February 2025 archive

HGTV’s Unsellable Homes twins Leslie and Lyndsay chat pizza and decorating in Birmingham

By Chanda Temple

When Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb of HGTV’s Unsellable Homes rolled into the Magic City this weekend for the Birmingham Home Show at the BJCC, they kept their tour tradition alive: ordering takeout pizza and catching up with each other in their hotel room.

There are no fancy dinners. No big plans. Just good food, deep convos and an unbreakable twin bond. Because sometimes, the best part of the journey is the downtime.

After their first appearance on Friday, they ordered pizza from Donato’s in Vestavia Hills. Leslie went sweet and savory with a Hawaiian personal pan pizza loaded with shaved ham, smoked provolone, sliced almonds, and cinnamon. Lyndsay kept it fresh with a veggie gluten-free pizza topped with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Twins Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb from Unsellable Homes on HGTV appeared at the Birmingham Home Show, which was at the BJCC, Feb. 21 and 22, 2025. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Twins Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb from Unsellable Homes on HGTV appeared at the Birmingham Home Show, which was at the BJCC, Feb. 21 and 22, 2025. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

And the best part of the experience was getting thin crust without even asking. Their pizza was cut into little squares, which is something the twins said they hadn’t seen anywhere else. “That was very unusual for us. It was very good,” Leslie said. “And I had four types of cheese instead of just mozzarella. We love finding different types of unique pizza.”

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Tina’s Market has a story in every bite

By Chanda Temple 

On a recent February afternoon, Tina Liollio is outside her market in Homewood, AL, taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. 

As she wipes down the furniture on the patio, she talks about her life in the restaurant business. For Tina, food and hospitality have never been just a business. They’ve also been a way of life. 

“The first place I was taken after the hospital was my family’s restaurant,’’ she said. 

The staff at her family’s restaurant on the Florida panhandle was so excited about her parents’ only child, that they couldn’t wait to meet Tina. It was love at first sight. And pretty soon, Tina became a regular fixture at the restaurant.  

Tina's Market in Homewood, AL offers to-go meals and catering influenced by Tina Liollio's Greek and Sicilian roots. (Photo provided by Tina Liollio.)
Tina’s Market in Homewood, AL offers to-go meals and catering influenced by Tina Liollio’s Greek and Sicilian roots. (Photo provided by Tina Liollio.)

When her family later moved to Birmingham’s Glen Iris neighborhood, Tina’s education in the kitchen blossomed. Around the corner from their Glen Iris home lived Tina’s great-grandmother, who taught Tina how to cook at the age of 7. 

With each cooking lesson came a pure appreciation of food and family. 

“For me, it was more about spending time with family and learning the traditions and culture,’’ said Tina, now 41.

Today, Tina runs Tina’s Market across from Homewood Park, where she sells dishes influenced by her family’s Greek and Sicilian roots. 

The CinnaRoll Bar from Tina's Market (Photo by Chanda Temple)
The CinnaRoll Bar from Tina’s Market (Photo by Chanda Temple)

The cheese. The sauce. The frosting. They are all rich with taste and history, which is what you will find when you walk past that patio furniture and through the front doors. 

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Les Dames Grant Helps Fuel Birmingham’s Next Bubble Tea Spot

By Chanda Temple

For the last few years, Yanisa “Tay” Odom has brought the bold flavors of Thai street food to Hoover and Birmingham’s Pepper Place Market. But in 2024, she set her sights on an even bigger dream, and that was to bring authentic bubble tea to Birmingham.

Opening a brick-and-mortar tea shop was no small feat, and Yanisa knew she needed the right foundation to make it happen. That’s when she turned to the Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a group dedicated to uplifting women in the food, beverage and hospitality industries. She applied for one of their grants, and she won. She used the $5,000 to help pay for an attorney as she worked to open her shop in the old Tropical Smoothie location across from Railroad Park.

Now, with support from Les Dames, Yanisa is brewing up something special: Yay’s Tea, which is slated to open this spring.

“This (grant) can help a lot. It’s really huge,” said Yanisa, 45. “But I also get something else from Les Dames. I get support. I get to know a lot great people. That’s very important. ‘’ 

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FEAST Bham is bringing romance to your kitchen this Valentine’s Day

By Chanda Temple

Some of the best moments happen in the kitchen, and this Valentine’s Day, FEAST Bham is giving couples the perfect excuse to create something special without leaving the house. 

Now through Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, FEAST Bham is taking orders for its four-course Valentine’s Day Meal Kit for Two, which includes wedge salads with house-made dressing, crab cakes packed with lump crab meat, center-cut steaks, asparagus, potatoes and a lemon ricotta cheesecake for dessert. They provide cooking instructions and seasonings to make it a night and a restaurant-quality meal to remember.  

The Italian iceberg wedge from FEAST Bham is one of four courses in their Valentine's Day meal kit for two. It comes with gorgonzola, a balsamic glaze, slow-roasted tomatoes, banana peppers, shaved red onion, fresh basil and a breadcrumb topping. (Photo provided by Lindsey Noto King)
The Italian iceberg wedge from FEAST Bham is one of four courses in their Valentine’s Day meal kit for two. It comes with gorgonzola, a balsamic glaze, slow-roasted tomatoes, banana peppers, shaved red onion, fresh basil and a breadcrumb topping. (Photo provided by Lindsey Noto King)

“The favorite thing for me and my husband to do as a couple is cook dinner together,” said Lindsey Noto King, co-owner of FEAST Bham. “So we thought, why not give others a chance to do the same—spend time in the kitchen, create something delicious and enjoy the process.”

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