Vintage 2298: Where The Family Business Means More

Vintage 2298 is a field-to-fork restaurant that combines an elegant dining experience with the comforts of Southern cooking. The dining room feels both rustic and modern with large windows and abundant natural light. At night, expect flickering candles on each table and a warm, intimate experience. By day, the restaurant is bright and sunny - ideal for brunch or business meetings during the week. The restaurant is surrounded in exposed brick and offers a well-stocked bar inside the entrance, while the dining room includes a staircase to additional seating overlooking the restaurant.

Touches of sea blue decor and oceanic wildlife paintings created by local artists line the walls. A painting of Chef Randall Baldwin’s mother in the kitchen anchors the room, and another painting of his mother, made by a local artist, overlooks the staircase. Silver dishes from her kitchen and vintage Southern Living cookbooks are on display adjacent to the private dining room as further homage to her importance in the chef’s story. ;

Chef Randall, owner and executive chef, opened Vintage 2298 in October of 2022 from the inspiration that his mother, Nancy Baldwin, provided for cooking and her passions in the kitchen that later turned into his own. During your time dining at Vintage 2298, you will experience what it means when Southern comfort meets contemporary cuisine. “This is my dream, but I always did it for my mom," said Chef Randall. "She invested everything into me. Everything you see here is kind of revolving around her to give her respect and because without her, I wouldn't be here."

Get a taste of the gulf coast when you indulge in menu items such as trout, red snapper, flounder, or gulf shrimp. Bring it back to Alabama with a variety of uniquely prepared meats like prime beef short ribs, Frenched pork chop, or the skillet seared ribeye. The menu changes very frequently depending on the fresh flavors of the season, and you can always find the latest updates on their website.

“You’ll find the cuisine is a lot of things that I grew up eating with my mom as a kid and a lot of coastal cuisine because that's where much of my influence comes from,” said Chef Randall. 

Outdoor dining is available on two levels, and the restaurant also features a private dining room. Located in a wine cellar room and with six table settings at the ready, simply call ahead for reservations. Vintage 2298 is located at 2298 East University Drive in Auburn Click here to learn more.

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