Birmingham Originals is a group of over 30 passionately independent restaurant owners and associates who are committed to increasing awareness of our unique regional flavors.

With food from dozens of your favorite local restaurants, wine and beer selections, live musical entertainment including Cleve Eaton w/ The Alabama All Stars, and The Erin Mitchell Project, local market vendors, and a children’s area with pumpkin decorating and other activities, there really is something for everyone. This is the premiere wine and food event of the year in Alabama.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $12 for those 12-20 years of age and children under 12 are free. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $75 and allow access to tented seating and a special selection of wines.

Click here to purchase tickets online and save $5

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

What makes Break ‘n Bread so great? First of all, the participating restaurants are among the very best in Birmingham. Each restaurant prepares a special dish (thousands of them, to be exact), and whether it’s scallops from Ocean, The Bright Star’s famous gumbo, or Guillermo serving Mojo Pork from Sol Y Luna, the variety and assortment of dishes is incredible (Click here for a list of menu items).  The wine selection from Birmingham’s top wine purveyors is the perfect pairing for these amazing dishes. Live music and children’s activities make this open-air event full of energy. There is no better way to spend a beautiful October Sunday afternoon in Birmingham.

We hope that you’ll come out on Sunday the 11th to Break ‘n Bread and support local restaurants in Birmingham. We think that you won’t find a better priced or more fun event anywhere in town. And, you can eat and drink as much as you like!

Click here to purchase tickets online and save $5