A new wave of Southern comfort has made its debut in the Alabama food industry. Former Zoe’s Kitchen CEO, John Cassimus, along with his business partner and former Vice President of Zoe’s Kitchen, Tyre Stuckey, have strived to define “fine casual” dining in their most recent restaurant venture: Miss Dots.
Leola Rogers, the cook at Sawtooth Plantation farm and hunting club in Alabama, has said to be the inspiration behind Miss Dots’ menu, as well as the namesake. Cassimus said in an interview with AL.com “[Rogers] started working for me back in 2009… she’s extremely talented when it comes to food.” This is so much so that people who came to visit talked more about her cooking than the hunting.
They have designed their restaurants to have an open kitchen, so as the customer, you are able to watch them make the food in front of you. When you walk in, you place your order at the counter and then return to pick up your food when it’s ready. In the meantime, servers will come around to refill drinks. For those over 21, wines, craft beers on tap and signature cocktails are also available for purchase.
As of right now, Miss Dots is only open in two locations: Tuscaloosa and Mountain Brook, but Cassimus and Stuckey are hoping that regional expansion of the restaurant is in the upcoming future. The two locations opened in December 2015, just a few days apart from one another.
Their menu incorporates traditional Southern foods, such as fried chicken, collard greens and banana pudding, “with cooking methods that are a little bit more healthy,” Cassimus said, attempting to appease both the hungry stomach and the calorie-conscious brain. All menu items will be priced under 10 dollars, which is a bonus for all of us penny-pinching college students who have the good fortune to have a Miss Dots opening on the way to downtown.
So if you’re in the mood for some Southern comfort food, and in my case, I’m always in the mood for that banana pudding, head down to 1715 University Blvd. and get a taste of Miss Dots’ homestyle, Alabama cooking.
