The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Jennifer Kornegay
Alabama Living
Alabama’s Black Belt region is so named for the fertile soil blanketing its gentle hills and flatlands, earth that yields bountiful crop harvests and abundant outdoor pursuits. But the people here are as productive as the land; their creative talents and hard work have thrived for generations and resulted in a wealth of handmade delights. Now, everyone can explore the area thanks to the recently created “Flavors of the Black Belt” Trail.
The trail helps people take a self-directed trip to basically eat their way through the Black Belt, with a booklet highlighting restaurants, cafes and shops that sell locally made food products. It is an initiative of Black Belt Adventures, a tourism marketing organization that works to bring more visitors to the area. Director Pam Swanner explained how the trail developed from a board member’s observation.
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Jennifer Kornegay
The notion of hometown pride may seem a quaint, old-fashioned sentiment in our modern – and increasingly cynical – era. But it’s real, and it can be powerful. For proof, look to Wetumpka, sitting on the soft bluffs rising above the Coosa River about 25 miles north of Montgomery.
The strength of the hometown pride bursting at this small city’s borders will soon be playing out on national television, as popular renovation experts Ben and Erin Napier shine a spotlight on Wetumpka, chronicling a makeover focused on its downtown and historic district in “Home Town Takeover,” a spinoff of their hit HGTV show “Home Town,” scheduled to air late spring or early summer 2021.
The complete article can be found at AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
By Jennifer Kornegay
Alabama Living
At most Alabama barbecue joints, meat of the porcine persuasion is king. But at TexarBama BBQ in Fairhope, beef also has a strong claim to the throne. It’s an evenly matched rivalry that stems naturally from owner and pitmaster Bradley Parmer’s background and inspired the restaurant’s mashup name.
Parmer cut his teeth on Deep South ‘cue while growing up in west Georgia (where pork is also king). He ended up in Austin, Texas, working in architecture and building. There, surrounded by some of the country’s most lauded beef brisket, he learned the ways of Texas ‘cue.