This December, Birmingham is aglow with gatherings — friends leaning in, families toasting the season, and tables alive with warmth. At Little Betty, the celebration comes with firelight, champagne, and a meal worth remembering.
Executive chef Kyle Biddy has created something rare: a space that feels elevated without losing its ease. Two years in, it’s become one of Birmingham’s favorite places to mark a season or a milestone.
“I moved from the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived, what a lot of people would call paradise,” Biddy says, thinking of Aspen’s snow-lit peaks. “But to have the opportunity to do what we’re doing at Little Betty, I knew it was the right move.”
The vision for the restaurant stuck with him from the first conversation. He could picture it — the kind of place where thoughtful cooking and warm hospitality would meet in perfect balance. So in 2021, he packed up, crossed the country, and got to work. He developed dishes that would surprise and delight Birmingham diners and helped shape an atmosphere where every detail is intentional, from the first pour to the last bite.
At Little Betty, the menu shifts with the seasons, save for a few beloved staples. “We created kind of a menu where it’s almost a choose-your-own-adventure type dinner situation,” Biddy says. “I enjoy having full creative freedom. We cook seasonally, drawing inspiration from what we find at the market.”
This time of year, the kitchen leans into flavors that warm from the inside out. “We’ve transitioned to a little bit heavier food that sticks to the bones a little bit more,” he explains. Squash is roasted directly on the coals. Swordfish is wrapped with sage and prosciutto. And Amatriciana — “like getting a warm hug from your grandma, or sitting by the campfire” — returns to the lineup by demand.
If you ask Biddy how to celebrate at Little Betty, he’ll paint the night for you course by course.
It begins, of course, with bubbles. Sommelier Johnny will guide you toward something sparkling — light, playful, and just unique enough to feel like an occasion. “That’s how we love to start the night,” Biddy says. “It sets the tone — it’s festive and fun.”
From there, Biddy recommends the Hamachi crudo: fall flavors layered with butternut squash and apple relish, Calabrian chili, lime vinaigrette, and a crisp potato topper that shatters at the touch of a fork. Then, Wagyu carpaccio — paper-thin beef with arugula, crispy shallots, and truffle aioli. “People rave about it,” he says. “It’s one of those dishes that hits the table and just stuns.”
The Caesar salad follows. Cured lemons — salted, sugared, sliced whole — cut through the rich, umami-laced dressing made with Japanese mayonnaise, bringing unexpected brightness to a classic.
For the next act, Biddy points to the pasta. His favorite, the Amatriciana, is a Roman classic made with guanciale from a small Indiana smokehouse, cooked low and slow into a spicy tomato sauce with pork shoulder. “It’s like a warm hug from your grandma,” he says. “Comforting and rich. You just can’t help but smile.”
Then comes the 20-ounce ribeye, gleaming under a pat of truffle butter, anchored by sides he swears by: crispy polenta, Brussels sprouts, and pommes frites. It’s the kind of dish that feels both indulgent and just right for a special night.
Dessert is a non-negotiable finish to a celebratory evening. Biddy leans on familiarity and nostalgia, weaving them into refined, memorable finales. His Bananas Foster cheesecake comes draped in caramel, pistachio brittle, and white chocolate pearls. The carrot cake — his tribute to his grandmother — layers carrot and hummingbird cake beneath smoky torched marshmallow ice cream and hazelnut-raspberry crumble. And then there’s the tiramisù, soft and espresso-soaked, beloved as one of the best in town.
Behind the scenes, it takes seven cooks to pull off each night’s service. Biddy’s longtime girlfriend, Britton Crotta, who also moved from Aspen to bring this dream to life, serves as chef de cuisine. “She’s an absolute force in the kitchen,” Biddy says. “I could not do this without her.”
For Biddy, Birmingham is the perfect backdrop for a place like Little Betty. “Birmingham kind of punches above its weight class — not only in food but in culture,” he says. “It’s a forward-thinking city that’s growing in all the right ways.”
This December marks two years since Little Betty first opened its doors, and that’s something worth raising a glass to. If Biddy were doing the honors, he’d lift his to the people of Birmingham and to the bright, unfolding future of a city that sparkles like the season itself.
Mini Bundt Sticky Toffee Cakes
Chef Kyle Biddy of Little Betty shares one of his go-to December desserts — sweet, comforting, and full of flavors that feel like winter.
Yields: 10–12 mini bundt cakes
Bake Temp: 350°F
Bake Time: 16–18 minutes
Ingredients
Date Mixture
8 oz (about 1 cup packed) Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
¾ cup water
½ teaspoon baking soda
Cake Batter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
All of the cooled date mixture
Method
1. Prepare the date mixture: In a small saucepan, combine dates and water. Simmer for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until the dates are soft and breaking down. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (it will foam up a little). Cool completely.
2. Cream butter and sugar: Beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Scrape the bowl as needed.
3. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
4. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet mixture and mix on low just until combined.
5. Add date mixture: Fold in the cooled dates. Batter will be thick and slightly sticky.
6. Prepare pans: Generously grease mini bundt pans (or spray with baking spray that includes flour). Fill each cavity about ¾ full.
7. Bake: Bake at 350°F for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Serve: Let cool for 5 minutes, then unmold and serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, a pinch of flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), and a generous pour of toffee sauce spooned over the top.
Toffee Sauce
Yields: about 2½ cups (enough for desserts, ice cream, etc.)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
1 stick (½ cup / 113 g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste if you have it)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
Method
1. Melt the butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt: Stir in the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture looks smooth and no longer grainy — about 4–6 minutes. (It will look glossy and pull away slightly from the pan.)
3. Add the cream carefully: Warm the cream slightly (microwave or stove) to prevent splattering. Slowly pour it into the hot sugar mixture while whisking constantly. It will bubble up — just keep whisking.
4. Cook to finish: Continue cooking for 3–5 more minutes, stirring often, until smooth and slightly thickened. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
5. Strain: If you want a perfectly silky texture, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof container.
6. Cool and store: Let cool slightly, then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently before serving.