DISHES TO TRY

FINE DINING TO-GO

Chef James Washington was schooled under culinary A-listers Frank Stitt, Wolfgang Puck, Chris Hastings and Dean Fearing, and now you can try his take on soul food with a fine dining makeover, served in a to-go box at Refined To Go in Helena. The menu is always changing, but you’re likely to always find a fish dish plus plenty of comforting sides.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

Burnette Farms in Pelham is full of farmfresh produce and uses it for its selection for its hand-turned ice cream. They serve up your standard vanilla or chocolate, or you can venture outside the box with cantaloupe, banana pudding, buttermilk, even dill pickle and silver queen corn. They also serve ice cream atop cobbler and in larger sizes to-go.

FRESH-TO-ORDER BEIGNETS

You don’t have to go to New Orleans to find hot beignets. Beignets & Lattes serves up the powdered sugar-covered fried dough alongside a selection of lattes and Nitro coffees both from a Helena storefront and a new food truck. And you can add syrup to any of them too!

A TASTE OF CAJUN COUNTRY

Plenty of folks from outside Shelby County have brought the flavors they grew up with elsewhere with them to new eateries. Louisiana natives the Donovan family offer Cajun dishes like the classic fried shrimp boy at the aptly named Cajun Boys and Our Po Boys at locations in Pelham, Chelsea and Caldwell Mill Road.

DISHES TO TRY

A KILLER BURGER

There’s good reason the burger at The Depot in Helena has been named Shelby County’s best for several years running. On top of the dish itself, the crinkle cut fries it’s served with and the restaurant’s scenic view of Helena’s Buck Creek waterfall seal the deal of the lunch or dinner experience.

THE MILKSHAKE OF ALL MILKSHAKES

These over-the-top Kollosal Milkshakes topped with whipped cream, syrup, candies and even a whole cupcake have put K&J’s Elegant Pastries in Alabaster in the map with features in Southern Living, The Travel Channel and Food Network. The Ultimate Oreo is one of the most popular of its eight flavors.