Alan Alford, his wife Kathy, and their son Taylor co-own (with Coby Lake) and operate Ferus by the Bay, a new brew pub and restaurant on the corner of Church Street and De La Mare in the heart of downtown Fairhope. If you’re not familiar with the place, that’s understandable. Church Street has been closed and under construction since Ferus by the Bay opened six months ago. With construction now complete, it’s as if they just re-opened. And it’s good!

Noell Broughton and Mark Strickland are at it again. They opened Grace Restaurant and Rooftop Bar at 555 Dauphin Street at the end of October, and I’ve been eager to check it out. So, I did, on a Friday when the weather was nice and pleasant, and people were in a holiday mood.

After a long day touring the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta with friends from Tuscaloosa last week, we were tired and hungry. Luckily, we had planned and made reservations at Char 32 Restaurant and Bar located at the Point Clear Swim and Tennis Club. It is such a popular dining spot that reservations are required.

Tim Thompson and Ellis O’Neal, Pensacola natives, met playing disc golf. They both worked in the food industry; Tim was a line cook for Global Grill and Peg Leg Pete’s while Ellis worked in kitchen and equipment sales for restaurants. They tossed around the idea of opening a food truck business while playing disc golf together.

Several of my foodie friends have recommended a small, neighborhood establishment called KItchen on Main in Daphne; the Main being Main Street across from Manci’s Antique Club. It was my daughter’s birthday, so we made reservations and had a wonderful dining experience!

Linda and I had the pleasure of a quick, mid-week trip to Birmingham to see Bonnie Raitt in concert last Wednesday. We had early dinner reservations at Automatic Seafood and Oysters before heading to the Birmingham Civic Center Theater for the show.

What brings Jessica Alford, General Manager of the Avenue Pub from Cincinnati, Ohio to Orange Beach, Alabama? Two things. First, she says that in 2015, both she and her mom had a bit of a mid-life crisis, and second, it coincided with the cold weather in Cincinnati. They moved to Pensacola and fell in love with the area.

Tamara Wintzell has been a staple in the Fairhope restaurant industry for over four decades. Think about that. From experience, I can tell you that 40 years ago, Fairhope’s restaurant offerings were sparse, to say the least. And yet Tamara has started, sold, and started again more establishments than you can shake a stick at. She’s an institution unto herself!