B-metro - The magazine of metro Birmingham living

This month’s one on one was a spirited conversation between a public relations specialist and an actor turned restaurateur. Ty Taylor is the owner, operator, and manager for Pinches Tacos, a Mexican restaurant in Homewood with three other locations in California. Taylor was instrumental in bringing the California-based taqueria to downtown Homewood’s Hallman Hill complex…. Read More

Two young women pursue the American dream by purchasing an old-world Asian grocery. Photography by Beau Gustafson Chai’s Grocery has stood at the corner of 22nd Street South and 7th Avenue for 42 years now; the last five under the ownership of two young Asian women who found in the old–world grocery a hope for… Read More

The First Drop in my Bucket List The Conclusion of My Big Fat Ballroom Competition Written by Cherri Ellis Photographed by Liesa Cole I was in line at the Birmingham airport at about 5:30 am. It had just been refurbished, and the line for security was a mile long queue of sleepy faces staring up at the… Read More

Jen West in the Bubble Photography by Beau Gustafson and George Smyly A woman is stirred from slumber by sounds of the earth shifting.  She discovers a large bubble which she instinctively knows should never pop. Her curious interactions with the bubble leads to an unexpected journey full of beauty and terror. That’s the vision… Read More

Harold & MOD Pop-Up Birmingham Vintage Written by Milo Beloved and Edward Badham Photography by Edward Badham Hair By Benji Bishop of Salon U Make Up Artist: Terez Underwood Producer: Milo Beloved Clothing and Furniture from Harold&MOD’s Botany Collection (haroldandmodshop.com) styled by Milo Beloved & Heidi Smith Models: Timothy Kortman, Kaylor Otwell, and Jenni Opal… Read More

A conversation with an Alabama activist Written by Katherine Webb Portrait by Beau Gustafson When Sunnetta “Sunny” Slaughter says, “I’ve always been different,” you get the feeling she’s asking you to call her bluff. Raised in Trenton, New Jersey, the oldest of three girls in a working class family, and a product of an all-black… Read More

Birmingham native, Erica Oyama,  blurs the line between reality and reality TV with her new hit comedy. Interview by Tom Wofford      Photos by Robyn Von Swank Erica Oyama, Birmingham native and Alabama School of Fine Arts alum, created one of last year’s most buzz-worthy comedy series, Burning Love, spoofing The Bachelor and its… Read More

Regina Chance knows about war. Written by Tom Gordon, Portrait by Beau Gustafson When Regina Chance tells clients she has walked a mile in their boots, she’s not blowing smoke. Chance is a transition patient advocate at the Birmingham VA Medical Center, working with returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Her job is to make… Read More

Written by Joe O’Donnell  Photography by Liesa Cole Jenn Sides has been “Leaning In” a lot lately. The popular book by Sheryl Sandberg about “women, work and the will to lead” has been heating up a conversation that impacts all of our lives and has since the middle of the last century. Jenn Sides, president… Read More

Joanna Lea has an eye for beauty and a soul for spirit. The two things combined to create a unique line of jewelry that speaks to both. Photography by Joanna Lea A Hindu word meaning, “Beacon of Light,” Anjami was founded in 2012 by fashion designer Joanna Lea and German born graphic designer Markus Beige…. Read More