Judy Sells The Shoals

On any given night you will find Wildwood Tavern overflowing with a crowd of young professionals, artists, musicians, and designers grabbing a drink and sitting down for good conversation until late into the evening on East Mobile Street in downtown Florence. Childhood friends Matt Henderson and Tyler Ross left the Shoals for college, only to return to their roots to open up the popular Chicago Café three years ago, and just one year ago, Wildwood Tavern—a bar that is both laid-back and filled with life. The two owners, born and raised in Florence, are devoted to “Keep Florence Funky” – a fun phrase they coined to encourage local residents to embrace and continue to create the soulful style that first put The Shoals on the map—an approach that is apparent in their unique décor, original recipes, and their love for the local community. The funky attitude begins as soon as you walk through the doors of Wildwood Tavern. The rustic space decorated with colorful, pendant lighting, which...

If you are as big of a fan as I am of The Carriage and Jack-O-Lantern Farms in downtown Florence, then the two weeks they were closed in April to renovate and reopen their new store at 121 East Mobile Street was as hard for you as it was for me. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed The Carriage’s high quality wine selection, fine cheese, fresh flowers, and overall chic atmosphere, as well as Jack-O-Lantern Farm’s delicious produce and homemade goodies until I couldn’t have it. However, it was well worth the wait for the new space they opened at the beginning of May. Since their grand opening, these two unique Florence shops haven’t skipped a beat—frequently filled with patrons eager to relax and socialize with friends and a nice glass of wine, or shopping for their weekly groceries, it’s a wonderful place to run into familiar faces and unwind after a long day at work. Owned by Jason Allen and Caleb Banks, The Carriage opened their doors in Fall of 2014 in Court Street M...

For many years the art and culture of the Shoals has been sustained by the beautiful Tennessee River that runs through it. While normally we might think of the arts in the area as music, fashion, or food, we can now put the art of brewing a good beer in the mix. Singin’ River Brewing Co. has recently burst onto the scene as the first microbrewery in the region and they are onto something big. If you don’t know anything about brewing a beer, I promise there is an art to finding that perfect flavor and making something that’s original and memorable—Singin’ River has done just that with their IPA, Porter, and Handy's Gold.   Singin’ River Brewing Co. opened their doors in 2014 and there is good reason to support this local business— they are putting Florence, Alabama on the map in the microbrewery world. For those who love tasting craft beers, you know that the first thing you do is look at the place it was brewed and the label. This can often lead to conversations with friends...