Going to Birmingham

What to do in Birmingham

by Graham Averill

In Birmingham, you’re sure to find some potlikker. That might sound like a derogatory term, but when you’re below the Mason-Dixon Line, there’s no need to take offense. Potlikker is the broth left in the pot after cooking collard or turnip greens, and it’s treated as a delicacy, often a secret one, by Southern chefs. Birmingham—home to the historic Civil Rights District and the Hank Williams Trail, but also to an eclectic culinary scene—might well be the best place to get a sampling of this tasty treat. Check out Mrs. B’s on Fourth for a down-home fried-chicken plate, and visit Highlands Bar and Grill for the more sophisticated version, cornmeal-fried quail. Ask for potlikker and you might get it in a tumbler or shot glass. But most likely, it’ll come in a bowl with a hunk of cornbread. Do as a true Southerner would: Dip, eat, repeat.

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