OvenBird
Phone: 205-957-6686
Address: 2810 3rd Avenue South
Email: idie@ovenbirdrestaurant.com
Website: ovenbirdrestaurant.com
Chef Chris Hastings and his wife, Idie, are best known as the masterminds behind the wildly successful, award-winning restaurant The Hot and Hot Fish Club. For twenty years, this iconic Birmingham establishment has entertained thousands of people from all over the nation. During this time, Chef Hastings has been a two-time finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award, given to the Best Chef in the South, and won the award in 2012.Ten years ago, the couple visited South America, where they observed the live-fire cooking techniques associated with that region of the world. This visit sparked an idea that has been ruminating in their minds for the past decade. Now, this vision has manifested itself in the form of the new restaurant, OvenBird.
The restaurant draws inspiration from the live fire traditions of Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and Argentina. OvenBird is a casual small plate restaurant that celebrates intense flavors, seasonality, and craftsmanship in a unique way. The live fire cooking techniques employed at OvenBird’s wood fire oven and custom engineered hearth serve to highlight the rich flavor profiles of the carefully selected ingredients. OvenBird’s culinary excellence is complimented by an intriguing bar program carefully engineered to complement the extraordinary dishes, and showcase the ingenuity of some of Birmingham’s up and coming bartending talent. Originally intended to be a 52 seat restaurant with a garden patio, the vision for OvenBird has expanded to include the Gallery seating area with a second bar and additional garden seating.