Eating Alabama Podcast Host, Nick Nicholson
When the Lynes moved to Alabama in July of 2020, they wasted no time in researching the local food scene, and one of the first websites they stumbled across was Eating Alabama, launched by husband-and-wife team Nick and Jenny Nicholson. The food-loving duo soon joined the Lynes for one of the first Tasting TBL supper club gatherings, and Nick asked to interview the chefs on his Eating Alabama podcast. (Listen to the series: Part 1 & Part 2.) As 2020 came to a close, Tyler and Jennifer were humbled and honored when Nick and Jenny posted on Instagram that Tasting TBL was their most memorable culinary experience of the year.
We caught up with Nick to talk about the mission of Eating Alabama, some hidden gems he’s discovered along the way, his Tasting TBL experience, and his read on the Lyne Chefs’ place in the Alabama foodscape.
Nick Nicholson, host of the Eating Alabama Podcast
How did Eating Alabama come about?
My wife and I started it in 2018 as a hobby. We've been together for 20-something years and when our daughters were playing travel softball, we liked to find the local spots instead of chains. And then friends and family started asking us places to eat if they were in a different part of Alabama. And so that's when we decided to dive into it and start a blog and Instagram account. And then the podcast came from me always wanting to do a podcast, and it just kind of just felt like the perfect time to start one along with what we were doing.
What was your initial connection to the culinary world?
My first job was at a fast-food restaurant. And as I grew up in the ‘90s, there weren’t a lot of food-related shows on TV, but on Alabama Public Television, there was a show called Chefs of the World, and that was my introduction to the food world outside of fast food. Also, I was always told that I should have gone to culinary school; I ended up choosing a different path, but food has always been an interest of mine.
What do you hope to accomplish through the Eating Alabama platform?
I want to shed light on what Alabama is doing in the food industry, not only for people outside of Alabama, but also for folks within the state, because I think there are so many people in Alabama who don't really realize all of the food scenes going on in the state. A secondary goal would be to give a voice to some of these smaller restaurants that don't really utilize social media, like barbecue joints in little towns where everything they do is word of mouth. I hope others can see these restaurants and maybe want to do a destination trip to go dine there. We've done that plenty of times when we found a restaurant, which was a two-hour drive away, and we’d go just to eat the barbecue, just because we heard it was good. So, we really just want to shine a light on Alabama restaurants, whether it be small mom-and-pops, or nicer high-end places.
What was your first impression of Tyler & Jennifer and Tasting TBL?
The tasting menu concept is what interested me. We don't see that in Birmingham; every now and then you may get a restaurant that'll do a tasting menu as a special thing. When we travel to Chicago or another big city that offers a chef’s tasting menu, we try to hit those up because I've always found those menus very interesting—you get a diversity of different flavors and you're also really understanding the chef’s vision. I think when you deal with tasting menus, it gives chefs the ability to play more and expose things that they might not normally offer. So, I knew Tasting TBL was definitely something that we wanted to experience.
So, how would you describe that first experience and their culinary style?
There were a few canapés served at first—kind of playful, each with a different flavor profile. One was a play off of chicken and waffles with maple caviar. I think there was a play off of sushi with a sort of salmon mousse. To be able to layer the components, the textures and flavors, all within just one bite—it definitely stood out to me and really showed their ability. Also, there was a great variance in the flavor profiles per dish, but everything flowed and felt connected throughout the dinner, and you could see his vision within the dishes he presented. And of course the desserts that Jennifer put forth were just amazing. So, when we had the opportunity to speak with them after that, we hit it off and I was immediately like, “Hey, we gotta get you on the podcast, because I love what you do.” And I obviously wanted to hear his background.
I’m not going to put you in the unfair position of naming favorites, but I am going to give you some categories, and I want you to shine the light on an unknown gem in our state that you think people should know about. So, first let’s take your example of barbecue.
One of the ones that comes to mind is one that I grew up with: Bob’s Sykes Bar-B-Q in Bessemer. In years past, it had a bigger reputation in the state because they did franchise for a little while in the ‘80s. But now it’s just gone back to their home restaurant. And that one has just always been dear to me, because that’s the barbecue joint that I grew up with. Van Sikes, who is the owner now, is just a fantastic person. That’s one that when people ask about a real barbecue joint, I’m like “Y’all gotta go check out Bob Sykes.”
OK, what about Indian?
I would say Bay Leaf. They've recently changed ownership and brought in a new chef. And he's doing something really cool, because in India there is a major difference in cuisine based on locale. I mean, you can go 10 miles down the road and the style of cooking they're doing is different than where you’re standing. So what's cool about what they're doing at Bay Leaf right now is the menu changes to spotlight certain dishes from certain regions in India. So on the menu, you’re reading the ingredients, obviously, but then off to the side it gives information on the region and culture that each dish comes from—and to me that's an added bonus, because now I'm learning where the food comes from and the history behind it.
Wild card: Can you think of a place off the top of your head that is a real gem?
When we’re talking state, I definitely go to Auburn for some good restaurants. There's a place down there called The Irritable Bao, which has got a funny name to it. Whitley Dykes and Kunyu Li are the owners and you know they're doing some really cool stuff not just within the food—obviously the food's great. The reason he opened it was he lived in China for eight years and met his wife there. And she is the chef. So a lot of Chinese people go to Auburn, and they wanted to give an opportunity to give a little taste of home to some of those students, and then it just kind of blossomed into a community kind of place where everybody goes to just eat and hang out, study, whatever. And they’re putting out some really good food. It's just a really special place in my opinion, not only because of the food but the mission behind it.
So as a food connoisseur with a particular focus on Alabama's food scene. How do you think Alabama will receive Tyler and Jennifer, especially once they launch their brick and mortar and we can all move around again?
I think the style of food that Tyler and Jennifer are presenting is different than what you normally see in Birmingham. You know a lot of Birmingham’s fine-dining restaurants have similarities—don’t get me wrong, I mean they are really, really good. There's kind of that Southern heritage thing going on, which, like again, as I said, is awesome. But I just think that what Tyler and Jennifer can bring is something different than what we're already seeing. They bring in a different background, different experiences. And some of the knowledge that Tyler has, especially on the molecular gastronomy side of things, you don't see very often here in Birmingham. To balance some of that science with playful, creative food along with fresh ingredients and all the things they’re doing now—I think it'll go over really well. It's going to be different, and that's going to be exciting for people who want to see a different style of chef.
So, at the close of 2020, for Eating Alabama’s 1,000th Instagram post, you deemed the Tasting TBL dinner your favorite meal of the year.
Yeah, definitely. That was our favorite. To me, an experience is what I look for. Obviously we're interested in great food, but we look for an experience, and that was definitely what they give you with what they're doing at TBL, for sure.