A Year in Pictorial Review

2011 was a wonderful year for us, and 2012 is already showing great things on the horizon that we can't wait to share with you. But before we move on to the future, take a look at some of the images from two big trips Bettola took last year. The first was to New York for the Food & Wine's Best New Chef reception, and in the summer we went to Aspen for the Food & Wine Classic, where we showed the foodie world why the 'Ham does the whole hog best. 

Check out the rest of the pictures on our Flickr page. 

NYC Renowned Mixologist Miguel Aranda Comes to Bettola

Miguel Aranda

You might have noticed Angel Negrin, our principal bartender, experimenting behind the bar the past few weeks. That’s because Angel is hard at work developing a whole new scale of creative, quality cocktails to add to the menu. So where did all this tinkering start? With acclaimed New York, alchemist/bar-chef Miguel Aranda, with whom Angel trained last month.

This weekend, the creative genius behind Angel’s newest inspirations is coming to Birmingham, escalating our bar menu to new heights.

After tutoring with Miguel Aranda, of Apotheke and Theatre Bar in New York, Angel and chef James Lewis couldn’t resist bringing Miguel to town so you, our customers, could experience his talents first-hand. Miguel, who is renowned as one of the best mixologists on the East Coast, hails from Mexico City. He began his career behind the bar in 1998, and after apprenticing with some of the drink-world’s best, most notably fearless mixologist Albert Trummer (Albert was once briefly detained for setting a New York club on fire with one of his out-there libations!), Miguel now wows Manhattan’s most critical drink palates with drinks that mix his fundamental knowledge of food, apothecary, and spirits.

Angel is drawn to Miguel for the bar chef’s commitment to ingenuity (ever had corn in your cocktail?), integrity of ingredients (Miguel carries his own kit of tinctures and bar supplies wherever he goes), and flawless bar technique (you will be wowed by his speed and precision). Miguel’s drinks are potent, herb-infused cocktails that are equal parts strong and good-for-you (given that you drink sensibly). Our partnership with Miguel, could not come at a more opportune time, as we work to develop our bar menu and introduce you to the types of drink and food you can expect from our sister restaurant, Vittoria, opening this summer.

Miguel will be mixing at an afternoon, cocktail-shopping event at Shaia’s men’s clothing boutique in Mountain Brook on Friday, May 6. He will also be behind Bettola’s bar on Saturday night with Angel by his side.
We hope to see you there.

Buon Appetito,
Bettola Staff

A Huge Thanks to All

2011 has been such an exciting year so far at Bettola, and it feels like things are just getting started. Beginning last fall with USA Today's “Great American Bites” column naming Bettola as one of the best pizza places in the country, and leading up to our chef's, James Lewis, recent Food & Wine “Best New Chefs” award; the response has been incredible. We have seen a lot of new faces coming through the restaurant, and of course, our regulars could not have been more supportive.

In February, Food & Wine's nomination for “People's Best New Chef” came as a complete surprise. We had so much fun connecting with the community on the polls; and thanks to your support, we won the regional portion of the competition. Now, to have been named one of the 2011 “Best New Chefs” by the Food & Wine staff - wow, we couldn't be more grateful.

The truth is we could not have done any of this without you. All of the support from local media, and you, the patrons, spreading the word and encouraging us every step of the way is what made all of this possible.

We just wanted to take a moment to thank you for being a part of all of this. We take great pride in being a part of the Birmingham community, and work hard to bring you authentic Italian recipes, using fresh, local ingredients as our base. Though we are consistently reinventing the menu, and working to challenge your taste buds, we are committed to staying rooted to our values of respecting the food and the community.

We are your restaurant, a family restaurant, and we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line - tell us what you like, how we can serve you better, and what you'd like to see Bettola doing. We are always up for the challenge of trying new things.

Buon appetito

- The Bettola Staff