Bistro V
Jeremy Downey grew up on the bayou in Bayou La Batre, just east of Mobile Bay. His first job was unloading shrimp boats. Before that he was working with his hands in his dad’s garden.
Since those days, he played football at The University of Alabama and worked in restaurants in Washington, DC and California, but lately he’s returned to his roots, both in place and in ingredient.
“My creative juices flow into the world of seafood and local produce,” said the Bistro V chef and co-owner.
Fried oysters, a fish of the day, and shrimp and grits are regulars on his menu, although most other dishes change every two to three weeks.
“I have always loved seafood because it sustains you as you get older,” he said. “People are starting to see that it’s good for you, which is good for me because I have always loved it.”
Other menu favorites are the Risotto of the Day and Short Ribs braised for three hours until they fall off the bone. Downey has Italian heritage and has worked in several Italian restaurants, so you’ll find plenty of pasta options on the menu as well.
Summer months bring the return of the Farmer’s Market Salad, topped with market finds like peas and fried country ham. Everything else on the menu comes in second place to it, Downey said.
Local produce also shines in a Tomato Haystack. The dish stacks slices of juicy red with mozzarella and then drizzles them with vinaigrette and tops them with fresh basil. There is also an eggplant appetizer grilled with goat cheese, sweet pepper aioli and basil pesto and a Crispy Grit Cake baked and fried and topped with country ham, shrimp and mushroom sauté.
Crab Cakes are made with fresh lump crab meat from the bayou and are served with fried green tomatoes, a house remoulade and a light salad.
For brunch on weekends, there’s also an Eggs Benedict, eggs to order, pancakes, and a bacon omelet Downey said could feed two people. Oyster Po Boys start to get popular around 10 a.m.
Overall, Downey wants Bistro V to be a neighborhood restaurant — the V in the name is for Vestavia after all.
“We want to get the best product we can in daily and make simple soul food that appeals to people in Vestavia,” he said.
Downey worked at City Hall Diner, the business that previously operated in the Bistro V space, for five years. Then, three years ago this month, he opened a new space with business partner Emily Tuttle.
“I have been here long enough to learn the taste buds of the area,” he said. “I have thrown things at the wall and seen what sticks. At this point, I know my instinct.”
Over next few months, the restaurant will expand to an adjacent area in its shopping center, which will allow space for a new bar, and more indoor and outdoor seating. Downey hopes it will give Bistro V more of a bistro bar and grill feel, and he hopes to add new menu items including raw bar offerings.
Like everything with the restaurant, the new space will do more than fulfill Downey’s vision; he’s also excited to share something new with the people who live around Bistro V.
“I am happy to be one of the only people in Vestavia doing this sort of thing,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to feed people the food they want to eat.”