I realize I'm going to be in the minority but I've been underwhelmed by my three visits to Highlands (despite that, my girlfriend and I are returning for New Year's Eve).

My favorites in B'ham are (in order of preference):

1. Bettola
2. Dyron's Low Country
3. Bottega
4. Hot & Hot
5. 26 (I like their menu more than Ocean's)
6. Ocean
7. Chez Fon Fon
8. Highlands Bar & Grill
9. Avo
10. Jinsei
11. Ollie Irene
12. Daniel George
13. Old Savannah
14. Sautterfield's
15. The Veranda

I've been to all of these at least a half dozen times each (with the exception of Highlands). They're all good and worth a try.

At Bettola, I always get their charcuterie plate. It's excellent.

Dyron's is great low country food. Very consistent.

Bottega's a neighborhood go-to for me. Both the cafe and restaurant serve great Italian (Bettola's charcuterie and house made pasta edge them ahead of Bottega for me).

Hot & Hot has great seafood and a menu that edges out both 26 and Ocean for me.

26 is the sister restaurant to Ocean but I really prefer 26's menu. Despite Ocean being the "flagship" restaurant, it's menu seems more casual with items like lobster pot pie.

I really like Chez Fon Fon. Very good food and great atmosphere.

Highlands came very hyped. My expectations may have been too high leading to disappointment. That said, my meals have been inconsistent with most visits including at least one so-so course.

Avo's the restaurant to the attached bar Dram. Avo's biggest downsides are the popularity of Dram and the fact that the best dishes are scattered across both Dram's and Avo's menus. Great people, great food though.

Jinsei is the best sushi in Birmingham hands down. A great sushi restaurant for any city and a respectable sake selection.

Ollie Irene is really growing on me. I was a bit disappointed my first visit there right after they opened. They were still working the kinks out and I think they were on a tight beginning budget. Things are a lot smoother now and their budget doesn't seem to be a problem anymore.

Daniel George has solid food and a good menu. My only complaint is that my last visit there included my girlfriend's fish being VERY overcooked. Despite that, they still served it. Neither the chef nor the waiter should have let it leave the kitchen.

Old Savannah would have rated higher but your title is "Fine Dining". The atmosphere is a bit more casual here so I knocked it a handful of spots. That said, the food is very good.

Sauterfield's has very good food but is definitely a step below the places listed above.

I've had some very good dishes at the Veranda but most have been mediocre. If Birmingham didn't have such a good restaurant scene for a city its size, The Veranda would be one of the top places.

Thanks! Will take her there after we get back from the beach. Forgot all about Chez Lulu - it's generally a bit too much "girly food" for me.

My vegetarian niece is visiting. Any recommendations in Birmingham for vegetarian friendly restaurants? (Please, don't say Bottletree. I brought her there last time. Greasy, mediocre bar food is not what I have in mind.)

While the theory is sound, a much better method (and easier) is sous vide.

Teppo is one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. The fish is always amazingly fresh. The dishes are creative. Excellent.

With regards to Tei An, I've tried to like it. After my first disappointment, I went back and tried other dishes. After that disappointment, I tried again. Now, I just have to conclude I don't appreciate good soba noodles. Too many other people love the place for it to be as disappointing as I think.

I've just had my first really good barbecue since moving to Birmingham almost two years ago - and not for a lack of trying.

Smith's Market on I-65 and 278 (not to be confused with Smith's Barbecue about 15 miles west on 278) is a general store with wine, cheese, meats, preserves, etc. They also have smoked chickens and boston butts (to go only). We picked up one of the boston butts yesterday and it was great!

Hands down the best barbecue I've had in quite some time.

Great bark. A pink smoke ring surrounding the outer 3/4" of the meat. Very moist and tender.

I'd drop Surin from sheilal's recommendations and add Jinsei. It's pricier but worth the cost. Great sake list and even better sushi.

I'd also add Dyron's Low Country to the list in the moderate price point as well as Avo/Dram.

Have to agree with the farmer's market at Pepper Place, if you arrive early.

With regards to V. Richards, I like their meat and dry goods but their produce section is very limited and often leaves a lot to be desired.

Welcome to the 'ham!

While we've got some great dining options, the barbecue scene isn't really up to what you're used to. That said, if you're open to something a bit different the white sauce they put on barbecue here really isn't bad (actually, it can be very good). I'd also recommend hitting up Moe's in Lakewood and trying their wings (yes, they cost almost as much as their ribs but the wings are more than worth it while the ribs aren't even worth half the cost.)

Think you'll love the transition.

The transition here is pretty easy. People are very welcoming. Strongly recommend buying a GPS if you don't already own one. The hills, trees, and curvy roads make navigating around for the first time impossible. If kids are in your future, I'd recommend Mountain Brook. Real estate is a lot more there but the schools make up for it. You'll also recapture whatever extra you spend when you sell.

As for food, the upper end goto places are Highlands, Bottega, Chez Fon Fon, Hot & Hot, Ocean, 26, Bettola, Gianmarco's, Avo/Dram (mainly a bar but very good food), Dyron's, Ollie Irene, and Cafe Dupont. For a town of its size, Birmingham has an abundance of dining options.

Unfortunately, the grocery store situation isn't as good. Outside of Whole Foods (there's one), you'll be hard pressed to find good produce. Whole Foods has excellent meat and seafood and there's a couple of butcher shops and fishmongers in town too.

There are several very good wine stores but prices will be at least 30% higher than what you're used to in Houston.

If you want the best wings I've found in Birmingham (and one of the best dishes I've eaten here), try the wings at Moe's Barbecue in Lakewood. Don't bother with anything else on their menu. I was not a fan of the place until a coworker convinced me to try their wings. Now, I'm a somewhat regular.

Dax, I do prefer Maffioza's to Slice but I'm not sure it's because of the pizza. My only experience with Slice was tainted by receiving a very small pour on the glass of wine I ordered followed by ordering a dark beer (to avoid a repeat) only to discover that they failed to let the head settle (it arrived 1/3 head, 2/3 beer) to fill the glass. Needless to say, my mood from that point spoiled the pizza no matter how good it might have been.

Try telling that to a Texan. I'll send flowers.

As for 'cue, I was raised in Kansas near Kansas City. Lived near the Oklahoma border. Went to college and grad school in North Carolina. Lived in Texas for a few years. Eaten more than my share from Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and anyplace else I happened to wander through.

All that said, nothing even comes close to the 'cue joints of Lockhart. Try it and you'll understand.

Burger - 5 Guys, Flip Burger, J Clyde
Wings - Moe's Barbecue (skip everything else on the menu)
Southern/Low Country - Highlands, Dram/Avo, Dyron's
Seafood - Hot & Hot, Ocean, 26
Italian - Bettola, Bottega, Gianmarco's
Mexican - Pinches, El Girasol
Chinese - Red Pearl
Pizza - Mafffioza's

armstwa - Thanks! I'm taking the girlfriend to ATL in a couple weeks. We'll have to make a stop at Heirloom Market.

If you think Saw's is good, try any 'cue in Lockhart TX - the real barbecue mecca.

The Club's more about view and atmosphere than food. It's a good place to bring a group from out of town when the goal isn't the food.

I was there about three years ago.

Food was unremarkable (though the duck is very good and cheap).

My wife's menu did not have prices so she was unaware of the absurd prices for the soups/appetizers.

The view is amazing. The food less than adequate. The service is below par.

LOL. Figures. The two best things are the two things I didn't try. Oh well, I'll get the chance to go again soon.

Was at Big Bob Gibson's on Hwy 31 in Decatur over the weekend. Had the pulled pork and brisket combo with baked beans and slaw for sides. Afterwards, my girlfriend and I split a piece of chocolate pie.

The pulled pork had a good smokey flavor, was tender, and juicy. Unfortunately, it wasn't fresh out of the smoker but had spent quite some time wrapped in cellophane so had gotten a little too soft.

The brisket had a nice smoke ring and what would've been a nice, dark bark but had also spent time in plastic wrap. What would've been a caramel, crunchy, acidic, goodness was just a sign of what could've been.

The coleslaw was pretty average. The baked beans were quite a bit better than average.

I'd heard a LOT about the pies here and although they were homemade, they didn't blow my socks off. That may be due to my expectations being so high.

Overall, I'd say they've got some of the best barbecue in Alabama I've tried.

They're nothing at all alike.

Five Guys has much larger burgers with more toppings - bacon, sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, etc. Their junior burger with a regular order of fries is more than enough food for me and I'm a guy who weighs over 200 lbs. They also have outstanding french fries and tell you the exact farm the potatoes came from. I don't know if they have special requirements for their potatoes but the fries are outstanding.

In-n-Out, on the other hand, is an overhyped fast food chain with just another cardboard patty and fries that aren't worth the calories.

One of my favorites was Uncle Julio's. Matt's Rancho Martinez makes the best chile rellenos (chicken with mild sauce) and the Mambo Taxis at Mi Cocina are legendary.

Wishing I were back in Dallas for the weekend.

If you're coming from NJ, it's smart to skip Indian in Dallas. You've got some of the best Indian in the country near you.

You're a vegetarian so I'll suggest Kalachandrai's (sp). It's VERY informal and part of a Hindu temple. Excellent soups.

I'd also suggest you guys have something uniquely Dallas like Fearings and go have some Tex-Mex. Yeah, Tex-Mex has become somewhat ubiquitous these days but the garbage you get elsewhere in the country is nothing like they do it in Texas.

Have to agree. Unlike sweet tea, cornbread, grits, etc. which are pretty common to the South; chicken with white barbecue sauce is uniquely Alabaman in this Yankee's experience.

You can add to that biscuits with chocolate gravy.

Birmingham doesn't have a lot of choices for Sunday brunch for some reason. The best ones in town are at Dram and Dyron's Low Country. After that, I'd say the Veranda. If you want breakfast, I'd add Over Easy to the list.

Both FonFon and Bottega have bar seating. On weekends, Bottega's bar is usually full of people drinking while waiting for a table so you might have to wait a bit to get a seat to eat.

Anything but moon cakes. Growing up, they always looked so good but like most Asian desserts are awful.

Do you know if Red Pearl or Mr. Chen's is doing anything special for the occassion?

As far as what I'm lusting after: duck, soup dumplings, Red Pearl's manilla clams with rice cakes, and dim sum.

curej, I strongly recommend that you try the wing's at Moe's in Lakeview. I'm not a fan of their barbecue but a coworker raved about their wings so much I decided to try them. I almost changed my mind while waiting at the counter to order when I noticed a wing meal is only $1 cheaper than a rib meal.

After tasting the first wing, I understand. They can charge me anything they want for their wings. They're that good.

Dax,

I've also got a very fond spot in my heart at Kreuz (and Salt Lick too for that matter - yeah, I know. Old timers say it's not like it used to be.). Can't go wrong with the barbecue at either place. That said, I'd give my right arm for Smitty's prime rib - then again, I'm a ribeye steak guy and combine that with their smoker and I'm in heaven.

The side trip to Lockhart, TX is worth it - especially for the smoked prime rib at Smitty's.

No sooner than I'd eat a child.

My favorite for takeout pizza is Maffioza's in Crestline Village.

My favorite for wings are the amazing wings at Moe's Barbecue in Lakewood.