By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—You don’t need to make the trip to the Gulf Coast to enjoy fresh, southern-style seafood. On Feb. 3, Dixie Fish Co. will re-open its doors, bringing the Alabama Gulf Coast to U.S. 280 with a new menu and renewed vision.

Along with updating the restaurant’s interior, owners Paul and Deborah Primeaux brought over Ric Trent, executive chef at their other restaurant Primeaux Cheese and Vino, to head up the revitalized Dixie Fish Co. Prior to his position at Primeaux Cheese and Vino, Trent worked at Ocean and 26 in downtown Birmingham.

“He’s so passionate about food,” Deborah Primeaux said of Trent, noting he initiated the changes to the Dixie Fish Co. menu.

The updated menu will feature fresh, Gulf Coast seafood, prepared with southern recipes and served with “traditional southern sides,” Paul Primeaux explained.

“The menu is definitely the biggest change, but it’s getting back to our original vision for the restaurant,” Deborah Primeaux said.

“We have the Gulf of Mexico right there, I wanted to support the local fishermen and the local economy,” Paul Primeaux added. “We have the best seafood in the world in our gulf and estuaries. We wanted to have fresh ingredients and we wanted to cook in a range of southern styles.”

Dixie Fish Co. originally opened in September 2013 and served largely New Orleans-style seafood.

“To be honest with you, it just didn’t work… We were not giving the people of Birmingham the food and service they deserve,” Paul Primeaux said, noting “consistency issues” with the previous menu. “We did away with the gumbo, we did away with the jambalaya.”

Now, the menu will feature five types of fresh-caught Gulf Coast fish along with Alabama classics such as corn and crab chowder and vegetable succotash.

In addition to new flavor, the entire staff of Dixie Fish is undergoing new training to prepare for the Feb. 3 re-opening.

“I feel like we let people down initially,” Paul Primeaux said. “We want this to be something Birmingham is really proud of… we want this to be a local Birmingham institution.”

Dixie Fish Co., located at 101 Resource Center Parkway, will be open every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.