If someone doesn't buy me Stitt's book for Christmas, I will have to go buy it myself! I flipped through a copy at the bookstore and it is absolutely, mouthwateringly gorgeous. As a Birmingham resident, I eat at Highlands several times a year, and it is absolutely incredible. The way he uses traditional Southern ingredients such as grits, blackeyed peas and okra and mixes them with French techniques and influences, with the emphasis on fresh and local from the California school, has rightly won him many awards. You can read two reviews at our website, Bhamdining.com: www.bhamdining.com/Reviews/review_highlands.html www.bhamdining.com/Reviews/review_highlands_revisited.html These are from 2000 and 2001, but we have been this year and it is just as good as ever. Birmingham has a number of other excellent upscale restaurants, as well, such as Hot & Hot Fish Club, Cafe DuPont, and daniel george. Nearly every chef/owner has worked with Stitt at one point or another.