VINO

So I’m just getting in from the grand opening celebration at VINO in English Village (Mountain Brook), they specialize in Greek/Mediterranean/Italian cuisine. The atmosphere was fresh, funky, and modern, and I enjoyed every minute of my visit. There was a buffet that had a few food items from the menu, and one of my favorites were the Vino Apple Fritters, it tasted like a cinnamon roll with pieces of fresh apple, yummy! (There are also some brownie pieces in this pic covered in powdered sugar)

I also made reservations for dinner, and for my entree I ordered the Prime Ribeye Steak with brussel sprouts & butternut squash and skinny fries tossed in a hot sauce.

The two highlights for me were the Vino Apple Fritters and the skinny fries tossed in a hot sauce; the fries only had a hint of spice, not too much. I highly recommend this restaurant because you get tasty quality food and reasonable prices, considering the facade & location.

http://vinobirmingham.com/

Nabeel’s Cafe & Market

Nabeel’s Cafe serves Greek  & Mediterranean dishes. The restaurant is quaint and so cozy that it caused me to leave all of my distractions at the door; I was literally transplanted to a  country in Europe.

Next door to the restaurant, is a corner market that allows guests to buy Greek and Mediterranean groceries; such as meats, pastries, drinks, spices, and pre-cooked meals.

Upon our arrival, the owner took our jackets and sat us at a table next to the fire place; I felt so at home. Furthermore, this was the beginning of a “foodtastic” night that I wasn’t expecting!

Our Appetizers consisted of the following:

• Baked Feta Theologos: Feta seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, & Greek oregano, wrapped in foil and baked. Served with toasted homemade bread. The feta spread was presented in aluminum foil that was shaped like a swan.  The feta spread almost reminded me of a garlic spread, based on taste, not presentation. There is no way to confuse garlic spread with feta spread because of the different textures and the sharp taste of the feta cheese. I gave this dish two thumbs up!

• Bulgarian Roasted Peppers: Feta cheese with Kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of basil topped with Bulgarian roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes & sherry tomatoes. Served with Pita Wedges and homemade bread. This tomato and roasted red pepper mixture was good, I’m not used to eating anything like that. The feta served with this dish was milder, so I ate it with the chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers and pita bread; what an amazing combination of flavors that exploded in my mouth. The olives were a bit too salty for me, but thumbs up!

• Stuffed Grape Leaves with Feta Cheese:  Grape leaves stuffed with rice and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, with a side of Feta cheese. Served with Pita Wedges.Personally, I wasn’t a fan of this dish. The grape leaves had a poignant flavor that just didn’t agree with my palate. But I was told that this is one of the best selling dishes.

• Pasta Fagioli: Italian soup made with chicken & tomato broth, pasta, beans, & vegetables. Served with a homemade slice of bread. Mom ordered this dish, and she loves it because she gets it every time that we visit.

• Horiatiki (Peasant Greek Salad): A mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, Feta, Kalamata olives, Greek oregano & red onions. Served with homemade bread. Although delicious indeed, this salad is lettuce free. I never knew that I would enjoy a salad so much, that didn’t have lettuce in it. All of the vegetables were fresh and had a sweet tangy taste, from the housemade salad dressing.

(Entree & dessert mentioned in video below)

Our beverages consisted of the restaurant’s special iced mint tea, and it was so refreshing. It wasn’t too minty, but it kept my mouth feeling clean and yearning for more.

The following is based on a scale of 1-10: (1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest)

Ambiance: 9

Service: 10

Food: 9.5

The owner (John Krontiras) and the waiter (John) both gave us stellar service and their undivided attention. Thanks so much! Also, the cooks did an amazing job on everything. I had such a wonderful time; I think that I’ll go back this weekend!

http://www.nabeels.com/

A Taste of the Mediterranean in Homewood!

Last Saturday I ate dinner on the Mediterranean coast! Lol, not really, I ate at “DoDiYós”, a Mediterranean/Greek restaurant in Homewood (Soho Square), but it felt like I was in the country of Greece. “DoDiYós ” is a distinctive destination for fresh, seasonal flavors from every country that touches the Mediterranean Sea. You’ll find authentic Greek dishes as well as foods from Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East. One of the owners is George Sarris, who owns the “Seafood Market” in downtown Birmingham.

I met my friend Kellie for dinner. I arrived at the restaurant about 7:00pm and it was packed; luckily I found a parking spot near the front door. I wanted to do valet parking, but there seemed to be only one person working the valet booth, and he was parking another car. Anyway, I walked into the restaurant and did not expect to see what I saw. In the waiting area, there is a huge beige canopy that drapes from the ceiling and it resembles a tent. This is what divides the waiting area from the eating area.

A number of exotic colors, rich woods, handmade textiles, intriguing antiques and collectibles grace this unique restaurant that has a variety of seating. The whole feel of the interior of “DoDiYós” seems to have a Greek nautical theme. Also there is a lively tapas bar, a fresh market and even a small souk.

The market is pictured below, and here you can buy dishes off the menu “to go”, or you can buy an array of other Mediterranean foods.

The small souk is pictured below, and in this area you can buy a variety of Mediterranean spices and goods.

The hostess took me to the table, where Kellie was waiting on me.  And as we walked, I saw that the restaurant was filled with people.

Finally, I made it to the table and saw Kellie. Before we ordered food, we had to take a little bit of time to reminisce because we haven’t seen each other since May 2009. At this time, a waiter brought us some fresh baked bread and hummus with a side of olives. The “Hummus” consists of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, cayenne pepper, and olive oil. The bread was warm, soft, and good. The “hummus” had just the right amount of consistency and also a great taste; however, we didn’t eat that much of it.

Eventually, our waiter introduced himself and gave us a brief overview of the restaurant; he knew his stuff! We started off with drinks and appetizers. Kellie got the “Raspberry Mojito” and she fell in love with it. The raspberry and mint complimented each other very well she said.

And I got the “Lemon Basil Martini”. The fresh lemon juice wasn’t too sour, but was tangy enough, and there was just the right amount of basil in it. Oh, it was so good!

For an appetizer, we got the “Shrimp Saganaki”. It consisted of feta, fresh steamed shrimp with tomatoes, dill and kalamata olives. It was served on a tarnished brown platter with cubes of loaf bread. You are supposed to eat the bread and the “Shrimp Saganaki” together, but we couldn’t do that because it was the same bread that we had earlier, and we had enough of it already. This dish was authentically Greek, and I can’t compare it to anything American, but it was satisfactorily delicious.

After we ate the appetizer, the waiter took our entree orders. Since the entrees came with a salad, we ate that first. The salad consisted of your standard “Romaine Lettuce”, carrots, and a lite vinaigrette dressing. We could barely taste the vinegar in the salad dressing; however, we could taste the olive oil. Overall, the salad was ok.

Ok, here comes the big moment! The entrees eventually came out and we were both pleased with how our food was presented. Our entrees were covered when the waiters brought them out, and once they were placed in front of us, both waiters lifted the covers simultaneously. This act, definitely gave “DoDiYós” a plus in my book, lol!

Kellie and I ordered, the “Classic Moussaka”. It has layers of eggplant, potatoes, and ground beef beneath saltsa besamel. Ya’ll this dish was so good! The way that it looked, reminded me of lasagna, however, the taste was nowhere near lasagna. I could taste all of the ingredients, plus a nutmeg/cinnamon flavor. Words can’t describe how good this dish was! Kellie enjoyed this dish as well.

Now, ya’ll know that we had to get dessert! So we shared the “Frozen Summer Trio”. This dish allowed us to pick three flavors of sorbet, so we got the peach yogurt, strawberry wine, and lychee. All of the flavors were good, but my favorite was the strawberry wine. Kellie said that this flavor tasted “sexy”, and I must agree. I never had a dish that tasted “sexy” before, but this captured “sexy” in all of its forms. The way it looked, tasted, and the after taste was just pure “sexcellent”. It had the perfect blend of sweetness and wine flavor. I can’t explain anymore, just try it, lol!

“DoDiYós” really provided us with a wonderful unique Mediterranean dining experience. From the interior decor, customer service, food, and market offerings; overall everything was outstanding. This is the perfect place for those who have adventurous taste buds, and also for those whose taste buds are less adventurous. There is something on the menu for everyone and all of it encompasses the Mediterranean flavor. Oh did I mention that you won’t break the bank either!

http://www.dodiyos.com/index.php

http://www.sohosquare.info/

My New Experience at Zoës Kitchen

Sunday afternoon, mom and I went to “Zoës Kitchen” for our normal Sunday lunch. We went to the location in Hoover at “Patton Creek”. The restaurant serves Greek food that allows you to eat on the go, or in a modern, colorful, funky atmosphere. We wanted to eat on the patio, but the weather was so hot that we opted for a table inside.

I’ve eaten here numerous times, however, this time I wanted to order something new, including a new drink too; not sweet tea. So I decided to get the “Spinach Quesadilla” and it came with spinach, scallions, feta, and a side of salsa. To add my own twist, I added caramelized onions and grilled Greek chicken on the quesadilla. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I made an excellent decision because the taste was out of this world. Although, I was not a big fan of the scallions, I just won’t get those next time. My side item was a bowl of fruit and it was made up of pieces of pineapple, green apples, strawberries, oranges, and cantaloupe. I’m sad to say that none of the fruit was really sweet.

Mom enjoyed her food too! She had the “Chicken Roll-Ups” which I normally get. This dish consists of grilled tortillas, grilled chicken, feta, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, salsa, and a side. Her side item was the “Braised White Beans”. When I sampled the beans I could taste the distinct flavor of rosemary and this was a plus for me because I love rosemary. So that means next time I’m definitely going to order the beans!

Oh, by the way the drink that I ordered was the “Homemade Limeade” which had an equal blend of tartness and sweetness; it was very good! To sum it up, I’m glad that I went here with an open mind to try something new because I was very proud of my new choices.

http://www.zoeskitchen.com/

Lebanese Food Festival

After all of my meetings today, I met a friend for lunch at the 12th Annual Lebanese Food and Cultural Festival at St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church. This is a great cultural experience that occurs once a year, and I try to attend every year. The food and festivities all represent the Lebanese culture. It is free to attend, you just pay for the food; they only accept cash.

When you walk into the church gymnasium there are a variety of tables set up with different foods, such as deserts, drinks, breads, and the main food. The main food consists of kibbi, chicken and a few other exotic items. I ordered the greek chicken and my friend ordered the kibbi. Both plates came with rice, greek green beans, greek salad and pita bread. The average price is $13.00 for a plate, not bad for what all you get! We also bought some Lebanese pastries. My all time favorite is the “wedding cookie” covered in powdered sugar.

You must attend this event with an open mind because there is no American food, and that’s one of the reasons why I like it. I enjoyed all of my food and my friend enjoyed hers although she wasn’t a fan of the kibbe, but at least she had an open mind to try it. If you attend the festival later in the day, you will be treated to a live band playing Lebanese music, people performing the native dances of Lebanon, church tours, and many other exciting things.

If I had to rate this festival, I would give it a 9.5 because the people are friendly, it promotes culture, and they spend a lot of time preparing for it. I recommend that you all go and experience this exotic and ethnic side of Birmingham!