale has cemented itself as a local favorite and top contender in the brewery scene. With so much happening each day, there is no doubt that the brewery will continue to flourish.
