Helen

Helen was a real lady who wore pearls and lived in a house with a grill. Her ability to work with coals carries on in the restaurant of her grandson, Rob McDaniel: The dry-aged 22-ounce Kansas City strip, coated with beef-and-herb-infused duck fat, and the fennely porchetta with crackling skin are two examples.

The restaurant is not a steakhouse, according to the chef. "However," he says, "I want them to be aware that we're here." They'll do it. If not for the steak, then for the sides, such as corn ribs, which are eighths of a cob served elote-style that curl up like a rib, or a smile, when eaten under the benevolent gaze of Helen's image on the wall. —Joshua David Stein, Helen, 2013 Second Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama.

• Rate: 4.7/5.0; 207 reviews (Source: Google.com)
• Address: 2013 Second Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama
• Website: http://www.helenbham.com/