The Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House in Florence, AL | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
FLORENCE, AL
Coffee / breakfast
RIVERTOWN COFFEE
Located in downtown Florence, they serve espresso drinks, French Press, cold brew, teas and smoothies. They have breakfast sandwiches in the morning and lunch is served after 11am.
117 North Seminary Street, Florence, AL 35630
T: 256.765.7128
rivertowncoffee.co
Explore
THE ROSENBAUM HOUSE
This is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama and for $10 you can tour it. Built in 1939 for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum, who lived here from 1940 until 1999, it's an example of Wright's Usonian style of homes that were small, single-story houses.
601 Riverview Drive, Florence, AL 35630
T: 256.718.5050
wrightinalabama.com
Bunyan's Bar-B-Que | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Lunch
THE FACTORY CAFE AT ALABAMA CHANIN
Located in the warehouse section of Florence and in the back of clothing designer Alabama Chanin's showroom. The cafe serves organic, local, and seasonal foods for lunch and breakfast.
462 Lane Drive, Florence, AL 35630
T: 256.760.1090
alabamachanin.com/the-factory
BUNYAN'S BAR-B-QUE
Opened in 1972, they are known for their spicy, mustard-based slaw that tops their chopped pork sandwiches.
901 West College Street, Florence, AL 35630
T: 256.766.3522
www.bunyansbarbeque.com
Shop
BILLY REID STORE
Menswear designer Billy Reid has become an unofficial ambassador for Florence. The Louisiana native moved from New York to his wife's hometown in 2001 and opened up this shop to make Florence the headquarters for Billy Reid. He is also an investor in the bar around the corner, 116 E. Mobile.
114 North Court Street, Florence, AL 35630
T: 256.767.4692
www.billyreid.com
Welcome to Muscle Shoals | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Explore Muscle Shoals
Cross the Tennessee River from downtown Florence and you'll find unassuming strip malls, car lots, and fast food joints. But in the '60s and '70s, Muscle Shoals rivaled New York and Los Angeles as one of the top places in the country for their recording studios. Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, and Rod Stewart were just some of the A-list R & B and rock royalty who recorded here.
FAME STUDIOS
The Florence Alabama Music Enterprises (FAME) was the first of the well-known recording studios in the area, started by an engineer, songwriter, and producer named Rick Hall. Hall passed away in January 2018, but it is still a working studio and you can take a tour Monday through Saturday if the sound studio is not booked.
603 Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
T: 256.381.0801
www.fame2.com
MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIO
The studio band at FAME were called the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, affectionally known as the Swampers. In 1969, the Swampers left FAME and founded rival Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. For $12, you can take a tour. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are in the process of restoring this classic studio.
3614 Jackson Highway, Sheffield, AL
T: 256.978.5151
www.msmusicfoundation.org
MUSIC
116 E. MOBILE
This is a music venue opened by Billy Reid and Single Lock Records, a small company that produces music from The Shoals region of Alabama.
116 E. Mobile Street, Florence, AL 35630
116mobile.tumblr.com
Dinner
ODETTE
Odette feels like the heartbeat of Florence. It's a neighborhood bistro located in the historic section of downtown and filled with locals catching up on gossip over BBQ pork rinds and Gulf oysters. Chef Josh Quick creates a menu that falls under the umbrella of New American with dishes that range from Tamarind Curry Catfish to Smoked Beef Tongue Tostada to a cheeseburger with hand-cut fries.
120 North Court Street, Florence, AL 35630
T: 256.349.5219
www.odettealabama.com
Check Out Chef Joshua Quick of Odette's Florence Guide
BIRMINGHAM, AL
Downtown Birmingham | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
COFFEE
REVELATOR COFFEE
Part of a growing coffee group with several locations in the South, this one is in the downtown area and worth seeking out not only for the coffee, but also for its sleek, contemporary design. Buy a BHM (Birmingham) baseball cap while you're there to take home as a souvenir.
1825 3rd Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35203 | T: 205.224.5900
Pizitz Food Hall, 1821 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
revelatorcoffee.com
Breakfast
ALABAMA BISCUIT
Fluffy Southern biscuits made with stone milled ancient grain. You can get it straight up or with a variety of toppings, or as a breakfast sandwich with different fillings.
Pizitz Food Hall, 1821 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
www.alabamabiscuit.com
Sloss Furnace National Historic Landmark | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Explore
SLOSS FURNACE
Bring your camera because this place is all about taking photos. From 1882 to 1971, it was a pig iron furnace. It's now a National Historic Landmark building and a free museum. You can roam around the rustic site on your own. They host concerts and private events here and also have metal forging classes.
20 32nd Street North, Birmingham, AL 35222
T: 205.254.2025
www.slossfurnaces.com
RAILROAD PARK
The city spent $25 million to create this park in the downtown area. It's 19 acres of walking trails, lakes, an amphitheater and lots of open space adjacent to the railroad tracks.
200 16th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
www.railroadpark.org
Lunch
SAW'S SOUL KITCHEN
Get in line and order off of the chalkboard menu at this no-frills barbecue joint. The choices are sandwiches, sides, bakers (stuffed potatoes), and desserts. Try the smoked chicken with white BBQ sauce. The white sauce is now a characteristic of Alabama barbecue -- generally made with mayo, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt, it was originally created by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q restaurant in 1925.
215 41st Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222
T: 205.591.1409
www.sawsbbq.com
THE PIZITZ FOOD HALL
Former eight-story department store that was gutted and turned into retail, office, and living spaces. The main floor is a culinary destination with restaurants, coffee and food stalls.
1821 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
www.thepizitz.com/food-hall
Browsing through records at Charlemagne Record Exchange | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Shop
CANARY GALLERY
A bright yellow chandelier hangs in the center of this gallery, which is a nod to its name. Located in the downtown loft district, they showcase the work of various artists, many of them are local. If you stop by in the early evening and there's a show on, you might be treated to a complimentary glass of wine.
2201 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
T: 205.224.5300
canarygalleryllc.com
NAKED ART
More crafts than art, this gallery showcases work by local artisans.
3831 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222
T: 205.595.3553
nakedartusa.com
CHARLEMAGNE RECORD EXCHANGE
This is Birmingham's oldest music store with lots of bins to search for treasures.
1924 11th Avenue S, Birmingham, AL 35205
T: 205.322.5349
RENAISSANCE RECORDS
This might be the strangest record store we've been to. It's like entering the mind of a schizophrenic. There are plenty of vinyl piles to sort through, but they aren't presented in a logical way. So plan on a lot of random hunting.
2020 11th Avenue S, Birmingham, AL 35205
T: 205.933.8000
The Redmont Hotel | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Dinner
HIGHLANDS BAR & GRILL
The restaurant is housed in a Spanish-style building, making it feel more like California than the Deep South. Chef and owner Frank Stitt opened the restaurant in 1982 and his daily-changing menu has made him one of the most revered chefs in the country.
2011 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
T: 205.939.1400
highlandsbarandgrill.com
BOOK A TABLE
Stay
THE REDMONT HOTEL
Right in the heart of downtown, this is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Alabama. It opened in 1925 and was renovated in 2016. Go up to the rooftop bar for a cocktail and city views.
2101 5th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
T: 205.957.6828
www.redmontbirmingham.com
SELMA, AL
Fried Catfish & BBQ Pork Sandwich at Lannie's Bar-B-Q Spot | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Lunch
LANNIE'S BAR-B-Q SPOT
Lannie's has been serving barbecue since the mid-1940s. Over the years, they have fed everyone from local families to Freedom Riders to celebrities like David Letterman and Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Still run by the Hatcher family, they are known for their pulled pork sandwiches on white bread topped with crispy pork skins.
2115 Minter Avenue, Selma, AL 36703
T: 334.874.4478
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Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
Explore
EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE
Take the time to walk (or drive) over the iconic Edmund Pettis Bridge. Back in 1965, a voting rights march began at this bridge, but when the nonviolent protestors crossed over to the other side, they were beaten by state troopers. That day became known as "Bloody Sunday" and 14 days later, the march resumed without violence. Five months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Selma, AL 36703
www.nps.gov/semo/learn/historyculture/edmund-winston-pettus-bridge.htm
