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DINING

Jinsei s signature dish, the Kadoma Tuna, is a deep-fried ricecake topped with spicy tuna, avocado, jalapeno and eel sauce.

And don t miss their biscuits if you re around for breakfast! Nothing beats their chicken it s a Birmingham classic. The food is always fresh and you can always get it just the way you like it. Kristyl C.

Green Valley Drugs 1915 Hoover Ct 205-822-1151 HOOVER

One of the oldest businesses in Hoover, Green Valley Drugs has been a constant for the last fifty years. And tucked in the back of the store is an old-timey lunch counter and soda fountain that looks the same as it did back in 1961. With hand-made cheeseburgers, classic milk- shakes and more, it s no surprise the people of Birmingham keep coming back.

They are just the best. This place fills up at lunchtime. It s unreal, but people don t mind waiting. Ann E.

Gus s Hot Dogs 1915 4th Ave N 205-251-4540 BIRMINGHAM

Here in the Magic City, we know hot dogs. And Gus s Hot Dogs is one of the finest historic establish- ments in the city. On the edge of Downtown Birmingham s Theatre District, this tiny lunch counter has been serving up traditional- style hot dogs with all the fixins since the 1940s. Gus s is a Birmingham institu- tion. If you love hot dogs, it should be at the top of your list. Dan G.

Highlands Bar & Grill 2011 11th Ave S 205-939-1400 BIRMINGHAM

The American South meets the south of France at Highlands Bar & Grill, the restaurant that put Birmingham on the culinary map. Fresh gulf seafood, locally grown organic produce, and free-range meats and game are the founda- tions of the delectable dishes created by James Beard Award- winner Chef Frank Stitt. Also the home of arguably the best and coldest martinis anywhere. Enjoy dinner Tuesday through Saturday in the dining room or the lively bar. Reservations recommended. Consistently the best restaurant in the South. Frank Stitt keeps the menu and the decor fresh and interesting, and even though Highlands can no longer claim to be new, it is still the best! Gene P.

PHOTO BY JASON WALLIS