Award-winning Birmingham pastry chef Dolester Miles retires after 40 amazing years

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Bottega Favorita
Bottega, one of the restaurants where you can find Dolesterโ€™s pastries. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

Birmingham certainly has an award-winning restaurant scene, but behind those restaurants are chefs, restaurant owners and staff who make the magic happen. One of Birminghamโ€™s most influential chefs and a James Beard award-winning pastry chef, Dolester Miles, has officially retired. Read on for a look back at her wonderful career.

A legacy at four Birmingham restaurants ๐ŸŒŸ

Dolester Miles famous coconut pecan cake
Dolester Milesโ€™ famous coconut-pecan cake. (Bottega / Facebook)

According to AL.com, Dolester Miles was one of Frank Stittโ€™s first hires when he opened Highlands Bar and Grill in 1982. Along with serving as the pastry chef at Highlands Bar and Grill, sheโ€™s worked with Stitt and his wife Pardis at their other restaurants, Chez Fonfon, Bottega and Bottega Cafรฉ.

As pastry chef at Highlands and Bottega, Dolester (or Dol as sheโ€™s better known) introduced Birmingham residents and visitors alike to delicious desserts, including:

  • Her signature coconut pecan cake
  • Lemon meringue tart
  • Strawberry cobbler

In December 2021, after almost 40 years, Dolester officially retired. The self-taught chef and Bessemer native leaves behind a legacy of delicious desserts and, more than that, true passion for bringing joy to people through food.

National recognition + a James Beard Award ๐Ÿ†

After two nominations for outstanding pastry chef for the James Beard Awards, Miles won the James Beard Award in 2018. Her award came with national recognition, including a profile on The New York Times, confirming what we already knew all along: weโ€™ve got top talent here in Birmingham. The same year that Miles won the James Beard Award for the countryโ€™s most outstanding pastry chef, Highlands Bar and Grill won the James Beard Award for the most outstanding restaurant.

Now, even though Miles wonโ€™t be the chef bringing life to her outstanding desserts, you can rest assured knowing that the team at the Stitt Family of Restaurants will continue her legacy.

Now tell usโ€”what has been YOUR favorite dessert or experience with Dolester Miles? Tag us @BhamNow to let us know.

Cecilia Wood
Cecilia Wood
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