“Silvertron Cafe” is a Birmingham icon, that has been around for many years. The current owner, Marco Morosini, took over the restaurant in 2007 and made only a few changes to the menu. Marco is from Italy, and has lived in San Francisco, California; Panama City, Florida; and Birmingham, Alabama. He has had plenty of experience in the restaurant business, therefore, he brings that expertise with him to “Silvertron Cafe”.
The restaurant is located in the Forest Park neighborhood, which is an area filled with charm, prestige, and a bohemian flair. We arrived here about 7:30pm; parking was not a problem. The restaurant was not too busy at all, so the hostess immediately took us to a corner table that overlooked the restaurant, and Clairmont Avenue.
Upon sitting down, I couldn’t help but notice the 1920′s character of the interior space. This is funny, but I felt like I had been transported back 80 decades because the furniture, lighting, and decor all reflected an era from decades long ago.
“Silvertron Cafe” seems to be the neighborhood spot, to unwind with a glass of wine and catch up with your friends. They have an extensive menu that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also have special menus such as, Sunday Brunch, Monday Night Pasta, and Tex-Mex Tuesdays. The prices are very affordable.
If the walls at “Silvertron Cafe” could talk, they would have much to say. Today, these same walls hold pictures of the past and present. The current pictures come from local artists that are affiliated with the Naked Art Gallery, next door.
Right after we sat down, the waiter came to take our drink orders, and to explain the Birmingham Restaurant Week menu. I couldn’t decide what to get, so I let the waiter choose for me. Here are the three courses that we ordered:
First Course: Mini spinach salad (Tossed in warm bacon vinaigrette, topped with candied pecans, mushrooms and fried goat cheese)
The presentation of the spinach salad was awesome. I forgot to tell them no mushrooms, but that was no big deal because I picked them off. Upon tasting this salad, I became confused because I didn’t know if I was tasting an actual “bacon vinaigrette” or “bacon grease”; and that just turned me off. Personally, I think a dish like this would be better with cooked spinach because part of the spinach, on my plate, was cooked by the heat of the warm “bacon vinaigrette” and the other part of the spinach was just cold. I didn’t like that combination. Also I think the dish would’ve been better if there were a sweet taste to compliment the bacon taste. This dish also came with two pieces of fried goat cheese, which is an acquired taste but I did like it
I did not eat all of this, and my mom didn’t like it either.
Second Course: Grilled Mahi Mahi served over garlic mashed potatoes with sauteed mushrooms. Topped with a rosemary mayo.
The presentation of this entree was so blah! And that is exactly how this dish tasted, blah. My garlic mashed potatoes were served luke-warm and I could hardly taste any garlic. I do agree that everyone doesn’t enjoy a large garlic punch, in their potatoes, but I feel that there should at least be enough garlic in the potatoes to call them “garlic mashed potatoes”. Next, the Mahi Mahi tasted like it was barely seasoned, even though it appeared to have seasonings on it. However, I did like the wood-grilled, smokey taste that it had.
I sent this dish back; at this time the waiter got the manager to come check on us.
Third Course: Apple-walnut crisp topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel. We also had the White chocolate bread pudding, topped with whipped cream and raspberry sauce
The “crisp” part of the Apple-walnut crisp, was burned and had a burned taste. When this dessert came out, is the same time the manager came over to our table. I briefly explained to him that I just didn’t care too much for the food, and he was very understanding. He said that maybe, the cooks didn’t mix up the salad dressing correctly; and he wanted my opinion on what other seasonings he could add to the Mahi Mahi, to make it better. For dessert, Marco ordered the “White Chocolate Bread Pudding” for me to try. This is “Silvertron’s” signature dessert, and it was ranked as the 4th Best Dessert in Birmingham.
The “White Chocolate Bread Pudding” was the highlight of my night. Ya’ll, this was served warm and it tasted exceptional. I feel that Marco was determined to see me pleased before I left. In my opinion, Marco is the epitome of a great manager and restaurant owner!
The customer service at “Silvertron Cafe” is amazing. They are very personable, and they really care about making your experience the best. Even though I didn’t enjoy the majority of the food that I ordered, I did enjoy my experience. Therefore, I will visit again, and I recommend that you give this place a try because there is a whole lot more on the menu, and even though I consider myself to have a neutral palate, you might like the stuff that I don’t like!
FYI: I’ve gone back to Silvertron Cafe since this incident, and my food was absolutely delicious.
http://bhamrestaurantweek.com/
