After specializing in restaurants for almost a decade, we’ve got some big news. We’ve expanded our discount offerings beyond just restaurants! In May 2009 we launched a new website called www.bigbham.com. At Big Bham, every few days we’ll offer a BIG discount (think 50% off or more) to a great local business. Unlike our discount restaurant program, where certificates are available in limited quantities, www.bigbham.com will not place limits on how many people can get the deal. We’ll feature a business for a few days, and anyone that comes to the site can take advantage of our special.

We’re going to have a wide variety of incredible deals. We’ll have restaurants, spas, entertainment, retail, and much much more. Before each deal runs, we’ll send out an email to our list to alert our friends of the special. If you want to make sure that you aren’t left out, you can add your name to our mailing list at www.bigbham.com. You can also follow us on Twitter.

We need your help! Please tell your friends about www.bigbham.com. The more people we can get taking advantage of our deals, the more amazing deals we can secure. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at support@instagift.com.

Win a $103 Gift Card. Stop by The Bright Star to register to win. They will be giving away gift cards at the end of June, July and August.

In honor of their birthday, they are featuring a selection of luncheon entrées served with two vegetables or two sides and beverage for $10.30. Price includes tax.  Available Monday thru Friday. Special menu is available on their website at www.thebrightstar.com.

Visit The Bright Star in the evening to sample delectable dinner specials. Priced from $14.95-$16.95, you won’t ever have to sacrifice quality for cost. Available Sunday—Thursday evenings. Special menu is available on their website.

Rounding out the summer long celebration is Bright Star’s Taste of New Orleans; taking place on August 26th, 27th and 28th with dishes prepared by Executive Chef Tory McPhail. Click here to view the menu and complete details.

Happy 103rd Birthday Bright Star!

Dear customers and friends of Homewood Gourmet,

I am sad and glad to announce there are new changes coming to Homewood Gourmet, which will be effective the end of May. After a period of consideration, I have decided to sell Homewood Gourmet to a wonderful young couple, Chris and Laura Zapalowski. The style, service and staff of Homewood Gourmet will remain the same with the addition of new energy and new ideas, always a good thing to happen. Be on the lookout for more of the same great food and some wonderful additions to the menu.

I would be terribly remiss if I neglected to give deep-felt thanks to the current and prior staff of Homewood Gourmet. They have helped me through some great and hard times, all with caring support. They are all planning to stay on with Chris and Laura to provide the critical continuity of this transition. So Mitchell, Tina, Cindy and Lyn (she’s new) will be answering your phone calls and filling your catering orders, and Rene, Gerardo and Belizario will be cooking up the same food as well as learing some new things. No chef or owner has been better served by a staff than I have been by them.

I have known Laura (then Martin) for about 10 years, since she worked for me while a student at Samford University, in fact the other day she told my staff that she remembers me teaching her to chop an onion. I don’t know if that made her go to culinary school after Samford, but she did, up in NYC and then ended up at the “new” Food Network. She met Emeril Lagasse there and he eventually got her to go to New Orleans to work on his TV and book projects. Chris was also working for Emeril and I guess so was Cupid. They relocated to Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and have both been working for Chris Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish Club. Chris has been working as Chef de Cuisine and Laura doing editing and recipe testing on Chris’ cookbook. Laura also spent some time at Southern Progress doing writing, editing, food styling, etc.

The next question I’m sure you are all wanting to ask, is what will Franklin do next? For a while, I will be helping Chris and Laura with some transitional consulting. As well I will be working on special projects for the Pepper Place Saturday Market, which is near and dear to my heart. After that, well who knows what will come my way, if I leave my head and heart open.

As you may or may not be aware, I have been been undergoing treatment for throat cancer since January of this year. So I have had several surgeries, one even robotic assisted, and an emergency tracheotomy. Now I am in the beginnings of radiation and chemotherapy, which will last until the 25 of June (final day will be the Friday June 25 when I go hear Sam Bush wail on the mandolin at the Alys Stephens center). One of the side effects of the treatment is the loss of taste, which should be temporary. The length of the effect is unknown. Other effects are fatigue, so far they are correct and they have promised me the sore throat of all sore throats, and the beginnings of it are here. It may cause me to stop eating normally and have to rely on a feeding tube. There is no guide to side effects, as each patient is different, but I am trying to be as good as I can and do as well as I can. The prediction of the taste sense return has been from a month to a year, and it will be gradual. I will take it one day at a time…It is the only way, and recovery is on the way of the journey.

So my friends, please celebrate the changes. Chris and Laura promise to make good food, and hope that you all continue to be as wonderful to them as you have been to me. We have appreciated your years of patronage and friendship and hope for many many more.

Franklin Biggs
Homewood Gourmet

You have to hand it to Bongiorno. For more than 20 years now it has served impressive, authentic Italian foods and great pizza from a small, copper-and-glass storefront on Church Street in Crestline Village. Other restaurants have come and gone from this village, food trends have changed tremendously and goodness knows the economy has taken a bite out of dining-out budgets. But still, Bongiorno’s friendly, festive neon sign gamely beckons passionate regulars to pretty much fill the 70 or so seats inside—even with a newer, perhaps trendier, Italian restaurant less than a block away.

To read the entire article click here.