Reviewed by: Pat Byington
La Fête was destined to be ‘a restaurant of regulars’ — Meet Bham’s James Beard nominees
Reading time: 4 minutes
This year, Birmingham’s restaurants garnered an impressive five James Beard Award nominations. Bham Now is sitting down with each nominee to learn more about their backgrounds, inspiration and goals.
Kristen Hall, who founded La Fête in 2022, was nominated for Best Chef in the South this year. She also owns small pastry bakery Bandit Pâtisserie, which she first opened in 2013.
An authentic purveyor of French cuisine, La Fête has received other notable distinctions, such as Michelin Guide’s coveted title of Bib Gourmand, which recognizes “exceptionally good food at great value.”
- La Fête: 205-703-3012 | Website | Facebook | Instagram
- Address: 2018 Morris Ave, Birmingham
- Hours:
- Dinner: Wednesday-Thursday 4-9PM, Friday-Saturday 4-10PM, Sunday 4-9PM
- Weekend brunch: Saturday-Sunday 10AM-3PM
Without further ado, here are the highlights from our conversation with Chef Kristen Hall, edited for clarity and readability.
What inspired you to work professionally in the culinary field?
“I had worked off and on in the hospitality industry, like in high school and in college, but then pursued a professional career in fundraising and community relations at UAB. But I often say that hospitality chose me. I started a pop-up bakery in 2013 that was really well received in the community, and it really just evolved naturally from there.”
What was your vision behind creating La Fête?
“My vision for La Fête was a neighborhood bistro inspired by French cuisine and techniques. I really wanted La Fête to have those warm, cozy, ‘when you’re here, you’re family’ vibes. The overall goal is that I wanted La Fête to be a restaurant of regulars. I think it’s become that.”
Who do you admire in the Birmingham culinary scene right now?
“Obviously, Pardis Stitt and the Stitt Restaurant Group. It’s been a really wonderful thing for me as a chef and owner to see hospitality and service in the forefront, both with the James Beard nomination for service and Pardis’s award at the Michelin Guide for Service as well. It makes me very happy to see that.”
What would you say your personal favorite dish is at La Fête?
“I would say currently my two favorite dishes are the roasted beet salad — I love beets, they’re one of my favorite vegetables and I always look forward to beet season every year — and then I will say our roasted chicken. It’s roasted with lemon and garlic and herbes de Provence, and it’s served with a potato gratin. It’s the ultimate French comfort food.”
La Fête recently held a fundraiser, right?
“Yes. This past Wednesday, we donated all of the Wellington Wednesday sales to HICA. Wellington Wednesday is something we’ve been doing for about a year. Handmade beef Wellington is quite a labor of love, but it’s something we love to do.
“When thinking about all that is happening in our community and in our country, for me, it was a natural choice to utilize something that we love at La Fête to support our community and stand in solidarity with both Minnesota and the entire country.”
Most restaurants aren’t necessarily thriving right now, but y’all were uniquely poised to do this. How does it feel to be in a position to give back like that?
“Winter is a very challenging season for restaurants. I am incredibly grateful to be able to donate that volume of sales to an organization that I feel is supporting our community.”
What do you want Birmingham to know about your food and your restaurants?
“I want La Fête to be known for its hospitality and its service and, of course, its food. But my vision is to create a space and a place where people feel at home, where they get to enjoy really great conversation, really great food, and really great beverages.
“Food is a powerful memory maker, but I want people to remember the way that they felt and how well cared for they felt when they were at La Fête.”
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