Photo by Jon Anderson
Donatos Pizza slices sit out for the taking at the 2025 Viva Vestavia food tasting event at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
Leadership Vestavia Hills and the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce in January plan to hold a Taste of Tivoli campaign.
They’re inviting Vestavia Hills restaurants to create an Italian-inspired dish, drink, tasting or take-home meal for patrons on Jan. 20-24.
Any restaurant can participate; it doesn’t have to be an Italian restaurant, said Amber Terakedis, a member of the Leadership Vestavia Hills Class of 2026 who is involved in the project.
The idea is bring restaurants in the city together and pay homage to the Italian influences that have shaped Vestavia Hills, particularly through the legacy of former Birmingham Mayor George Ward.
Ward, inspired by his travels to Italy, constructed his home on Shades Mountain off Shades Crest Road with a nod to Italian architecture and culture. He later commissioned a garden gazebo that resembled the Temple of Sybil at Tivoli, Italy. Ward called his home Vestavia, naming it after Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, and “via,” which means “by the roadway.” The area around his home grew into the city of Vestavia Hills.
Restaurants already signed up include Bistro V, Davenport's and The Local.
The Taste of Tivoli campaign is being done in conjunction with “I am Vestavia” week, which celebrates the various international cultures in the city. The child nutrition staff in Vestavia Hills schools typically share international cuisine during “I am Vestavia” week and this year plan to include an Italian-themed dish in their offerings, Terakedis said. Materials will be made available to students regarding Vestavia Hills’ ties to Italian culture, she said.
The Taste of Tivoli Committee includes Terakedis, Angela Marshall, Blair Inabinet, Mindy Wald, Adam Vansant, Alan Walker, Jeremy Stephens, Hasin Gandhakwala and mentor Todd Richardson.
This campaign will not replace the Viva Vestavia event that was held in January 2025, giving people an opportunity to taste dishes from restaurants throughout the city all in one place. Viva Vestavia is moving to Sept. 22, 2026, chamber President and CEO MIchelle Hawkins said.
Restaurants who want to participate in the Taste of Tivoli campaign are asked to complete a form using this QR code by Dec. 19:
Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the names of two people on the Taste of Tivoli Committee. Some incorrrect spellings had been passed along.
