Coming from Los Angeles, it was almost impossible to find a restaurant in Tuscaloosa that did not exclusively serve barbecue, steak or everything fried. I had given up hope of finding a restaurant that would satisfy my craving for organic vegetables and culinary experimentation. Then, while walking through the streets of downtown Tuscaloosa, I found a restaurant called Epiphany. The name alone promised something different, a new experience in taste, maybe something unexpected.
When you enter the restaurant, you are greeted by several chalkboards that describe not only the day’s specials, but declare chef and owner Tres Jackson’s philosophy: Locavore, the board tells you, is a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown food. He then lists the local farms that provide the ingredients for the restaurant’s dishes. Fresh, local and the chef’s personal vision: All the ingredients for a great new dining experience. I was hungry before I even sat down.
The rustic ambiance – exposed brick walls, benches and banquets – and an overall warm welcoming underscore the relationship between the restaurant and the origin of its ingredients. It almost feels like walking into a turn-of-the-century farmhouse kitchen with an urban edge. You are greeted by the friendly and able wait staff, clad in plaid shirts and denim in attempt to convey the feeling of farm-fresh authenticity, which misses the sartorial mark. Perhaps they would be better suited accentuating the urban rather than the rural.
For a more intimate dining experience and an opportunity to witness chef Tres and his kitchen crew in action, you can sit at the chef’s table, which consists of a bar overlooking the open concept kitchen. No need to make any decisions here – the chef will guide you on a culinary adventure, giving you tastes of almost everything on the menu and explaining each dish he serves.
The seasonal menu, which changes according to what ingredients are fresh off the farm, is divided between small plates, local vegetables and sides, big plates and desserts. My suggestion for those dining amongst friends is to order family style and share a variety of different dishes.
While every dish is worth trying, a few particularly caught my attention. The ricotta gnocchi has a sauce made of dry-aged beef, sweet pepper, olive oil and basil, all of which come from farms in Tuscaloosa. The gnocchi was the perfect texture – firm on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. The rich sauce had a sweetness to it that was balanced perfectly by the fresh purple basil. Chef Tres’s innovative take on Brussels sprouts combines his American farm aesthetic with a far Eastern flare through the use of kimchi. The Southeast Family Farm steak is pasture-raised and humanely slaughtered. Chef Tres served the bistro steak with wild mushrooms, Chilton County peach butter and preserved collards. The surprisingly pleasing taste combinations continue on the dessert menu. The olive oil shortcake, topped with local peaches, a cloud of Chantilly and a drizzle of peach schnapps, is a perfect end to a great meal.
Epiphany is located at 519 Greensboro Ave. in downtown Tuscaloosa. Its hours are Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until whenever it decides to close, which the restaurant leaves up to the customers. For those over 21, Epiphany offers a full bar, including beers exclusively from Alabama.
