Highlands Bar & Grill, The Atomic Bar & Lounge bring home James Beard nominations
As far as James Beard awards, Birmingham keeps the bragging rights fresh each year.
The James Beard Awards, known as the highest honor for food and beverage professionals in the U.S. since 1990, released its 2018 semifinals in February and its final nominees on Wednesday, March 14, which included two Birmingham gems.
This week, the longtime legendary Highlands Bar & Grill was announced a final nominee for Outstanding Restaurant for the 10th year in a row, in addition to Highlands Bar & Grill pastry chef Dolester Miles, who was a final nominee for the third year in a row as Outstanding Pastry Chef.
A new local favorite, The Atomic Bar & Lounge, was named a semi-finalist for Outstanding Bar Program, which put them in the top 20 in the U.S.
The mission of the James Beard Foundation, according to its website, is to celebrate and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diver and sustainable.
Get to know some of Birmingham’s James Beard nominees here.
Finalist: Highlands Bar & Grill
Even though Highlands Bar & Grill has been receiving James Beard recognition for 10 years now, co-owner and Chef Frank Stitt said it is still an honor for him, co-owner and restaurant operator Pardis Stitt and the entire staff.
Dubbed a "Birmingham classic," Highlands Bar & Grill serves a daily-changing menu made with a classic French technique and fresh ingredients, and is located on 2011 Eleventh Ave. S.
The Outstanding Restaurant award is given to a restaurant that has been in operation for 10 or more consecutive years, and “serves as a national standard bearer of consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere and service,” according to the James Beard Foundation.
“Pardis and I are so proud of our dedicated team at Highlands Bar & Grill," Frank Stitt said in a statement to Iron City Ink.
Although Highlands Bar & Grill has yet to win the award, the winners will be announced this May.
In addition, Dolester Miles of Highlands Bar & Grill was a final nominee for the Outstanding Pastry Chef award, which is given to a chef or baker with at least five years of chef or baker experience who prepares deserts, pastries or breads in a restaurant.
"We’re especially proud of Dolester Miles for being a final nominee for Outstanding Pastry Chef—three years in a row now. We are most thankful to all our community in Birmingham for their ongoing support," Stitt said in his statement.
Highlands Bar & Grill is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner from 5:30-10 p.m., with the bar open on 4 p.m., except for Saturday when it opens at 5 p.m.
To learn more or book a reservation, go to highlandsbarandgrill.com.
Semi-Finalist: Atomic Bar & Lounge
Co-owners and married partners Feizal Valli and Rachael Roberts found out that they were in the top 20 semi-finalists in the country for the James Beard Outstanding Bar Program only a few weeks after they celebrated their one-year anniversary of opening the Atomic Bar & Lounge.
“It wasn’t even on our radar to get that kind of recognition,” Roberts said. “To get a nod from a national foundation was pretty surprising, we were super honored.”
The Atomic Bar & Lounge, located downtown on 2113 1st Ave. N. and previously featured in Iron City Ink, opened its doors in February 2017, modeling the bar after a mid-century modern American home, with a decorated living room and fireplace near the entrance, and trophies on the wall from the owners’ families, friends and even some customers.
“It’s cozy, it’s engaging,” Roberts said. “It’s meant to feel like a retro basement party.”
The Outstanding Bar Program is described by the James Beard Foundation as a restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktails, spirits or beer service. Roberts said she thinks The Atomic Bar & Lounge stood out for a different reason than many of the other bars on the list.
“The bars listed are some of the best bars in the country, they have great whisky selections, they have wonderful service, they have ice butchers and fancy high-end things,” Roberts said. “But we focus less about what’s inside the glass and more about the people coming into the bar, not to say that those places don’t, but I don’t know if any of the other bars have so many elements that focus on our regulars and people in Birmingham.”
Their cocktail menu, for instance, is centered around their many regulars, she said. People can order drinks such as a “Natalie Kelly,” named after a regular who designed an art piece that hangs on the wall, or a “Ben Foster,” a very popular drink, Roberts said, that is named after another local regular.
That aspect, she said, along with the design and atmosphere is probably what caught national attention.
“The most rewarding part about working here is all of the people in Birmingham we get to see all the time,” Roberts said. “We walk them into the bar and meet them and also all the people from out of town that come to see the Atomic."
Their most popular cocktail is the Legendary Sex Panther, “a playful, tongue-and-cheek riff off an old fashioned,” Roberts said. Instead of garnish, it comes with a temporary panther tattoo. Another popular element to the bar is the option to don full-body costumes, which they offer to customers to wear during the night as part of the experience.
“If you’ve never done it, then it’s worth a try. Feizal and I can say from experience that it definitely changes the dynamic of your evening,” Roberts said.
The Atomic Bar & Lounge is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Learn more at theatomiclounge.com.
The final James Beard winner of the area is Best Chef (South Region) Timothy Hontzas of Johnny’s Restaurant, located in Homewood.
The overall winners will be announced at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony on May 7 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. To see all the James Beard nominees, go to jamesbeard.org.