Pepper Place Saturday Market

One warm Saturday morning, last year, my mom and I went to Pepper Place Saturday Market. Pepper Place is located in Downtown Birmingham and the outdoor market offers all types of fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, arts, crafts, music, food, and drinks. Vendors come from all over the state of Alabama to participate in this event which takes place from 7:00am until 12:00pm every Saturday from May 15 – October 9, 2010.

Each week the market has a different local chef  do a cooking presentation for the spectators. This week chef David Cross from Zea Rotisserie & Grill will be preparing two of the restaurant’s specialties-roasted corn grits, and Thai ribs. His cooking demonstration will begin at 9:00am on the chef’s stage and it will last for about an hour.

When I attended this event, I no longer felt like I was in Birmingham; I felt like I was walking at an outdoor market somewhere in California. If you attend this event, your imagination will also probably roam and take you to a place outside of Alabama, which is not a bad thing! Remember that the Pepper Place Saturday Market occurs every weekend, so if you can’t make it this week, there is always next week!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

http://www.pepperplacemarket.com/

http://www.zearestaurants.com/site.php

New Spicy Chicken Sandwich @ Chick-Fil-A

Guess what ya’ll! Chick-Fil-A is coming out with a new sandwich and it will be called the “Spicy Chicken Sandwich”, I’m sure that it will taste good. I can’t wait to try this new creation because it is the first time that the restaurant has added something new to the menu, in years. The sandwich will be available in stores starting on June 7, 2010. Once the sandwich comes out and you try it, I would love for ya’ll to post comments about it on this entry. Trust me, I will!

Also, I found a special opportunity that allows you to be one of the first people to try the sandwich for free. Below is the link to the website where you can make a reservation for your free “Spicy Chicken Sandwich”. Chick-Fil-A will start taking reservations on Monday, May 24, 2010 until June 5, 2010. I will make my reservation Monday, I can’t wait!

http://www.getspicychicken.com/

Pita Loco: A meal on the go

Today was a busy day, so after City Council meeting I ran to get lunch at Pita Loco, in Downtown Birmingham. Parking was simple because I parked in a deck next to the restaurant. It is a small Mediterranean restaurant that was filled with people eating inside and outside. The menu makes up for the size of the restaurant, because it has many food items to choose from. I don’t know how they make all that food in that small kitchen, lol! The food ranges from Mediterranean dishes, seafood, and classic American cuisine.

I decided to order the Balsamic Chicken with rice pilaf, broccoli, salad, and several pieces of pita bread. Normally, the meal comes with garlic bread, but apparently they ran out today. I loved the chicken because it was marinated in balsamic vinaigrette, grilled, and served with grilled vegetables on top. This meal included a drink, consisted of large portions and was under $9, what a good quality deal!

This is a great place to go, if you are Downtown and in a hurry!

New Restaurant News!

Hey! I’m gonna try something new on here. Occasionally, I will start posting the names, websites, descriptions, and projected opening dates of new restaurants coming to the Birmingham area. By reading this, you will get the latest scoop before everyone else. So here goes:

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Location: 1801 Fourth Avenue South (near the University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Projected opening date: This Thursday (May 20, 2010)

http://www.moes.com/

Red Mango (Frozen Yogurt Shop)

Location: somewhere in Hoover

Projected opening date: Fall 2010

http://www.redmangousa.com/default.html

YogurtLab (Frozen Yogurt Shop)

Location: 633 Montgomery Highway (Across from Stein Mart in Vestavia Hills)

Projected opening date: May 2010

http://www.yogurtlab.blogspot.com/

Pinches Tacos (Fresh authentic Mexican dishes)

Location: Hallman Hill Development (Homewood)

Projected opening date: Late Summer 2010

http://www.pinchestacos.com/

Chuy’s (Fresh authentic Mexican food)

Location: The Summit, next to Flip Burger Boutique

Projected opening date: Summer 2010

http://www.chuys.com/

Over Easy (Breakfast and Lunch restaurant)

Location: Hollywood Development (Homewood)

Projected opening date: Late Summer 2010

Mexico Lindo (Mexican Food)

Location: Hollywood Development (Homewood)

Projected opening date: Late Summer 2010

Urban Cookhouse (Locally grown food with a Southern touch)

Location: Intersection of 18th Street South and 29th Avenue (Downtown Homewood)

Projected opening date: June 2010

http://www.urbancookhouse.com/

Zaxby’s

Location: Vestavia Hills (next to Wal Mart Grocery)

Projected opening date: Late Summer 2010

My visit to a world-renowned restaurant

Every since “The Bright Star” was recognized in 2010 by the James Beard Foundation as an American Classic Restaurant, I have been hearing people talk about it more, so I decided to try the food today.

It is located in the heart of downtown Bessemer, AL. I met my lunch buddy in the lobby, which is adorned with all of the awards they have received through the years. The host took us to our seat and we began to read the menu. It took me a minute to focus on the menu because I was trying to catch up with my friend. Anyway, the waitress brought our drinks and some bread as we continued to talk. The bread consisted of two rolls and two mini cornbread muffins; each of them were really good! I couldn’t decide whether to order the Greek Chicken or Fried Pork Chops with gravy, they both sounded good. However, I was not pleased with the variety of side items because many of them were starches. When it was time to order, the waitress convinced me to get the Pork Chops and my side items were creamed corn, squash, and Greek potatoes. My friend ordered the Flounder Almondine with turnip greens, broccoli & cheese, and Greek potatoes. And we both split the Fried Crab Claws, for an appetizer.

So here is the verdict: My food was ok. The Fried Pork Chop with gravy had too much fat on it, and I couldn’t see the fat because it was so much breading on it. The corn and squash were really good, I would definitely order those items again. My Greek potatoes were warm in some spots and cold in other spots. My friend says that her food was ok, as well. The Flounder Almondine was not anything special, she says that “If you like flounder you would like the dish”. Her side items were ok; the turnip greens were over cooked. However, we both agree that the Fried Crab Claws tasted excellent, despite the appearance of the batter in which they were prepared in. And the cocktail sauce that we dipped them in was very good.

Our waitress, BJ, was very nice and exemplified true customer service; she even shook our hands once she gave us the bill. I liked that a lot! Now I’m going to be honest, the restaurant did not meet my expectations with the food. But if I want excellent customer service I will just go there for drinks and possibly dessert. And if I ever go back here, I will definitely order something different.

To end our afternoon, my friend and I went to “Dreamcakes” in Homewood and had a variety of cupcakes. I had the “Chocolate Peanut Butter” cupcake and a “Oatmeal Creme Filled” cookie sandwich. She had the “Over the Moon” cupcake and a “Strawberry” cupcake. We decided to eat at the bakery, so we split our cupcakes with each other and had good convo. Wow, this afternoon was fun and pretty laid back!

http://www.thebrightstar.com/

http://www.dreamcakes-bakery.com/home.html

Destin (Part II)

The next morning we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. Then we went to the “Destin Commons” another outdoor mall. After this we went to “Grand Boulevard” in San Destin. This is where we bought the majority of our mother’s day presents. When we went into the J. Crew, we received the best customer service. Everyone was helping us and going over and beyond. So of course we bought a few things. Afterward, we went to the “Tommy Bahama Restaurant” too look at the menu and check out the store. I didn’t even now that Tommy Bahama had a restaurant until I saw it. Next, we went to the “Village at Baytowne Wharf” too walk around and look at the boats/yachts. Before we left, we saw condos that had open house signs, so we decided to check them out. For lunch we went to “Fudpucker’s”. It was so good! I had the bbq bacon cheeseburger with french fries. Once we ate we wanted to go look at the on-site mini alligator farm and guess what, I held a live alligator, the pic is below. Then we went to the gift shop and bought a few things.

When we left “Fudpucker’s” we went back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding at Henderson Beach. This was my first time going to a beach wedding and it was so beautiful. There were two other weddings happening at the same time. This was the wedding of one my college buddies and about 70 people attended. The reception was held in a pavilion, next to the beach. The food consisted of cheese, wine, crackers, fruit, mints, nuts, the bride’s cake, and the groom’s cake. We had so much fun and I wish the newlyweds the best! That night, we went to HarborWalk Village for a night of fun. Finally, we left early yesterday morning to return home for “Mother’s Day” to be with our mothers and family members!

What a fun time we had!

http://www.destincommons.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

http://www.grandboulevard.com/

http://www.baytownewharf.com/

http://www.fudtv.com/

http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Stores_Restaurants/Locator.jsp

http://www.harborwalkdestin.com/

Destin (Part I)

I had the best weekend at the beach with the guys! We left early Friday morning and took a nice break in Florala, AL, at the lake. Then we arrived in Destin, FL around noon. We checked into our hotel, put up our stuff and immediately went to “Silver Sands Outlet Mall”. This is one of the many shopping destinations in the area, and it has a variety of food offerings as well. I went there craving gelato from “San Gelato Cafe”. I had the mango and banana flavors. Carey had passion fruit and mango, and Stallworth had banana and vanilla. It was all good! So this is what we ate before we started our Mother’s Day shopping and our own personal shopping. For dinner we went to a restaurant called “The Back Porch”.

“The Back Porch” is on the beach, and it is literally a porch with a kitchen, bar, tables, and chairs. We had one of the best seats and here is a pic of the view.

However, the food and service was not as good as the view. All three of us ordered a salad to start off with. My friends both had ranch dressing which was too watered down. My honey mustard was good and the croutons were good. For my entree I got the pick two, so I wanted grilled Mahi Mahi and fried shrimp and the waiter told me that the chef would not cook this.(Pause, first of all he didn’t even ask the chef, to be sure. And I should have consulted with the manager at this time,but I didn’t, now moving on). His attitude and response kind of frustrated me, but I got both items fried as he said the chef would only prepare them. Everyone else was happy with their choices. Well, when the food came out I had this scrawny piece of greasy fried fish. The shrimp and hushpuppies looked good but I wasn’t going to pay and be happy with that little piece of fish. Everyone else had large pieces of fried fish that wasn’t dripping grease. So I told the waiter, and he told me “too bad, sorry” and walked off. My blood was boiling but I remained in control and asked another waiter to see the manager.

The manager was very nice and apologetic. I really liked her! She consulted with the chef and they grilled my Mahi Mahi and gave me freshly fried shrimp and hushpuppies. The food was good but I had to go through too much to get it right. Of course my friends were upset as well. So you can imagine what kind of tip we left the waiter.

After this experience, we relaxed by walking on the beach. When we left the beach, we went by Krispy Kreme and got donuts, went back to the hotel and sat at the jacuzzi and ate them. Then we went to bed because we were pooped!

http://www.silversandsoutlet.com/index.aspx

http://www.theback-porch.com/

J. Alexander’s

J. Alexander’s, outside of the Galleria Mall in Hoover, is a casual elegant restaurant. Every time that I go there it makes me feel like I’m at a ski lodge in Colorado because of the interior decor. The atmosphere is chic and the prices are very reasonable. I like the open kitchen concept because it allows you to see the chefs prepare your food.

Mom and I went here last night since it’s her favorite restaurant. I always order something different whenever I go, but recently I’ve been stuck on the “Mr. Jack’s Chicken Finger Platter” and the Caesar Salad, which is the best in Birmingham. However, last night I wanted something different and exotic. So I decided to get the “Thai Kai Salad” which is basically an Asian salad with crisp wontons, chopped peanuts, grilled chicken, a unique blend of lettuce, and a cilantro vinaigrette. Wow, this really did it for me, it was so good! It almost rivaled the “Luau Salad” that I get from the Cheesecake Factory. My mom got her favorite dish, the “Hyde Park” chicken sandwich and a baked potato. The sandwich consists of a specially seasoned piece of  grilled chicken on a grilled sourdough bun, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. She loves this!

After, this big meal the waitress tried to get us to have desert but we were just too full, as always. However, I’ve had the J. Alexander’s chocolate cake with a scoop of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream; wow it is a knock out! And recently people have been telling me that I should try the carrot cake from here, so that means next time I will only be coming here for desert so that I can enjoy every bite and not feel stuffed!

Now I’m off to Destin, Florida to enjoy a beach-side wedding, shopping,and good food. So be on the lookout for entries about my Destin culinary adventures!

http://www.jalexanders.com/index.htm