Debbie "Marvelous" Smith calls her catering business Sequins & Seasonings. The first part of it becomes obvious when you see that presentation is very important to her, including her eye-catching fashion sense. The second part of her company name reveals itself deliciously in the first bite of her soulful flavors.

The University of South Alabama campus in Mobile is close to my childhood home. I remember when the campus construction was first announced, in 1963. I was a young boy, and the implications didn’t really register at the time, but I did watch it grow in both size and stature over the years. My respect for South Alabama grew substantially when, early on, a close family friend, Dr. Neal Rowell, was hired as a professor in the physics department.

Growing up, my family spent summers in Point Clear. When I was nine years old, my parents purchased a home just north of Bailey’s Creek. Out front, there stood a cast iron bell with a long lanyard that reached back to the screen porch. It was rumored that it would ring at the first signs of a jubilee, alerting neighbors to come take part in the seafood harvest. Truth be told, our bell never rang for a jubilee. Instead, my mom would ring it to let us know it was time to get out of the water and come to supper. It worked every time. 

The Mobile-Tensaw River Delta is a 260,000-acre maze of rivers, creeks, marshes, and bayous. The Mobile, the Tensaw, the Apalachee, and the Spanish rivers all converge to create the second largest river delta, and one of the most biologically diverse regions in the US. 

I first met Bobby Switzer at a menu tasting at Jackson’s Steak House a couple of years ago. Maria Goldberg introduced him to the guests as the event was wrapping up. He was the point person for an upcoming new event in Pensacola called Foiling Week. Anything happening on the water captures my interest and Foiling was beginning to appear as a recreational sport more and more often. And it’s a different kind of sport.

After reading that the Nevada-based airline Allegiant was adding a route between Gulf Shores and Huntsville, I was ecstatic: the Rocket City is where many of my family members live.

As I ride the roads and byways through Scenic 98 Coastal, I get a nice, warm feeling when I see a family stopped along the side of the road fishing next to a creek, pond, river, or in a boat in the bay. A great bonding experience occurs when families fish together.

Wade Wellborn, the owner of Dr. Music Records, says he doesn't often take time to think about his legacy, but he probably sees it every day he's in his little shop in the heart of downtown Fairhope. 

If the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is America’s Amazon, then the Causeway is its gateway. If the Causeway is the gateway, then the 5 River Delta Center is the gatekeeper. It is one of those places that you may not know what goes on there, but you are glad it exists, hopefully working to protect and support the place for which it is tasked with overseeing.

Good evening. Thank you for having me, Dr. Kevin Scott, English department faculty. Graduates, welcome.

For ace guitarist Corky Hughes, the long road to a satisfying life in music got off to a rocking and rolling start at Skate Haven. Back in those days, in the mid-70s, lots of young people in and around Mobile were more interested in the rock 'n' roll that was being played there than lacing up skates and circling around the rink.

This month, Gambino’s Italian Grill is celebrating its 50th year, and not just its 50th year to be in operation, but to be operated by three generations of the same family.

50 years ago, in 1976, Fairhope had a population of about 6,600 people. It was a sleepy little town where everybody knew everybody, and Fairhope Avenue was where the residents did most of their shopping. Jeanne Byrd opened a store, Jeanne’s, and later called Fantasy Island Toys, with an inventory of primarily dolls and dollhouses. I moved to Fairhope in 1977, and I remember that the store was small, quaint, and charming, just like Fairhope!

If you're looking for a graceful old mansion with tall, white columns at Weeks Bay Plantation, you won't find it. The scenic property just west of Magnolia Springs is a lot of things, but it's really never been a "plantation" in the traditional sense.

Crawfish bread, Cochon de Lait po’boy, boudin balls, catfish almondine, softshell crab po’boy, crawfish enchilada, crawfish strudel, rosemint herbal iced tea. And so much more food.

A few weeks ago, I ran into Paul Harriman at a St. Patrick’s Day party, and then again shortly after at a restaurant on a Sunday evening. We were having dinner with good friends, T.K. Jackson and Jeanie Miller. Paul greeted Jeanie and mentioned that he had recently come across an old article written by Vivian Cannon about her grandfather’s soft-shell crab farm on Weeks Bay. It had appeared in The Mobile Press-Register’s Sunday Magazine on September 2, 1962.

I love stories about women who turn setbacks into opportunities, making lemonade out of lemons, if you will. In Sally Stringfellows case, she made a champagne crab bisque! A single mother with 2 young girls, she needed to figure out a way to make ends meet. 

I love stories about women who turn setbacks into opportunities, making lemonade out of lemons, if you will. In Sally Stringfellows case, she made a champagne crab bisque! A single mother with 2 young girls, she needed to figure out a way to make ends meet. 

With May Day upon us, we have lots in store. This week’s Top Five Things to Do in May is front-loaded for the first half of the month. Keep up with each week’s entertaining things to do throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal area featured in Tidbits and Best Bets in Wednesday’s newsletter and on our website at scenic98coastal.com. Thank you to the good folks at Chuck’s Fish and Dharma Blue for sponsoring Top Five each month!

Lots of people love the Alabama coast for its beautiful beaches, its many open-air restaurants, and its easy access to saltwater fishing, but it was something else that drew Norman and Jane Lindsey Thomas to the area. They were camping at Gulf State Park and set out on a bicycle ride that would change their lives. 

I love menu tastings: smaller portions, more variety. It’s the epicurean experience featuring the best creations from the resident chefs. I kind of wish every fine dining restaurant would offer “The Experience,” so I don’t have to make tough decisions.

I love menu tastings: smaller portions, more variety. It’s the epicurean experience featuring the best creations from the resident chefs. I kind of wish every fine dining restaurant would offer “The Experience,” so I don’t have to make tough decisions.