Alabama Booksmith

Christopher Hastings is Chef and co-owner with his wife Idie, of the Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama.  The restaurant is located in a historic building on Birmingham’s Southside and has earned a reputation for serving some of the finest, freshest dishes in the region.  Chris developed his love for and relationship with food during family vacations spent in the low country of South Carolina: “As a creek boy, I harvested oysters, clams, shrimp, flounder, crab, spot tail bass, all manner of seafood that my mother and aunts would serve up with fresh, seasonal vegetables.  As a restaurant, customers’ food is prepared at the peak of its season and at the height of quality, freshness and flavor.” 

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Chris graduated from the Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence, Rhode Island, and moved to Atlanta in 1984.  His experience as sous chef at the Ritz Carlton led him to win a gold medal in the 1985 Atlanta Culinary Show.  In 1989, the Hastings moved to San Francisco where he worked with Bradley Ogden to open the Lark Creek Inn.  While there, Chris served as sous chef and was given the opportunity to discover his own style.  He gives credit to Ogden for having a tremendous influence on his culinary education: “Brad’s unrelenting pursuit of intense, clear flavor was never compromised.  He also opened my eyes to the local farmer and how he could impact the food and help set it apart from the others.”  While they were in California, Idie attended the California Culinary Academy and she worked at Jeremiah Towers’ famed Stars Café, Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio and she honed her skills as a baker at Patisserie Francaise.   

In 1995, the Hastings returned to the South and opened the Hot and Hot Fish Club.  In the restaurant’s early days, while Chris focused on the dinner menu, Idie used her pastry experience to develop the dessert menu.  Today, although the menus change daily to highlight the best possible products available, several signature items remain; the Hot and Hot Shrimp and Grits made with Country Ham, Fresh Thyme, Tomatoes and Ver Jus is always a favorite among the locals and Elton’s Chocolate Soufflé with Fresh Cream continues to be a favorite ending to many meals at the restaurant. 

Since it’s opening, they have won numerous awards and accolades.  Chris was a 1998 recipient of the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence for Best Restaurant and was voted Birmingham’s best chef in Birmingham Magazine’s Readers’ Poll.  In May 2001, he was chosen to serve as an advisory board member for the Chef’s Garden newest venture, the Culinary Vegetable Institute, along with Charlie Trotter, Alain Ducasse, Norman Van Aken, Douglas Rodriguez, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Ed Brown and Bradley Ogden.  The Hastings have also received awards from Santé and Wine Spectator. In 2003, the Birmingham Business Journal listed Idie Hastings as one of the top Birmingham Women.  This year she was listed in the Women’s Issue of Birmingham Weekly that promotes women in business.  In 2005, Chris was inducted as a member of Leadership Birmingham.  This year Chris is serving as an Alabama spokesman for Wild American Shrimp where he informs people of the high quality of wild caught shrimp and encourages consumers to choose seafood that grows naturally. 

Chris and Idie’s frequent travels take them to California and New York several times a year to cook for various charity events including the James Beard Foundation.  They have also traveled to France where Chris cooked as a guest chef at the N.A.L.L. Art Foundation 2000 exhibit opening.  Chris has also been a guest chef and/or speaker for other culinary events including IWFS, The Culinary Vegetable Institute, the Institute of Culinary Education, the Charleston Food and Wine Festival and the Southern Foodways Alliance.

Chris Hastings has recently expanded his geographical, if not his culinary boundaries, by adding a culinary consulting company to his growing list of roles.  He provides operational and culinary guidance to the Standard Bistro, an independent restaurant in Birmingham and to The St. Joe Company where he is Culinary Advisor to their northwest Florida restaurants such as Fish Out of Water and the BaitHouse restaurant, both located at the WaterColor Inn and Resort.  He also guides the strategic planning process for future food and beverage operations with The St. Joe Company across northwest Florida, including WindMark Beach in Port St. Joe and SummerCamp on St. James Island.  Idie assists him in this new endeavor by providing culinary support during his events and helping him to compose proposals.  

The Hastings and Hot and Hot Fish Club have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Food Arts, Nation’s Restaurant News, Santé Magazine, Coastal Living, Metropolitan Home, Executive Traveler, Cooking Light Magazine and Delta’s Sky magazine as well as “Good Day Atlanta,” “Good Day Alabama,” the Food Network’s “Best Of”, Top 5 and NBC’s “Roker on the Road.”  In March 2007, Chef Hastings was one of five finalists nominated for “Best Chef in the South” by the James Beard Foundation. 

As the Hot and Hot Fish Club celebrates its 12th year in business this year, Chris and Idie continue to work together to provide the community with a restaurant and workplace that is comfortable, warm and inviting.  While Chris continues to focus on the food, menus and consulting, Idie manages the finances, assists Chris with his consulting, focuses on public relations for the restaurant, works on restaurant improvements and oversees the front of the house details.  Idie and Chris live in Birmingham with their two sons, Zeb and Vincent.

Hot and Hot Fish Club