I recently spent a weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, on a mission to try some new eateries and revisit some old favorites. Friday’s highlights included the above macchiato from Primavera Coffee Roasters, accompanied by phenomenal pastries from Mix, Chris Dupont’s downtown bakery/cafe (tragically, only open on weekdays from around 7-4).

Day one’s destinations (in order) were Camp Taco, Mix, Primavera, Hot & Hot Fish Club, and the Highlands Bar & Grill. See additional photos and commentary after the jump!

Camp Taco

Camp taco was my first stop. Located in a space formerly occupied by a Subway, this restaurant serves up a variety of meticulously constructed tacos. The fillings are wrapped between two tortillas (one corn, one flour) sandwiched together by a smear of black beans (see this photo from Birmingham’s Best Lunch). The grilled fish taco was my favorite.

Mix and Primavera

Even when full of tacos, I usually have room for dessert. After a quick dash to Mix for an apple turnover and a ‘creme de citron’ pastry, I headed to Primavera Coffee Roasters to sample the treats alongside some of Birmingham’s best coffee. I might have stayed at Mix, but it’s difficult to find un-metered parking in the area, and I never seem to have any change on hand! The pastries were easily some of the best i’ve had in the city. They were flaky, well-browned, and crisp, with thoughtful flavorings and fillings.

Hot & Hot Fish Club

I ended the evening with an impromptu progressive dinner that began with cocktails and appetizers at Hot & Hot Fish Club and ended with multiple desserts at Highlands Bar and Grill. Since I rarely tote my large camera to fine dining establishments, I only have this one iPhone photo of my Chilton County Peach Cocktail. While all the food was excellent, the seasonally-appropriate drink, followed by an excellent heirloom tomato salad, were the highlights.