european-style cafe

Feast & Forest

Feast & Forest opened its doors on November 12th, and it's been buzzing with hungry customers from the start. Owners Kristen Farmer Hall and Victor King are quite familiar with the culinary life in Birmingham. Separately, they've done various dinners and pop-up shops over the years; however, now they've joined their culinary skills to create a fabulous café and bakery.

We were told so many great things about the café, so we decided to try it out for ourselves. Feast & Forest is located on 24th Street North which was previously a photography and film studio. The duo stated that they wanted their café to have a "modern nostalgia" vibe, and they definitely achieved that feel with their space. 

Saying the food was "delicious" just doesn't do it justice. The "ham sammich," which sounds simple, was a mouth-watering delight. The vast dessert options at the bakery made it difficult to choose. They offer anything from cookies to homemade nutella poptarts (which were to die for.)

Overall, we had such a great experience. The café provided such a fun atmosphere, and delicious eats and treats. Congrats to Kristen Farmer Hall and Victor King on the smashing success!

Olexa's Cafe

Diane Olexa is the brilliant chef behind Olexa's Cafe, Cakes, and Catering, and from a young age she was introduced into the world of wedding cakes. She watched her mother create beautiful wedding cakes for brides on their big day. Diane, herself, created her first wedding cake in her early 20s as a gift for a college friend, and from that point on she fell in love with the creative art. That love blossomed into starting her own business in the kitchen of her alma mater, Southeastern Bible College right here in Birmingham, Alabama.

A few years later, she and her mother joined forces and expanded her business to include corporate and social event catering. Diane explains that she remembers one reception where a wedding guest approached her and complimented, "Everything is so delicious, where can we go to eat your food?" Thus, in 2004 Olexa's Cafe, Cakes, and Catering opened its doors.

Today, guests can enjoy everything from homemade quiche to panini sandwiches to their well-known buttercreme cakes all while dining in a european-style cafe setting.