Classic Italian at “GianMarco’s”

Classic Italian food, in an intimate setting. This is what I experienced at GianMarco’s, when I had two special friends visit Birmingham. They wanted to try a local Italian restaurant, not a chain restaurant, and this was one of the first places that I thought of.

GianMarco’s is located in the neighborhood of Edgewood (near Homewood).

The interior almost reminds me of a “classic mob scene” in New York, specifically the movie “The Godfather”. However, a more modernized version. It’s a white table-cloth restaurant, but yet the atmosphere is casual. The expansive bar is in the small half of the restaurant, and the dining room is in the large half. All of the seats, in the dining room, allow patrons to view the cooks preparing meals in the kitchen.

I was the first person to arrive at our dinner, at GianMarco’s. The host took me to our table, which was in the middle of the restaurant; allowing me to see everyone and everything. Not long after I sat down, our waiter came over and placed a black cloth napkin in my lap, and asked me what I wanted to drink. Despite being at a fine Italian restaurant, I wanted an alcoholic beverage other than wine, something classy & unique, but I didn’t see anything on the menu. So the waiter had the bartender make me a special drink called a “Washington Apple”.

It reminded me of a “Sour Apple Martini” except it was red in color, and had more of a fruity/apple taste. I really enjoyed it, and the waiter made me feel extra special; this definitely gave him some points in my book.

Eventually my friends, from Auburn & Huntsville, arrived. The waiter placed the black cloth napkins in their laps as well, and took their drink orders. When he came back with the drinks, he brought a basket of freshly made warm Italian Bread, a vase of olive oil, and a bowl of salt.

We put a little olive oil on a plate, and sprinkled salt & pepper in the olive oil. This became the dip for our Italian Bread. We enjoyed dipping our fresh bread in this mixture.

Next the waiter took our antipasti (appetizer) and entree orders.

For an antipasti, we ordered the Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Parmesan, basil and crostini.

The dip was served warm, and the crostini (bread chips) were crunchy & salty. I enjoyed the subtle garlic taste of the dip, and I’m glad that it wasn’t filled with too many artichokes; I’m not a big fan of them.

After catching up with each others lives, it was time for our entrees to come out. My friend Katherine, ordered the “RIGATONI AI QUATTRO FORMAGGI asiago, fontina, gorgonzola and mozzarella; simmered in cream with prosciutto and fresh sage .”

She said this dish, itself, was worth the drive to Birmingham. I was so pleased to hear that excellent complement.

Her mom had the “LINGUINE CLAM SAUCE littleneck clams steamed in garlic, evo, white wine and Red chili flake finished with parsley and basil .”

She really enjoyed this dish. Furthermore, she said that his was some of the best Italian food that she has ever eaten.

I kept it simple and ordered the “FETTUCCINE ALFREDO with Shrimp”. I wasn’t in the mood for anything too complicated.

This entree was so delicious, the Alfredo sauce was extremely creamy, the noodles seemed to almost be homemade because of their tender/yet soft texture. And even though there weren’t too many shrimp in this particular dish, they were large enough to make up for the lack of; these shrimp were freshly caught from the Gulf of Mexico. I’m also pleased to say that this whole dish was seasoned to perfection, allowing me to enjoy every minute of it. Even though this was a trite dish, it definitely didn’t have a trite taste. For a special touch, I had the waiter add some fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Since we were all satisfied with our entrees, we wanted to get dessert but we were each too full to order one per self. So we shared the “APPLE CROSTATA WITH CINNAMON GELATO AND CARMEL.”

It was “bellisimo” at its finest! This was a perfect twist to the standard apple pie with vanilla ice cream. The dessert was served warm with cinnamon gelato on the top and caramel drizzled all over. I must admit that it was really sweet, but we enjoyed every bite.

GianMarco’s was the perfect destination for my out-of-town guests; they enjoyed the ambiance, the impeccable customer service, and the succulent food. I would say that the price point is moderate to expensive, however, what we had was well worth every penny. And if you plan on visiting,  please make reservations ahead of time.

http://www.birminghamrestaurants.com/guide.asp?action=menu&rid=142197

The H Bar is Happening!

I went to another event at the Hotel Highland Conference Center this week, and after the meeting, my god-father and I were hungry and not sure where to eat. Then I remembered that the H Bar, which is located inside of the Hotel Highland, had a special menu for Birmingham Restaurant Week; so we decided to try it out.

The H-Bar reminds me of a small lounge. It has an ambiance that is appealing, with its relaxed setting of vibrant colored sofas and contemporary lighting, it is the hip place for the cool and sophisticated at heart. The bar is loaded with a variety of alcohol, everything from the ingredients needed to make their signature martinis, to the best imported brews. The H Bar has live music every day except for Sundays. The night we went, the Shaun Pezant Trio was the live act. They are a neo-soul band who performs jazz and r&B music.

The Birmingham Urban League was having a networking event at the same time we visited the H Bar. There were plenty of people in this small space; however, I didn’t feel cramped. Maurice and I were fortunate enough to get one of the few tables available, so that we could eat dinner. This was also great because we got to network and eat at the same time, how awesome!

I started off with the Mandarin Orange signature martini. (Sorry I didn’t get a pic because I was too busy talking and forgot) It was a bit tart but very good; one of the main flavors that I tasted was orange juice. Maurice just wanted a glass of water.

Eventually, we ordered our entrees. Maurice got the Grilled Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Salad. I got the Grilled Pork Chops with French Fries ( I substituted the mashed potatoes).

The H Bar doesn’t have a kitchen attached to it, so the food is prepared downstairs in the hotel kitchen. Furthermore, once a customer places an order, a kitchen rep brings the food to the bar on a rolling cart. I’m happy to say that the food is wrapped in plastic, so germs and bugs can’t touch it!

All of our food came out at the same time. I would have preferred to eat my salad before the entree came out, but that’s ok because I just ate everything together.

All I can say is that the H Bar takes pork chops to a whole new level, they were baked and well seasoned. The french fries were fresh and crispy. I thought they would have been soggy because of the plastic wrap, however, they weren’t.

Maurice enjoyed the pork chop and salad as well, but he commented that his mashed potatoes were kind of cold.

Despite the salad issue and the cold mashed potatoes, both of us had excellent words to say about the H Bar. Our waitress and the staff took excellent care of us. We enjoyed great music, delicious food, and favorable customer service. What more can I ask for?

http://www.thehbar.com/

http://bhamrestaurantweek.com/

Dyron’s Low Country

This past Friday night, the “Dinner Club” went to “Dyron’s Low Country” in Mountain Brook for our monthly social. We had so much fun since we really don’t see each other until we go eat.  There were about 18 people in attendance and we filled up the front part of the restaurant. The staff at Dyron’s was very friendly and accommodated us in any way possible. I must say the customer service was excellent!

A few of the members ordered appetizers, here is one shown below:

Dyron’s is known for its “Grits Bar”, which means it has a variety of items that you can order with grits. For example, I ordered the “Shrimp & Grits”; this dish was very good, however, they didn’t give me a large portion. Many of the members complained about the small portions they received. The prices were a little above reasonable, and for that I expect a little more food on my plate. On the other hand, one of my friends ordered the maccaroni and cheese, as a side item, and he really enjoyed it. I sampled it and I must agree that it tasted very good! A lot of the group really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant but said the food really wasn’t anything amazing. If I had to rate this restaurant, I would give it a 7.5 for food and a 9.0 for customer service.

I encourage you to try this place and develop your own opinion about it!

http://www.dyronslowcountry.com/DyronsLowcountry.html

Chez Fon Fon: Best Hamburger in Bham

Chez Fon Fon brings a little touch of Paris to Five Points South. I went there with two other friends yesterday and we were enthralled with the ambiance and the food. When we first arrived, I did valet parking to ease my fears of not finding a parking space. Once we walked in, I felt like I was vacationing in Paris all over again. Everything from the design of the restaurant to the waiters style of dress, just screamed “Paris”!

We only had to wait about 15 minutes for a table so we sat at the bar and talked to a few tourists and the bartender. Before I knew it, it was time to sit down. Our waiter (pictured on the left) was from Italy and he explained the menu to us. Me and B were both prepared to order the tuna until the waiter said they didn’t have anymore. Now this was a turn off because everyone from the bartender, to the hostess, to the waiter told us to try the tuna and when we wanted it, they had run out. Anyway, B and I got the Parisian Hamburger with French Fries and Miss P got a Parisian Turkey Sandwich on a bed of lettuce. Words can’t describe how well seasoned and juicy the hamburger was. Just know that this hamburger is worth your visit. We were all pleased with our meals.

The atmosphere was so authentic, inviting and relaxing that we just sat there and talked for hours because we didn’t want to leave. However, when we left we vowed that we would return because the meal was worth every penny. We scored the restaurant on a scale of 1 to 10 and our score was an 8.8.

I feel that a true international foodie must go here because it allows you to escape the “Birmingham mindset” and to enjoy food, decor & service that resembles Paris, France!