Flour, Sugar and a Little Magic in Birmingham
Birmingham, nicknamed the Magic City for its transformation from a small railroad town to a thriving industrial hub in the late 1800s, has continued reinventing itself. Today, it has quietly built a reputation as one of the South's most exciting food cities, with a dining scene that punches above its weight. But it's not just the restaurants drawing attention. The city's bakeries, creameries, and dessert shops reflect the same commitment to craft and quality, and three of them are worth a visit.
K&J's Elegant Pastries
Kristal Bryant grew up in a family passionate about cooking and discovered her love of the culinary arts early, later studying at Virginia College Culinard in Birmingham. After years in restaurant kitchens, she began baking custom cakes as a creative outlet and never looked back.
Today, K&J's Elegant Pastries at 2260 9th Avenue North in Uptown Birmingham is known for two things. The custom cakes, available in 50 flavor combinations with elaborate, one-of-a-kind designs, reflect Bryant's background in fine dining and her eye for artistic detail. Wedding cakes are a specialty, though K&J's handles celebrations of every kind.
Then there are the Kollosal Milkshakes. Piled high with cookies, candy, cupcakes, or cinnamon rolls, these creations earned K&J's features on the Food Network, Travel Channel, Southern Living, and Cosmopolitan, among others.
Big Spoon Creamery
Ryan and Geri-Martha O'Hara trained under James Beard Award-winning Chef Frank Stitt at his Birmingham restaurant Bottega before joining forces to launch something of their own. Big Spoon Creamery began as a pop-up in their driveway in 2014 and has since grown into three locations across Alabama, including their original Avondale shop at 4000 3rd Avenue South.
Geri-Martha, who honed her pastry skills under chefs in New York City before returning to Birmingham, leads the creative side of the operation, developing a rotating menu of handmade seasonal flavors built around local ingredients. Every element is made in-house. There are also locations in Homewood and Huntsville.
Savage's Bakery
Some places earn their reputation over years. Savage's Bakery has earned its over decades, 85 to be exact. Founded in 1939 by William and Mrs. Savage on Highland Avenue, the bakery later moved to its current home on 18th Street South in Homewood, one of Birmingham's most walkable and charming suburbs just five minutes south of downtown.
Van Scott Jr. took over in 1978 at 27 years old, armed with a freshly minted MBA from the University of Alabama and a passion for baking. He has been at it ever since, stepping back briefly in 2021 before returning in 2024 at age 72, not because he had to, but to make sure his employees were looked after and his customers left satisfied. That kind of dedication shows up in the product.
Savage's still uses its original recipes, and the results speak for themselves. The Meltaways, Smiley Face Cookies, Butterflake Rolls, and cakes have been drawing loyal customers for generations. One employee, Ben Cook, has worked alongside Van for 43 years and is considered the master of the ovens. During the holidays, the bakery adds pies, iced turkey cookies, and seasonal rolls to the mix — and special orders are always welcome.
Savage's Bakery is located at 2916 18th Street South in Homewood and is open Tuesday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
