Bud & Alley's has a new chef

**Dave Rauschkolb** · 02-20-2006, 03:33 PM

Bud & Alley�s is pleased to announce the employment of our new Chef, James Huckaby.

James Huckaby decided one day his love of fishing was not being fully satisfied in Birmingham Alabama so he decided to quit his job, grab his rods and head for the beach.

A native of Birmingham, Huckaby developed a love of good food while serving 5 years in the Navy in Hawaii and Alaska. Upon his discharge he returned to Birmingham and began his cooking career working with Frank Stitt, Chef and Owner of Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega Cafe & Restarant and Chez Fonfon, a French Bistro. Huckaby initially worked at Bottega Cafe and then Highlands Bar & Grill. James quickly worked up the ranks from prep cook to the Sous Chef of Highlands and eventually became the Chef de Cuisine of Chez Fonfon when it first opened. Overall, James worked off and on with Chef Stitt for 11 years.

James believes great food starts with searching out the best ingredients and the key to culinary success is preparing those ingredients simply. So, it was a natural progression for James to find himself heading to the beaches of South Walton with chefs hat and fishing rods in tow. Huckaby proclaims: �My greatest passions in life are fishing and cooking� and he has wasted no time cooking up menus that already have everyone on Scenic 30-A talking good food.

�His fishing skills remain to be seen but if he is as good a fisherman as he is a Chef, we�ll have to start a seafood company� Bud & Alley�s Owner, Dave Rauschkolb said.

Under Chef Huckaby�s direction Bud & Alley�s menus change daily utilizing the freshest, seasonal ingredients.

**skippertoo** · 02-20-2006, 03:41 PM

DAVE

Tell James...

**Kimmifunn** · 02-20-2006, 03:42 PM

Yowza...Quite the resume.

DD · 02-20-2006, 03:53 PM

Does he need a sous chef? I think I might be available.

Will visit in April!

**Chickpea** · 02-20-2006, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Rauschkolb

Bud & Alley�s is pleased to announce the employment of our new Chef, James Huckaby.

James Huckaby decided one day his love of fishing was not being fully satisfied in Birmingham Alabama so he decided to quit his job, grab his rods and head for the beach.

A native of Birmingham, Huckaby developed a love of good food while serving 5 years in the Navy in Hawaii and Alaska. Upon his discharge he returned to Birmingham and began his cooking career working with Frank Stitt, Chef and Owner of Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega Cafe & Restarant and Chez Fonfon, a French Bistro. Huckaby initially worked at Bottega Cafe and then Highlands Bar & Grill. James quickly worked up the ranks from prep cook to the Sous Chef of Highlands and eventually became the Chef de Cuisine of Chez Fonfon when it first opened. Overall, James worked off and on with Chef Stitt for 11 years.

James believes great food starts with searching out the best ingredients and the key to culinary success is simply preparing those ingredients. So, it was a natural progression for James to find himself heading to the beaches of South Walton with chefs hat and fishing rods in tow. Huckaby proclaims: �My greatest passions in life are fishing and cooking� and he has wasted no time cooking up menus that already have everyone on Scenic 30-A talking good food.

�His fishing skills remain to be seen but if he is as good a fisherman as he is a Chef, we�ll have to start a seafood company� Bud & Alley�s Owner, Dave Rauschkolb said.

Under Chef Huckaby�s direction Bud & Alley�s menus change daily utilizing the freshest, seasonal ingredients.

Dave,
Just promise us that your rare tuna on field of greens will remain - it is positvely the best dish up and down 30A. Will anxiously await yoru answer!!!

And

to James Huckaby.

**Beach Runner** · 02-20-2006, 04:19 PM

How exciting! Please don't get rid of those pasta specials with the herbed broths.

I'm sure we have many new dishes to look forward to.

**Dave Rauschkolb** · 02-20-2006, 05:29 PM

There is a new rare tuna dish but if you don't like it he will prepare the old one for ya! Howz that?

There will be plenty of pasta dishes every day, some with herbed broths. The difference is we are not going to have a set menu anymore but James, his likes to go by "Huck" will do old dishes if you must. My feeling is that we had the same menu for almost 3 years with the specials changing daily. I felt it was time to get some new, exciting food going. I have been eating there every day and I am blown away by this guys ability. Try out the new stuff, heck it's the beginning of our 21st year! Let's shake it up a little. FYI, Our fryer is out getting repaired so no sweet potato fries until we get it back.

Dave

**Dave Rauschkolb** · 02-20-2006, 05:33 PM

Regarding the sous chef postion, Derek Porter is our sous chef but people are clamering to work with Chef Huckaby so if you are interested I would call and ask for Dereck or Huck and get an application in ASAP. We are in the process of hiring culinary students but anyone with a serious dedication to food with experience should call or come by. The Kitchen line is 231-5737; Fax is 231-1846

Thanks!

Dave

**Dave Rauschkolb** · 02-20-2006, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by skippertoo

DAVE

Tell James...

Thanks Skipper!! DR

**kurt** · 02-20-2006, 05:57 PM

Thanks for letting us know Dave - looking forward to testing him out.

Moving to dining forum.

DD · 02-20-2006, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Rauschkolb

Regarding the sous chef postion, Derek Porter is our sous chef but people are clamering to work with Chef Huckaby so if you are interested I would call and ask for Dereck or Huck and get an application in ASAP. We are in the process of hiring culinary students but anyone with a serious dedication to food with experience should call or come by. The Kitchen line is 231-5737; Fax is 231-1846

Thanks!

Dave

Would LOVE to....if I could get mr. dd to move!

Thanks for the info Dave!

**Miss Kitty** · 02-20-2006, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by destindreamin

Would LOVE to....if I could get mr. dd to move!

Thanks for the info Dave!

This is genius! dd would be a natural! Tell dang darlin' you hear the call of sowal!!!

I am SO excited about the new chef!

to you James...we will be by in April with big appetites!!!

DD · 02-20-2006, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Sueshore

This is genius! dd would be a natural! Tell dang darlin' you hear the call of sowal!!!

I am SO excited about the new chef!

to you James...we will be by in April with big appetites!!!

^5!

**kathydwells** · 02-21-2006, 02:24 PM

Welcome Huck. Here's to a long and prosperous career at B&A's I will come by and say "Hi", and try out some of those culinary creations in July!!!!

**Donna** · 02-22-2006, 12:57 AM

How utterly exciting this news is! We will have a Frank Stitt protege at South Walton! Stitt's Highlands Grill is a wonderful restaurant and his newest cookbook is a pleasure for all of one's senses. I can't wait to get back down and go to Bud & Alley's. Hooray, hooray!

**Jdarg** · 02-22-2006, 05:22 AM

Someone needs to persuade Huck to register on SoWal.com!

Then again, he probably doesn't want a bunch of "consultants" giving him advice.

**Miss Kitty** · 02-22-2006, 05:26 AM

Originally Posted by jdarg

Someone needs to persuade Huck to register on SoWal.com!

Then again, he probably doesn't want a bunch of "consultants" giving him advice.

...who gives advice around here???? GM to you my jdarg!!!

**Jdarg** · 02-22-2006, 05:31 AM

Yo Mama Kitty! I'm up and at'em this morning packing Will off for school and - this is not too much of a tangent since it is food- making Mermaid's short ribs from the New Year's Eve thread! Short ribs were on sale yesterday, and I remembered that she had posted a recipe. Getting ready to chop, brown, and throw things in the crockpot. Recipe calls for an entire bottle of red wine. I don't think I have ever cracked open a bottle this early!

Of course, I wish I was eating at Bud & Alley's tonight!

**newyorker** · 03-02-2006, 07:04 PM

yum, yum, and triple yum! Those are incredible credentials (I've moved around the country, and I still think Bham has some of the most wonderful restaurants in the US--and those are the 3 top ones). To have this kind of chef at Bud & Alle

y's is indeed wonderful news!! Good work landing him!! We'll be there, per usual, in July. Unlike some of you--I think the old B&A menu was ok, but it needed "freshening up". Some new and creative dishes with the local seafood and produce and the ambience of being near (or even on) the beach---sounds like to heaven to me and my family (who've always insisted that B&A had to be on our list of "things to do in SOWAL".http://www.sowal.com/bb/newreply.php...ote=1&p=74496#
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