I’m no food photographer and this photo proves it, but you can’t blame a girl for snapping a quick shot of a meal she’s a) dying to wolf down (I had a mad case of hankry) & b) been waiting years to have. Monday marked the beginning of my fourth year in Birmingham, but all I wanted to do was get to Bessemer and have lunch at The Bright Star.

After crossing the train tracks and wondering more than once if you’ve made a wrong turn, it’s like you can hear the clouds parting when you see that neon star above the restaurant from a few blocks away. Opened in 1907, the family-owned spot is the true meaning of throwback–without the wistful kitsch. Slide into a burgundy-and-wood booth and you’ll spot old photos and accolades like, uh, the James Beard Foundation Classic Award designation. The meal had hands down some of the richest mac ‘n’ cheese (this stuff puts that Stouffer’s frozen nonsense to shame).

My one regret? No room to order a heaping slice of pie. (In food stories, writers wax about plates piled high, the plastic heaving under the hefty load… well, I witnessed that first-hand watching the waitress bring some lucky soul a $6.50 slice of pie.)