Reviews

Chef Eli Markshtien shares Israeli family recipes.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

When Eli Markshtien, wife, Laurel and family, moved to Birmingham he could not find an Israeli restaurant. So he opened Eli’s Jerusalem Grill and began cooking his grandmother's recipes. The eatery was an instant success with people of all cultures and those who want to eat organic.

Three Generations share Silvertron Café’s kitchen.

By Jan Walsh 

Photography by Beau Gustafson

The kitchen is the heart of each Italian home. And in The Silvertron Café’s kitchen, we get a taste of what it is like to be part of an Italian family. Cooking with chef Marco Morosini today are his daughter, Nora and his mother, Pinuccia Invernizzi—who is here on a visit from Lecco, on Lake Como in Northern Italy. And cooking with his mother makes more than a marvelous meal. It also stirs up some precious memories. “Every Sunday, right after breakfast, Mom started cooking. She cooked all morning long for a meal that wouldn't last more than 20 minutes!” he recalls. “It wasn't until I left home for the first time and moved to Paris that I realized what I had left behind. Then I started to really appreciate the time I had spent watching my mom and my grandmother in the kitchen.

Bistro V’s Jeremy Downey demos braised short ribs. 

By Jan Walsh 

Photography by Beau Gustafson

I often dine at Bistro V for the fish of the day. It is consistently marvelous. Grouper, snapper, and any Gulf Seafood in the hands of executive chef Jeremy Downey—native of Bayou La Batre—never disappoints. Yet with today’s dish we discover that Downey’s culinary talents are wider than the sea. His Braised Short Ribs are also a favorite of many at Bistro V.  Bistro V is co-owned by Downey and his partner, Emily Tuttle Shell who serves as general manager.

Ocean’s George Reis prepares Thai Green Curry Bouillabaisse.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Chef George Reis is always innovating the cuisine at his restaurants, Ocean and 26. And today he shares one of his cutting edge dishes, which incorporates a variety of seafood—Thai Green Curry Bouillabaisse. At Ocean this dish is served in a Tagine, Moroccan cooking vessel. And when the top is removed at the table, a steamy cloud of aromas whets the appetite for the first, succulent bite.

Cantina’s Jorge Castro cooks big flavors in small space.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Since Cantina opened the Shrimp Quesadillas have been a favorite dish. And today in “The Miracle Kitchen” here at Cantina, we learn the secrets that make them so good. And one of the secrets is the kitchen itself—where so many cooks create so much greatness in a small space.

Sol y Luna’s Alex Castro prepares a light and lean new dish.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Executive chef, Alex Castro sears a new dish at the new Sol y Luna—Yellowfin Tuna with jicama tostada, topped with watermelon and mango salsa and spicy chipotle creamy sauce.

Bistro V’s Jeremy Downey demos baked black snapper, Mediterranean style.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

As native of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, Bistro V’s owner and chef, Jeremy Downey knows seafood. Today he is cooking whole, Gulf Coast Black Snapper with house made Ragu. “Black Snapper is a cousin to Red Snapper. It is smaller in size, swims at 50 to 75 feet, and has a sweeter taste,” Downey explains.