A creative collaborative. An incubator for expressive minds. A junction for the future concepts of Birmingham’s artists—MAKEbhm is all of these things and more. Inside of a 22,000-square-foot warehouse in Avondale, you’ll now find dozens of artists working in multiple mediums. Their creations – from pottery to metal work, custom wood furnishings to jewelry – are also being sold around the city in various boutiques and retailers. They rent adjoining space to A. K. Hall – a jewelry maker who uses stones, pearls and metals in an undeniably beautiful way (shop online at http://www.madebyak.com) and Winslet & Rhys Mercantile, a boutique with a curations of small-producer artisan
goods and fashion. Big Spoon Creamery adds an edible twist to this side alley in
Avondale, which is already one of the city’s coolest places to visit. MAKEbhm officially opened to artists and to the curious public in mid-2016, but it was devised nearly a decade ago, by an architect named Bruce Lanier and a few of his friends. “I think this was a love-child born of a recession and a mid-life crisis,” laughs Lanier, who now serves as executive director of the project. “I’m an architect by day. And in 2009, it was rough being an architect. I had this set of notes on the wall of things I could be doing with my life. One was the idea of a community workshop.” He wanted to create a space where artists in different mediums could come together, lowering the cost of real estate, but maximizing the effects of collaboration and inspiration. He began researching and discovered an artist group called 3rd Ward in Brooklyn. They’d acquired a large and lofty warehouse space and were renting affordable
space to artists. “We called up 3rd Ward and they talked to us,” Lanier says. “We
got a lot of ideas from those conversations. We acquired some working equipment and welding equipment, and through a series of small victories and fails, we dialed in on what people wanted versus what we thought they wanted,” he says. “We like to think of ourselves as enablers. We try to make starting or pursuing an idea easier. We are
an incubator, but not a small business starter. Everyone here is doing
their own thing.” One mission of MAKEbhm is to connect with locals with these
artists. Classes are available on a daily or weekly basis, teaching everything
from basic woodworking to more advanced furniture building, from novice pottery to gas welding and candelabra design. They also hosts events monthly, inviting people to come and meet the artists, have a glass of wine and do some on-site shopping.
Village Tavern Scratch Kitchen-Craft Bar stands out for its passion and perfection of classic American cuisine. Be it for business lunches, gatherings or date night, Village Tavern is the place for all occasions. They are committed to providing the highest quality food, wine and service at an affordable price, while creating unforgettable dining experiences with exceptional hospitality.
Every day has something special to offer with deals like HALF PRICE WINE Wednesday, offering more than 60 wines by the glass on an award-winning wine list at half price, so you can enjoy a glass of your favorite wine or try something new. In addition to daily drink specials, check out the best happy hour and bar bites available Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, and brunch on the weekends, VILLAGE TAVERN SCRATCH KITCHEN-CRAFT BAR Village Tavern is the neighborhood gathering place for all. Outdoor dining available when weather permits.
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Visit Margaronas Cantina in Homewood, Alabama. Serving traditional and authentic Mexican dishes, Margaronas Cantina has quickly become a stand-out among locals. The modern atmosphere pays tribute to Mexico with a heightened level of comfort and sophistication. Enjoy dining inside or out on the covered patio. The full bar offers the finest tequilas and all of your other favorite spirits. The owners and staff will greet you at the door and ensure your experience is the very best in Birmingham.
HOURS OF OPERATION: Sunday – Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Slice Pizza & Brew has become a Birmingham staple since it’s original location opened in the Lakeview District. Started by brothers, Jeff, Chris and Jason Bajalieh, Slice is as local as you can get, from the owners to the ingredients that go into every pizza to the beer on tap. Slice originated as a place not just to eat, but to hang out and has held true to this sentiment with the opening of the second Slice Pizza & Brew in Vestavia Hills across from Lifetime Fitness.
No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’ll love the food and atmosphere at this local favorite amongst the movers and shakers of Birmingham. Come enjoy the best pizza in Birmingham! For more information on Slice or their two locations, please visit slicebirmingham.com.
Slice Lakeview 725 29th Street S Birmingham, AL 35233 205.715.9300
Slice Vestavia 304 Timberlake Drive Vestavia Hills, AL 35243 205.557.5423
slicebirmingham.com @SliceBirmingham @BirminghamSlice @SlicePizzaBham
Have you considered how exquisite a motorcycle is in its styling, mechanics, and capabilities? Their artistry is what Birmingham native George Barber saw when he began collecting motorcycles in 1988. Six years later, he established the Barber Museum as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Today, it is home to the largest collection of motorcycles in the world.
With outstanding reviews and consistently high praise from customers, Baja California Cantina and Grill in Hoover should be on the top of your list for the best Tex-Mex cuisine, delicious drinks with your favorite spirits and impeccable service.
Baja California Cantina and Grill is open seven days a week and conveniently located to all hotels in the Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Bessemer areas.
Catch live music performances by following them on Facebook.
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Sunday – Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Welcome to your mountain lodge getaway. Here at Twin Peaks, we offer everything you crave and more: hearty made-from-scratch comfort food, draft beer served at a teeth-chattering 29 degrees and all the best sports on TV shown on high-definition flat screens. All of this is served by our friendly and attentive Twin Peaks Girls, offering their signature “Girl Next Door” charisma and playful personalities to ensure that your adventure happens at the Peaks. We’re your Ultimate Sports Lodge – Game on!
If diversity were a place, it would be Birmingham. People who visit here get a taste of that variety—in entertainment, cuisine, the arts, nightlife, the great outdoors—that brings them back time and again.
Birmingham was born out of iron and steel. Remnants of these early beginnings are preserved in places such as Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. The city is also well-known for its prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. A visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute gives visitors an in-depth look at that important era.
The area’s antique shops are becoming places of legend in upscale lifestyle magazines around the country. Trendy malls have taken root all over the area, bringing tony, high-end shops to the state’s retail giant. Dozens of new art galleries surprise enthusiasts and collectors with a wide variety of paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, fine and funk art.
Should you have us pigeonholed as serving only barbeque and fried pies, just remember that Birmingham is home to “the Oscars of dining” with James Beard Foundation Award winners and nominees. Anyone visiting the city should take in the beauty of down-home cooking as well. And visitors with an appetite for live music will find that it is the city’s signature entertainment.
So it is diversity that is this city’s greatest strength and strongest appeal. We are a spectrum of attitudes and cultures that are all a part of the charm and intrigue that is Birmingham.
Voted Best Restaurant, Best Chef and the recipient of AAA Four Diamond Award for the past twelve years, Ocean offers fresh seafood in an exciting and contemporary atmosphere. The bold seafood menu at Ocean ma restaurant a premier location for fine dining in Birmingham. Ocean is widely known as one of the city’s crown jewels as accolades have been heaped on the restaurant, chef and owner George Reis and on the restaurant’s fine wine offerings.
Many patrons stop by for a signature martini at the newly renovated white marble-topped bar. The beautiful environment, paired with one of Ocean’s signature cocktails, is a perfect way to start the night. Other locals head straight to the Raw Bar for seafood offerings not found anywhere else in the city. From the imposing Seafood Tower that showcases most of the Raw Bar’s offerings to the various oysters, lobster, crab legs and mussels served at the bar, it is a wonderful taste of what Ocean has in store.
The casual atmosphere of the patio dining area is perfect for a low-key night out with friends or entertain- ing clients, but be sure to sample the award-winning and recently restyled dining experience inside as well. Any seafood lover is certain to find their favorite on the menu, whether it be shrimp or one of the restaurant’s whole fish offerings, which changes daily.
For those who aren’t in a seafood mood, Reis offers a cooked-to-perfection Hereford filet mignon as well as a number of salads and desserts that will satisfy any craving.
Tuesday-Saturday: 5:30-10:30 p.m.
Located in the historic Five Points South area, Ocean is at the center of the city’s entertainment and culinary center.
Reservations are encouraged and there’s ample seating at the bar.
ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA
North Alabama, also known as the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, formed in 1964 with the express purpose of developing North Alabama’s travel industry and marketing the region to the traveling public. We now serve sixteen counties with an ever-expanding membership base representing progressive travel-regulated businesses and associations as well as various levels of government. Our hope is to expand on, and not duplicate, the objectives or efforts of local associations and organizations that represent specific industry components. We all prosper by working together in a unified effort to promote the sixteen-county region’s natural, historic and man-made attractions.
DOWNLOAD THESE APPS: 
NORTH ALABAMA ROAD TRIPS 
NORTH ALABAMA BBQ TRAIL
To join us as a member, you must be located within our 16 counties. If you have questions please email Sandra@northalabama.org.
Big Spoon Creamery is a small batch, artisan ice cream company, and they are seriously passionate about their craft. Their philosophy and approach to ice cream comes from values and principles Ryan and Geri Martha learned working as chefs in some of Birmingham’s best restaurants under famed chef and restauranteur, Frank
Stitt. Their goal is to impact their community through a commitment to service and relationships in addition to the highest quality ice cream using local and seasonal ingredients. Ryan and Geri-Martha O’Hara founded Big Spoon Creamery in 2014, selling their small-batch, artisan ice cream out of an old school ice cream trike, as well as a food truck. They’ve now brought their ice cream to Avondale with their first brick and mortar storefront at the MAKEbhm building. (Opening April 2017)
Alabama Sawyer (Alasaw) is Birmingham’s only tree-to-table furniture company. Alabama is home to the second largest urban forest in the US. Alasaw recognizes the value in these majestic trees, fallen from storms, displaced by development, or otherwise headed for the landfill. They transform them into elegant designs, both furniture and unique home accessories, obsessively crafted to delight and endure. Come meet the designers and makers at an event or learn more and buy designs at alasaw.com.
Susan Gordon Pottery is a small batch pottery studio creating collections of dinnerware, serving ware, decorative accents and handmade jewelry that are organic, detailed, modern and timeless. Susan’s work can be found in boutique retailers in Birmingham and cities across the country.
Shop online at susangordonpottery.etsy.com
