Text by Gabby Bass-Butler
Photo Contributed
Looking for home-cooked meals that you do not have to prepare yourself? You’re going to want to check out Meals by Misty’s new storefront located at 2900 Crescent Avenue in downtown Homewood and its selection of entrees, sides and more. We chatted with owner Misty Westover to learn more about the space and vision of Meals by Misty. You can find a full menu of items like Shrimp and Grits, Grilled Flank Steak, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Whipped Feta Dip & Honey, Strawberry Feta Salad, Pesto Chicken Flatbread and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, to name a few that stood out to us, and more information at mealsbymisty.com.
How did Meals by Misty come about?
When I had my babies, I taught fifth grade and ran out of maternity days, so I decided to be a stay-at-home mom. After a while I needed a hobby, and cooking has been my therapy. Being an only child, I cooked for my parents and for friends in college, so I had a bright idea to cook a few meals to see if any of my neighbor friends wanted one. My neighbors were families where both the mom and dad worked. It started off like that, and rapidly grew from five meals to 10 to 20. Fast forward 100 meals later and I couldn’t get down my street because of all the cars, and I decided to open a storefront in Trussville.
What made you decide to open a location in Homewood?
When I first moved to Birmingham before I finished graduate school, I taught at a school called Early Art on Crescent, and this was my area right after college. I later took a teaching job with Jefferson County, so I moved closer to Trussville because that’s where I was teaching. After not teaching anymore, this was a second home, the only home that I knew. Homewood is also where I met Katie Cornutt, of rolls., so I invited her to sell rolls out of our Trussville store.
You share a space with rolls. in Homewood. How did you come to know and partner with them?
One night I was just playing on my phone, and I came across Katie’s Instagram page and thought she was so cool. She’s very similar, and we’re both moms with three kids and trying to turn our passion into something that would be a new career for us. We became friends. I called her out of the blue and asked her if she wanted to put her cinnamon rolls in my store. Katie sold the rolls out of our Trussville location and still does.
What kind of dishes do you offer?
The food I grew up on. We also have southern casseroles and lighter options: grilled meats, tenderloins and flank steaks. There are meals for one, and we can also cater huge events. Our signature meal is the Chicken Poppy (our version of Poppyseed Chicken), which was the first one we sold out of the house. We have six entrees that rotate monthly and sliders, salads and sides.
What have been some memorable moments of running Meals by Misty?
Some of my favorite customers are elderly people who come in because they need help with their meals. I love meeting them and helping them find meals that will cover them for the week. In the beginning, I thought about busy professionals, people my age, but there are empty nesters, widows or those who don’t have the energy to cook anymore.
