It’s rare that a single dish can reach a legendary status where people not only say you must try a restaurant, but you must try a specific dish at a specific restaurant.

Of all the incredible dishes chef Chris Hastings has created at his different restaurants, it’s a room-temperature tomato salad that has earned that legendary status at his Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham.

The Hot and Hot Tomato Salad & Fried Okra is the dish that patrons ask Hastings about as tomato season approaches and it returns to the restaurant’s menu. It is not surprising that this legendary dish would also be on the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama.

Hastings shares the inspiration for the dish and the story behind his restaurant’s unusual name.

Tomato Salad & Fried Okra at Hot and Hot Fish Club one of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.