Reviews and Extras

Your Name: James K Jones

Your title: Chef/Owner

Restaurant Name: Kairos Kafe

Mission Statement: Building Relationships Around Food

Restaurant address: 515 University Blvd. (The Old Ollie's BBQ Building)

Restaurant phone # (for publication): 251-3101

Restaurant's specialty (i.e. what type food): Authentic Southern Cuisine with a Greek Influence (kinda like Mee-Maw went to the Mediterranean and brought back some recipes to blend with her own)

What sets your restaurant apart from others: The Food, it's very unique, and the fact that we share the building with our Church (Grace & Truth)

How long has the restaurant been open: Since December 4th, 2006, a little over 18 months
Any honors you want to mention: 2 great reviews from the Birmingham News, two monthly cooking segments on Fox 6, and most recently we were chosen to be one of the restaurants that represented Birmingham in the 2008 "Taste of the Nation"

What's new at the restaurant: Chicken Marsala

Job you'd have if not a chef? A Waiter, I love the service side of this business, and being able to connect with people

Who/what inspired your love for cooking (explain who they are)? My Grandmothers, Sara Jones of Atlanta, and Gladys Whitaker of Phenix City, Alabama. For as long as I can remember, they allowed me to make endless messes in their kitchens, and shared their recipes.

Your mentor (give name and brief id): Steve Longenecker, My Pastor, My Friend, and the best Coach for anything I may be facing in life, or trying to acheive

Best advice you were ever given: Follow My Heart

Your first cooking memory: My Mom, Norma Pierce of Birmingham, teaching me how to warm up ABC's & 123's

Your worst cooking disaster: Catering my Aunt's Wedding 150 miles away. The kitchen only had an old oven, and I burned the chicken tenderloins. I covered them in Honeymustard to make them edible. It worked, and now that recipe is J.J.'s Original Chicken Tenderloins on our menu.

Restaurant-related thing you're proudest of: That we started from scratch, and did 90% of the work ourselves with a long list of faithful investors. And that our food is authentic

Favorite type food to prepare: Recipes that are family favorites, or cultural favorites, food that has some memories attached to it

Favorite food to eat: Home-Cooked Southern Food

Favorite food-related Web site: www.foodnetwork.com

What would you choose for your final meal: My Momma's Spaghetti

Favorite restaurant (other than your own; where is it?): Chef Bob's "The Mall Cafe" in Trussville

Chef you most admire (with short id): Paula Deen, because she started from nothing, and followed her dreams, and her recipes are awesome!

Favorite spice: Freshly Ground White Pepper

Favorite herb: Basil

Do you cook at home? Some, but I would rather eat my Mom's or my Girlfriend's Food

Kitchen gadget you couldn't work without: A Sharp Chef's Knife

Most disappointing kitchen gadget: They are all disappointing to me, and its easier for me to work with a set of knives

Strangest occurrence in your restaurant's dining room: a customer sent word to me that I "Put my Foot" in her meal. She meant it as a compliment, but I've never heard that before, so I thought something was terribly wrong.

Food/restaurant-related pet peeve: Uninterested Servers, and food that is prepared sloppily

Advice for someone outfitting a residential kitchen: Go ahead and splurge on good appliances, they will last you a lifetime, and make sure you have plenty of space on the counters and in the cabinets

Worst mistake most cooks make: Making a Menu too complicated , by going overboard because of the need to impress, instead of being themselves

Your best-kept kitchen secret: Being organized, working from a list of notes, and cleaning as I go

Advice for pulling off a last-minute meal: Think simple but delicious, and use what you have on hand. Don't be afraid to get creative

Your best cooking tip: Love what you're doing, and put some of your own heart into your food (even if its a cherished recipe). Go ahead and put your mark on it, and don't be afraid to go beyond the boundaries established by others

Where will you be in 10 years: By the Grace of God, Overseeing a String of Kairos Kafe's

Any final words or thoughts: Cooking is a vehicle that anyone can use to connect with others, and build great relationships!

When James Jones opened Kairos Kafe at 515 University Boulevard in Birmingham last December, few people realized the hurdle he had to overcome to become a restaurant owner.

Jones, who today cooks meals and runs Kairos Katering, the parent company of the cafe housed in the former Ollie's Barbecue building, says he was a far different person 15 years ago while growing up a reckless teenager in Phenix City.

Jones said he succumbed to peer pressure and began using drugs. That led to his arrest at age 20 on drug charges in Florida. He spent nearly seven years serving in Florida and Alabama prisons.

"When I first got arrested, I thought my life was pretty much over," Jones recently recalled while taking a break from his kitchen at Kairos Kafe. "But I had two praying grandmothers and other friends who helped me get my life together." Jones said his life began its turnaround when he discovered the Bible while in prison in Montgomery. After joining a Bible study group at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County nearly a decade ago, Jones met Steve Longenecker, his current pastor at Grace & Truth Church, which is also housed in the former Ollie's building.

Longenecker, who works with ex-drug users through a program at UAB, was leading Bible studies at Donaldson prison as part of a kairos prison ministry. "Kairos" is Greek for "God's special moment," a reason Jones picked it as the name of his restaurant.

Shortly after Grace & Truth began worship services in the old Ollie's building in 1999, Jones - who is a member of the church - approached Longenecker and the church's elders about the possibility of using the kitchen adjacent to the sanctuary to start a catering business.

Longenecker, one of more than a dozen investors in Kairos Kafe, said church leaders saw an opportunity to serve the community and give Jones a chance at starting his own business.

"I've worked with a lot of people in prison, and James is special," Longenecker said. "With a lot ex-prisoners, their behavioral change is only temporary. With James, his change was internal."

Upon being released from prison at age 26, Jones settled in Birmingham to pursue a career in the restaurant business, praying that someone would take a chance on hiring an ex-con.

He got his first chance when hired as a waiter at Leonardo's Italian Restaurant in Vestavia Hills. He spent seven years there, advancing into management before starting Kairos Kafe.

Jones, who will hold an official grand-opening ceremony on May 4, said many of his recipes were inspired by his late grandmother. He is excited about the future of his restaurant, which this summer is adding a Saturday brunch and dinner menu.

"This has been a dream for me since I was a kid," Jones said. "It's amazing how God brought it all together."

E-mail: rwilliams@bhamnews.com

The definition emblazoned on the dining room wall announces that Kairos is Greek for a "special moment." We experienced a couple of those during recent visits to Kairos Kafe, where they're "building relationships through food." We're not going to discuss rehabilitation or prison ministries or any of the other situations that have led to the reality of this delightful restaurant in a church in the old University Boulevard location of Ollie's BBQ. Serving lunch only Monday through Friday, Kairos Kafe indeed shares space with Grace and Truth Church, an interdenominational outreach congregation that utilizes the facility in the evenings and weekends. Don't expect much proselytizing or evangelism with your soup and sandwich. From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the staff is quite serious about the food. As a friend said, "This place reminds me of my grandmother's house in Norwood, high ceilings and lots of pictures on the walls in old frames." He added that it smelled a lot like the same. His grandmother ran a boarding house, and there was always something cooking. Pleasant memories. About the only reminder of the restaurant's previous incarnation as Ollie's is an early photograph of the venerable barbecue establishment hanging among other historic Birmingham memorabilia. But this is not your neighborhood BBQ hangout. Kairos offers several versions of chicken tenders, mostly grilled, with a variety of sauces. In addition, the Kafe offers several sandwiches, a half dozen salads and signature dishes that include meatballs and a fresh fish of the day. Daily specials reflect what looked good at the market. Menu items are named for staff members, friends and supporters of the church and the dining establishment. Note the use of the letter "K" -- Kairos Kafe, Kairos Katering -- a bit kutesy, but one gets used to it. On an early visit we tried Nelson's marvelous meatballs ($7.95). During the brief wait for our meal, we thoroughly enjoyed Granny's rolls served with Spunky Hollow Cream (a strawberry-enhanced butter). Not quite cornbread, light and almost cake-like, these muffins constituted the first special moments. If not marvelous, the three meatballs were certainly very good. Slightly larger than golf balls, they were served in a flavorful, but not overly spicy, beef sauce. Served as a side dish, Lenora's company potatoes were coarsely mashed with skins on. Good, but not glorious. A second side dish, a tomato and watermelon salad, was our second special moment. An interesting combination of cubed tomatoes and watermelon with chopped bell pepper, fresh basil and red onion was served cold with a light vinegar-based dressing. The staff was quick to give Southern Living credit for the original recipe. This didn't have a name attributed to it, but it was an inspired offering on a hot summer day. Shana's Chocolate Krackle ($3.95, $2 for a ½ serving)) was a chocolate mousse-like pudding with whipped topping served cold over a crumbled brownie base. This was an ideal way to end a substantial meal. On a follow-up visit, the fish of the day, buttermilk battered catfish nuggets ($9.95), caught our attention. Four lightly fried strips of catfish were served in an exemplary lemon butter sauce with capers. Catfish piccata? Why not? Another special moment. For his two sides, this diner opted for Bonham's potato salad and, after a bit of coaxing, the tomato and watermelon salad. The combination sounded strange to him. The potato salad got high marks, mustardy like at home. The tomato and watermelon salad got two thumbs-up and a my-gosh-this-is-good. Granny's rolls did not disappoint.

Bernard's Angus burger ($7.95) was a two-hander. Gouda cheese gave a nice flavor a bit more mellow than the usual Swiss or American. Served with a generous side of steak fries, the large patty was slightly overcooked, but nonetheless good. Farrell's gospel bird chicken salad sandwich ($6.95) was a winner. A basic down-home chicken salad, it consisted of large chunks of white meat with just enough mayonnaise to hold them together. Celery, water chestnuts and a few nuts added a nice crunch. A sprinkling of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and a few Mandarin orange slices made this special. New on the menu and perhaps seasonal, Tonya's blueberry delight was a delight. Fresh blueberries mixed with a cold whipped topping over a graham cracker crust -- another special moment. As we left the restaurant we realized we should have tried Kairos' luscious lemonade. We noted that that's just one more reason to return to Kairos Kafe. Kwickly!

Fletcher Harvey is a freelance restaurant reviewer for The Birmingham News.

I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE LUNCH WE HAD TODAY WAS WONDERFUL. I EVEN FAXED A MENU TO MY MOM'S OFFICE SO THEY COULD ORDER FROM YOU TOO.

FINALLY, A RESTAURANT DOWNTOWN THAT HAS REAL FOOD AND NOT THE BLAND CAFETERIA FOOD EVERYONE ELSE SERVES. WE HAD 4 SEPERATE ORDERS, THE LADY THAT TOOK THE ORDER WAS VERY SWEET, EVERYONE'S ORDER WAS CORRECT AND WE ENJOYED OUR FOOD TREMENDOUSLY, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FREE CHOCOLATE CRACKLIN PUDDING THAT WE SPLIT THREE WAYS (WOW, IT WAS GOOD!).

I WILL RECOMMEND YOU TO EVERYONE, AND FOR CATERING TOO.

THANKS AGAIN,

TIA ROGERS
STANDARD HEATING & AIR

Tonya, last week I was in the administrative portion of Hand in Hand and Donna asked me if I had lunch and when I told her I had not she offered me some food from Kairos that was being served for a UCP Foundation meeting. I had the green beans and mashed potatoes and they were the best I have ever eaten. As the meeting was adjourning, I was on my 3rd serving of the green beans and potatoes and wished I could have eaten more. I plan on ordering those two dishes to take out and keep at home. Regards, Mark

Mark P. Cohen, MD

The other night, Gil and I, along with our friends, Randy and Belinda, were very honored to be invited to the dedication of Kairos Kafe/Katering. It is located here in Birmingham at the old Ollie's Barbeque location. The address is 515 University Blvd. The owner, James Jones, is a friend of Gil and Randy's. All of the food was wonderful and I was very impressed with his attention to detail. I read a very sweet tribute to his grandmothers on the back of his menu. He thanked them for teaching him to cook and for allowing him to make messes in their kitchens. I think that the best recipes are the ones that are passed down through generations within a family. One of his grandmothers inspired him to create "Kairos Spunky Hollow Cream", which he serves with his rolls. It was really delicious. You can read more about it on his website. Go and try Kairos Kafe. I highly recommend it!