UAB Alumni And Faculty Add Zest To Birmingham’s Rising Food Scene

By Donna Cope

The South has historically been associated with good eating. But right now, Birmingham is experiencing a special moment in America’s culinary spotlight. Among the accolades it has received, Birmingham ranked first on Zagat’s 2015 list of the nation’s next hot food cities. Chef Frank Stitt’s Highlands Bar and Grill has been a finalist for the prestigious national James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant for a record nine years in a row. And just this month, Buzzfeed named Birmingham one of America’s 12 underrated food cities.

The city’s national food cred dates back at least to 1982, when Highlands opened in the Five Points South neighborhood. Today, Birmingham is proving to be fertile ground for foodies of all stripes hungry for creative restaurant concepts. Meet a few UAB alumni – and one professor – who have dived into the local food scene. They just might make the city more flavorful than ever.

Former Alabama assistant football coach Pat James and his wife, Eloise, opened the Southside location of Full Moon Bar-B-Que in 1981. But in 1997, the shop established an allegiance to the university a few blocks away, thanks in part to Joe Maluff.Maluff, a Birmingham native, long dreamed of a life in the restaurant business. His father, mother, and uncle all worked in food, and after high school Maluff pursued his passion to the Gulf coast. There, he worked in nearly every restaurant role. Between busy seasons, Maluff studied at UAB, taking courses one semester at a time. He graduated with a psychology degree in 2002.

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