The Unexpected Southern Delight Taking Over Fairhope: Oyster Bread Pudding

It sounds improbable, maybe even a little rebellious but that’s exactly what makes it irresistible. And in the quiet, oak-lined streets of Fairhope, Alabama, this unlikely creation has become something of a legend.

You’ll find it at The Fairhope Inn, where executive chef Caitlin Horne is quietly reshaping what Southern comfort food can be without losing the soul that makes it special. Since taking over the kitchen this past July, Horne has been breathing new life into the historic inn’s menu, one thoughtful dish at a time.

A House With Stories in Its Walls

The Fairhope Inn is no ordinary restaurant, it's a piece of Alabama history. Built in 1906 as a private home known locally as the Beckner House, it once had a fish market tucked behind it, perfuming the air with salt and brine. Over a century later, it evolved into a place where stories are shared over candlelight and red wine.

In 2019, owner Paige Dawson gave the inn a fresh chapter, a complete renovation that honored its bones but invited in a softer, more modern light.

And now, Chef Horne’s story folds seamlessly into that legacy. A native of the area, she’s spent years honing her craft 13 at Guido’s in Daphne, followed by stints at Kitchen on Main and Café Viola but this is the first time she’s been given the keys to her own creative kingdom.

“This is the first time I’ve had full freedom to build a menu from the ground up,” she says. “I didn’t want to tear down what people loved, I just wanted to bring a little bit of me into it.”

Reinventing the Familiar

That philosophy shows up beautifully on the plate. Her Mushrooms on Toast, for instance, may sound humble but what lands at your table is something rich and layered, earthy and luxurious. It’s the kind of dish that reminds you why simple things are often the hardest to perfect.

And then, of course, there’s the Oyster Bread Pudding, the one that’s turned Fairhope chatter into a full-on buzz. It’s decadent without being fussy, a little daring without losing its Southern grace. It’s what happens when nostalgia and innovation shake hands in the kitchen.

“I knew this place had regulars who’ve been coming since the late ’90s,” Horne laughs. “So I didn’t want to scare anyone off. You can still get your steak, your pork chop, your fresh fish. I just wanted to add my own flair to how it’s done.”

That flair, it turns out, tastes like confidence and it’s catching on fast.

The Rise of the Tomato Pie

Ask any Fairhope local what keeps them coming back, and you’ll probably hear one answer more than once: the Tomato Pie.

“It started as a special appetizer,” Horne admits, “and I don’t think I’ve ever made more of one thing in my life.”

Every slice is a love letter to local produce. Horne sources her tomatoes from Greer’s, McKenzie’s Market, Hazel’s in Daphne, and even the Piggly Wiggly, each one bursting with late-summer sweetness.

“They’re all local and beautiful,” she says. “And as long as they keep showing up, I’m going to keep making them.”

A Homecoming Served Warm

There’s something undeniably poetic about the way Horne has come full circle. From her kitchen window, she can see the old high school where her grandparents first met. They were just teenagers before her grandfather left for the Pacific during World War II. Across the street sits her old kindergarten classroom.

For her, this isn’t just work. It’s a homecoming one served warm, with butter and a side of nostalgia.

“I’ve had my old principal come in,” she says. “My childhood friends, their parents, people who’ve followed my food from place to place. It’s really special.”

More Than a Menu A Feeling

In the end, what Horne is doing at The Fairhope Inn goes beyond food. It’s hospitality in its truest form, the kind that sees people, not just plates.

“To feel like they were seen, that their needs were met, and that they had an amazing dining experience.”

And somewhere in that experience between the clink of glasses and the first bite of Oyster Bread Pudding you realize that what she’s really serving is connection.