‘Travels With Darley’ savors Alabama food over two delicious episodes
TV traveler Darley Newman (left) found Alabama food choices so nice, she filmed here twice, packing the story into two yummy episodes of 'Travels with Darley.' (Alabama Tourism Department)
It’s the Year of Alabama Food, and Darley Newman of the long-running public television show Travels With Darley loved what Alabama had to offer so much, she couldn’t fit it all into one episode.
So, she put together a two-part series exploring great eats in central and south Alabama, with a little bit of biscuit-making, farming and history thrown in.
In the first part of her “Alabama for Foodies” series, Newman visited Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, where she found an eclectic mix of holes-in-the-wall and James Beard award-winning restaurants.
Home to the University of Alabama, the Tuscaloosa area shared with Newman some of the state’s tastiest barbecue and Southern comfort dishes. Two places she visited were Dreamland BBQ’s original location and City Cafe in downtown Northport.
Little has changed at the original Dreamland since John “Big Daddy” Bishop first opened the place in 1958. And just across the Black Warrior River, City Cafe has been feeding the eclectic arts community in Northport since 1931.
After leaving Tuscaloosa, Newman headed an hour south to Marion, where she made biscuits with James Beard award-winning chef Scott Peacock. Then, she headed to Birmingham’s famed Hot and Hot Fish Club to visit with another James Beard honoree, chef Chris Hastings.
The iconic stacked tomato salad at Hot & Hot Fish Club. (contributed)
She also made a stop in Bessemer at the venerable Bright Star Restaurant, which has been named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation. Closer to Birmingham, she swung by the Irondale Cafe to taste the fried green tomatoes made famous by the Fannie Flagg novel and the subsequent Hollywood film named after the classic Southern dish.
In Episode Two, Newman made her way to downtown Mobile to visit the Cuban Speakeasy Las Floriditas for drinks. For dinner, it was Dauphin’s, located on the 34th floor of the Trustmark Building that offers French-creole-inspired cuisine and panoramic views of the city. Before heading north to Montgomery, Newman visited Squid Ink; owner/chef Panini Pete, who also operates a popular café that carries his name and other food establishments in the region, is an icon in Mobile and has been featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
When Newman arrived in the state capital, her first stop was Chris’ Famous Hotdogs, which has been in business since 1917. The secret to their legendary wieners is in the sauce. Regulars in the old days included F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, and it’s rumored Hank Williams wrote the lyrics to “Hey Good Lookin” at Chris’ counter.
After leaving Montgomery, Darley headed to Auburn where she explored Auburn University’s 1856 Culinary Residence, the Tony and Libba Culinary Science Center and the James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Acre.
Watch the full Alabama Foodie episodes of Travels with Darley at these links: Alabama For Foodies 1 and Alabama For Foodies 2.
Alabama for Foodies: Part I Promo :60 from Darley Newman on Vimeo.
Alabama for Foodies: Part II Promo :60 from Darley Newman on Vimeo.
This story originally appeared on the Alabama Tourism Department website.
