Hot & Hot Fish Club comes to Pepper Place!
Hot & Hot Fish Club is a foundational part of the Birmingham culinary scene, and we are thrilled to welcome them to Pepper Place!
This January, Chris and Idie Hastings boldly moved their award-winning restaurant to join their second culinary venture, OvenBird, in Pepper Place. Located in the Martin Biscuit Building alongside Red Cat and Bettola, Hot & Hot is an exciting addition to the neighborhood, and a vital part of the Entertainment District. Initially founded in 1995, the move inspired a revised menu, filled with delicious and innovative options and focused on making fine dining a unique, accessible experience.
Taking learnings from its first location, Hot & Hot 2.0 offers expanded seating, allowing the restaurant to accommodate 120 guests instead of the previous 80. Every aspect of the space was intentionally designed by local teams comprised of architects, designers and artisanal makers. Upon walking in the new space, you immediately find a large, three-sided bar that accommodates walk-ins and happy hours, while also merging Hot and Hot into the fluidity of the rest of the Entertainment District. The dining room is divided into two parts, with one section designed specifically for special events or private dinners.
In keeping with the original location, Hot & Hot’s Pepper Place restaurant has kept its iconic chef’s counter, allowing guests to observe the culinary process as their food is prepared. This spot is one of the most sought-after reservations in Birmingham, and one of the things that makes Hot & Hot Fish Club stand out from the rest.
Paying homage to the restaurant’s 24 years at its first location, one will find circular cutouts in the floor, a nod to the past displaying original tile salvaged from the old location. Touches of Birmingham appear elsewhere throughout the restaurant as well, including pottery by Alabama artist Tena Payne, and woodwork locally-sourced and crafted by Alabama Sawyer’s Cliff Spencer.
All in all, the new space is an exciting development, bringing Chris and Idie Hastings’ vision of fine culinary experiences together with the Pepper Place community.
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