Frank Stitt
Frank Stitt III (born 1954 in Cullman) is a chef, author and owner of Highlands Bar and Grill, Chez Fonfon, Bottega Restaurant, and Bottega Café, all located in Southside Birmingham.
After graduating high school, Stitt left Alabama, first for Boston's Tufts College, then to the University of California at Berkley. There, he became interested in fine cooking and worked his way into the kitchen of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse. From her he was introduced to food writer Richard Olney and became his assistant, becoming acquainted with Jeremiah Tower and Elizabeth David on the way.
While working in France with Olney, Stitt began developing the idea of marrying French cookery with Southern ingredients and traditional foods. After a few years of working in Paris, Stitt's mother mortgaged her house in order to fund the opening of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham in November 1982. The restaurant quickly became an institution. In 1988 Stitt opened a second restaurant, Bottega Restaurant, borrowing on Italian traditions. Both restaurants spawned more casual siblings, Bottega Cafe adjoining Bottega in the Bottega Favorita building, and Chez Fonfon next door to Highland's. His wife, Pardis serves as hostess, heading the "front of house" staff at each location.
Stitt's kitchens have directly influenced many local culinary talents, such as Chris Hastings, owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club; Brian Somershield, co-owner of Trattoria Centrale; and Mauricio Papapietro, owner of Brick & Tin. His activism on behalf of locally-grown farm products has energized the area's local food movement.
Stitt and his wife, Pardis, have been recognized by many publications and have won numerous national culinary awards. He was named the "Best Chef in the Southeast" in 2001 by the James Beard Foundation and was a 2008 finalist for the foundation's national "Outstanding Chef" award. He has also been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Foodways Alliance and his first cookbook, Frank Stitt's Southern Table has been a best-seller. Stitt was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2009.
Publications
- Stitt, Frank. (2004) Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill. New York: Artisan Books. ISBN 1579652468
- Stitt, Frank (2008) Frank Stitt's Bottega Favorita: A Southern Chef's Love Affair with Italian Food. New York: Artisan Books. ISBN 1579653022
References
- Rodenwald, James. (October 2002) "A star fell on Alabama." Gourmet Magazine
- Carlton, Bob (November 16, 2008) "20 years of favorites." Birmingham News
External links
- Frank Stitt bio at Southern Foodways Alliance
- Highlands Bar and Grill list of Stitt's awards and press
- Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill ISBN: 1579652468