![]() Being named a finalist is an honor for his staff, as well as the cities of Homewood and Birmingham and the state of Alabama as a whole, Hontzas said. The two men join three chefs from New Orleans as the five finalists, which sends a strong message that Birmingham’s food scene is just as good as that of New Orleans, Hontzas said. “I’m honored to be standing next to Adam Evans,” Hontzas said. ![]() Johnny’s was also a semifinalist in the category of “best hospitality.”īeing nominated and making it to the finalist round carries “unprecedented meaning,” Hontzas said. This year, Hontzas has made it to the final round, nominated for best chef of the South, along with Birmingham chef Adam Evans of Automatic Seafood and Oysters. ![]() For the past five years, the restaurant has been nominated for the restaurant version of the Oscars, the James Beard Awards, making it to the semifinal round each year, save for 2021, when the awards were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant has not only attracted a loyal following in Homewood, but recognition from the country’s culinary elite. The story of Johnny’s in Homewood is coming to be one of nationwide success. Pictures of his father and grandfather line the walls of Johnny’s Restaurant, accompanied by newspaper clippings telling of their awards, their food and their stories. He’s also carried on their love of food and using it to brighten someone’s day. Hontzas has carried on that personality, striving for perfection in both himself and his staff. “He was doing it to make a better life for us,” Hontzas said of his father. While seeing his grandfather and his father was rare given both men’s dedication to their restaurants, they left an indelible mark on Hontzas. “You’ve got to want to make it in life, and you’ve got to want to work,” Timothy Hontzas said. Timothy Hontzas’ “papou,” which is Greek for grandfather, taught him a strong work ethic, as did his father, who also ran the family’s restaurants. Eventually, he opened Johnny’s in 1956 in a freestanding building next to his hotel, The Flamingo Inn, in Jackson, Mississippi. With almost no money to his name, he turned to cooking as a way of life, opening his first restaurant at a railroad depot in McComb, Mississippi. The story began decades ago with Hontzas’ grandfather, Johnny, the namesake of the restaurant, who hopped on a cattle boat from Greece and came to America at the age of 17. “Our food has a story to tell,” Hontzas said. The food at Johnny’s Restaurant in downtown Homewood is not silent, chef and owner Timothy Hontzas said. ![]()
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