One of my new favorite lunch spots: Edgar’s Bakery

When you hear Edgar’s Bakery you probably think of their popular Strawberry or Caramel cake! But I think of how its become one of my new favorite lunch spots. The atmosphere is cozy, prices reasonable, and the sandwiches are delicious; and to make it easier, there are several locations around town for you to visit.

The first time I went there for lunch, I ordered The “T” Bird which consists of Hickory smoked turkey, mozzarella cheese, Applewood-smoked bacon, leaf lettuce & ripe tomatoes on a scratch made and toasted challah bread. And it comes with two sides, all for $6.95 plus tax. My sides were fresh fruit and potato chips. I really enjoyed the fresh sweet taste of the challah bread.

Last week, I ordered the Cranapple Jack which consists of Hickory smoked turkey, Applewood smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, sweet apple butter & leaf lettuce on cranberry walnut bread. It also comes with two sides, all for $7.45 plus tax. This time my sides were pasta salad and fresh fruit. I was in the mood for a toasted sandwich so I asked the cook to toast the cranberry walnut bread and I think it made the sandwich taste even better. This is my favorite sandwich and I want it again, I might even go back this week to get it lol. I would also order the pasta salad again.

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of Edgar’s cakes but they have plenty of them for you to choose from. Anyway, definitely stop by Edgar’s Bakery for a wholesome tasty lunch, and a plethora of other options for dessert.

Todd English P.U.B. comes to Birmingham!

I’m so thrilled that Birmingham is adding to its already “delicious” foodie scene! Todd English P.U.B. will be opening next week (Thursday February 14, 2013) inside of the new Westin Hotel at the Uptown Entertainment District.

William Todd English is a celebrity chef, restauranteur, author, entrepreneur, and television personality.

This pub themed restaurant specializes in American comfort foods and creative delicacies with an English twist, and of course since we live in the South, there will be a Southern twist as well. Highlights from the menu include a raw seafood bar, a variety of pot pies, burgers, salads, pickled foods, fish & chips, and over 60 beers on tap (including some local favs). And I wouldn’t be surprised if they added fried chicken for us Southerners lol!

For some reason, I feel that Todd English P.U.B. will resemble the television sitcom Cheers, lol idk but I do know that I will be there to see if this is true and to taste the food, of course. I’m so looking forward to everything about this restaurant and the strong impact that it will have on this great city of Birmingham.

Stay tuned for my review on the restaurant!

Makarios in Five Points South

On a warm autumn night I was sitting on the patio of Makarios Kabob & Grill enjoying the company of friends and trying to enjoy the exotic flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine. There were a diverse array of customers, many whom were of Middle Eastern descent, so that led me to think that this place must have authentic Middle Eastern food.

Since the waitress said they are known for their smoothies, I decided to order the strawberry banana flavor. It was very good after I added a small packet of sugar; next time I’ll just tell them to make it extra sweet. After pondering over the menu and asking the waitress for English translations, we were ready to order. I had the Chicken Shawarma which was charbroiled marinated chicken wrapped in pita bread with garlic sauce & pickles. I only took two bites of this and didn’t like it because the flavor of the garlic sauce overpowered the flavors of everything else. I also ordered a side of grilled vegetables which were very tasty. FYI: Someone else ordered the Chicken Shawarma and they enjoyed it because they asked for the garlic sauce on the side.

The only big hit, in my opinion, was the Makarios Salad; lettuce, olives, beets, feta cheese, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, & fresh dill mixed with homemade dressing. It looked like coleslaw but tasted nothing like it. If I go back, this is what I will order.

One of my other friends got the Fried Kibba, fried lamb, and she seemed to enjoy it.

And another friend got the Shawarma Plate; marinated chicken, lamb kabob, and rice. She also didn’t have any complaints.

Makarios has a unique festive atmosphere, reasonable prices, and good customer service, but this is no place that I must flock back to soon! Try it out and let me know what you think.

SteelCityPops: A popsicle oasis

SteelCityPops is one of the best things that just happened to the Birmingham area. This popsicle paradise is located near downtown Homewood in a newly revamped shopping center. On this hot day I needed to taste something cold, so I decided to pay this shop a visit. Once I walked in I felt right at home, I saw someone that I knew and she recommended that I try the kiwi (kiwi, lime, organic cane sugar, water) or the blackberry (blackberry, lemon, organic cane sugar, water) popsicle. However, I was in the mood for banana (banana, Mexican cinnamon, lemon, organic cane sugar, organic milk, cream) so this is what I got and it was so flavorful, the taste of banana and cinnamon really did something for my palate, yum!

Just so you know, SteelCityPops has over 2o flavors of popsicles, but they don’t offer all of their flavors everyday, so be on the lookout for your favorites. They offer two kinds of popsicle bases fruity and creamy. The pops are $2.75 a piece. And if you’re thirsty, they sell Provid Water and 100% of the profits from the sales support the building of clean water wells in Africa and India.

I think I just discovered my new summer hangout!

Southern Italian Flare in Birmingham!

Recently I met some local foodies at Bettola Restaurant, which is located at Pepper Place in the Lakeview District. This quaint, dynamic, & eclectic eatery serves up authentic Southern Italian food. Several of their classic dishes include the signature Neopolitan pizzas that are cooked in a wood-fired Neapolitan pizza oven— which was handcrafted in Naples, Italy and shipped to Birmingham. This oven is capable of cooking a pizza in 90 seconds.

This was my first visit to Bettola and I had no idea what to expect, but let’s just say that I’m so glad that I visited. Upon arriving to dinner, I saw my guests sitting on the outdoor patio and I began to greet each and every one. And as we slowly began to trickle in, the atmosphere seemed to liven up and greatness was being created. On this warm evening, I met a diverse group of people that seemed to be a wonderful reflection of this great city and community of Birmingham. More specifically, my large party consisted of people of different races, ages, occupations, perspectives, and many more various characteristics. Earlier in the day, I was wondering how would I get all of these people to converse amongst each other because I thought that these various differences would be a hindrance, however, I was completely wrong. The conversation just flowed throughout the entire night.

I was amazed to see that the restaurant had assigned just one waitress to take care of 14 people, but she did an amazing job. Our experience was truly personalized by the restaurant and the customer service that we received rivaled that of many others. Everyone started out with drinks, homemade bread & marinated olives (contain pits/seeds). Not long after, the staff surprised us and brought out complementary antipasti’s for the entire table. These antipasti’s included a calamari dish, prepared by the owner especially for us; it consisted of squid, arugula, garbanzo beans, and thinly sliced ginger. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish, but a few other people felt differently about it.

The next antipasti was served to us on a long wooden board, which had prosciutto, capicola ham, house sausage, salame mostrano (salami), two special types of cheese, pickled vegetables, & dried apricots in a housemade glaze. Everyone loved at least one thing from this special dish.

After enjoying the drinks and antipasti’s, I discovered that this was going to be a long night because I still had to order an entree and a dessert, but I definitely wasn’t complaining. For an entree I ordered the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese (pasta) which was made with House-Made Tagliatelle Pasta, Ragu Bolognese, Two-Year Aged Parmigiano Reggiano. This dish was delicious and filling; I would order it again.

Everyone else ordered a variety of dishes, but the main dish that our group ordered were the variety of signature pizzas. For example, here is the Quattro Stagioni which is made with Cotto Ham, Artichokes, Mushrooms, Black Olives.

Not everyone got a dessert, but I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity. So I got the Torta di Mandorle which consisted of Burnt Butter-Vanilla-Almond Cake, Mascarpone Cream, Toasted Almonds. It was scrumptious but there was no way that I could eat it all. The cake was moist on the inside and had a wonderful vanilla almond flavor.

The lady sitting next to me ordered the Torta Cioccolata Warm Truffle Chocolate Baked in Toasted Almond Tart, Espresso Gelato, Toasted Almonds. She really enjoyed this dish and I sampled it; it was good but I’m not a big fan of coffee flavored ice cream and it was really rich.

Overall our entire restaurant experience was phenomenal and I can’t wait to return. The owner and chef James Lewis has definitely created a gem. The prices range from $15-$25 per entree. So I encourage you to visit Bettola Restaurant and sample the authentic flavors of Southern Italy, without even having to leave Birmingham. Grazie!

A dining experience that no one should experience

So I walked in and was greeted by the hostess. She was very friendly and seated me in a booth with no light, I asked to be moved to another booth that had light and she did that with no problem. Like 2 minutes later, my guest came in and sat down with me and we began to look at the menu and talk about what we would possibly order.

5 minutes went by and no waiter had taken our drink order or even acknowledged our presence, 10 minutes went by, 15 minutes went by and waiters are serving other tables around us but we are still sitting there parched and wondering what is going on (btw it wasn’t crowded). Eventually, it’s been 20 minutes since we arrived and none of the waiters had interacted with us. My guest goes to tell the manager about what is going on, and he comes to the table and is apologetic but it doesn’t seem to be sincere. He takes our drink orders and has a waiter bring them out to us immediately. The waiter doesn’t speak or offer any interaction with us, he just puts the drinks down and asks us if we are ready to order.

My guest and I looked at each other because we both knew that something was awkward, the waiter was trying to be nice but wasn’t plausible with it and definitely not sincere. We told him that we didn’t like the way we had been neglected and we didn’t appreciate the attitude that he had, and we got up and left. On our way out, the manager looked at us and didn’t even ask “why we were leaving”, he just did a quick glance and pretended not to see us.

MAYBE I’M ASKING TOO MUCH, BUT THIS IS NOT HOW CUSTOMERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED!

I’ve eaten at this particular restaurant in the Summit, which is known for their authentic pizzas, many many times and only had a problem once; the manager did compensate us for that particular issue. But this incident takes the cake, of all of the dining experiences that I’ve had, I’ve never felt like a second class degraded citizen like I did tonight. I don’t plan on returning until the management has been revamped.

On the other hand, I’d like to thank J. Alexanders and our awesome waitress for revamping the night and serving us delicious food with awesome customer service. You’re awesome Carlee!

El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar

El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar is currently a “happenin” spot, in downtown Birmingham, that serves authentic multi-regional Mexican cuisine! I recently dined there on a Friday night and the crowd spilled onto the sidewalk; fortunately, I beat the crowd and didn’t have to wait. This restaurante is not that big, but large enough. The atmosphere and food are so vibrant and authentic that it leaves people wishing the space was a bit larger. Anyway, my large party and I sat in the front of the restaurant in what I call the “lounge/appetizer” area.

We ordered appetizers and drinks first. I had the fresh tortilla chips, guacamole, and the El Barrio Margarita. All of this was delicious! The chips were crispy & hot with just the right amount of salt, the guacamole was of the perfect consistency. The signature margarita was ok, but I really enjoyed the Grapefruit Margarita with extra simple syrup, the best.

For my entree I had the Roasted Chile Relleno which consisted of a poblano pepper stuffed with black beans, cactus, monterey jack cheese & roasted garlic cream; all served over a bed of Spanish rice. Even though this dish didn’t consist of any meat, it was exceptional. I will definitely be ordering it again.

The prices were reasonable and the customer service that we received was excellent, despite the large crowd. The only issue I had was finding a parking space. Furthermore, El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar brings somewhat of a new flavor and vibe to the city of Birmingham and I definitely recommend that you give it a try!

MIX is at it again!

So not too long ago I met & had lunch with, Jan, the Event Planner for “MIX”, a bakery and deli in the heart of downtown Birmingham. We had a great conversation over one of the newest additions to the menu; the hamburger sliders.

This special comes with two hamburger sliders & the signature chips. These delicious sliders can be eaten in about three bites.  They are made up of 100% 8 oz. Grass Fed Burger with Mushroom Ragout- Wright’s Dairy Cheese-Lettuce, Tomato, & Onion served on our MIX soft billowy burger roll (made in house) @  $10! The buns were toasted, which is a plus in my book.

The signature chips consisted of sweet potato, potato, & beet chips. All of them were yummy and added a special health conscious approach to this menu item. My favorites were the beet chips…….so delicious!

Next time you’re in the area swing by “MIX” & try these classic hamburger sliders.

SLICE is at it again!

Slice Pizza & Brew is at it again!! They have a new appetizer for a limited time only. The Burrata Caprese Salad will be offered while ingredients last. The artisan cheese used in the salad, burrata, is a unique and seasonal mozzarella cheese that is available only during certain times of the year and shipped in from Vermont. As you cut into the firm outer layer, the smooth filling of mozzarella and cream slowly melt onto your plate providing your taste buds with a rich buttery flavor. The burrata cheese is paired with tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette on top to create the flawless taste of the Burrata Caprese Salad.

http://www.slicebirmingham.com/

My Food Journal From Texas!

I just got back from the Dallas- Fort Worth area and I had a fun trip that was filled with tasty culinary adventures. Here are a few of the restaurants that I visited:

Friday

• ZuRoma (North Richland Hills)

This restaurant was located in an ice skating rink, but it wasn’t anything cheap. We didn’t really like our appetizer, the “Toasted Ravioli”, but we did enjoy our pizza. We ordered two pizzas, the “Supreme” and the “Hite’s Cabin Special”. My favorite was the “Supreme”.

http://www.zuroma.net/

Saturday

• Everything German (Bedford)

This was a quaint German restaurant that played live German music. My friend, Jaxson who is part German, says that it is true authentic German food and I must admit that it was one of the few times that I have actually enjoyed German food. We ordered a German sampler plate that consisted of sausages, pork chop, sauerkraut, cabbage, German noodles, and a few other items. The food and experience were both so awesome!

Sunday

• Mercado Juarez

Since I was in Texas, I figured that I had to get some “real” Mexican food. Upon our arrival, the waitress brought nachos and salsa to the table and it was my first time ever having warm salsa with nachos. I must admit that it was good. She also brought out soft flour tortillas with butter and we were supposed to eat that with the nachos; I’ve never had that at any Mexican restaurant in Birmingham. For my entree I ordered a “Steak Fajita” and honestly, it wasn’t all that.

http://www.mercadojuarez.com/

• Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

This is a popular seafood restaurant chain that I’ve always wanted to visit. I was told that it’s normally crowded, but the night we went there was no wait. We ordered the “Pappadeaux Platter” that consisted of  fried catfish, fried shrimp, fried crawfish, stuffed crab, and fried crab cakes. This was a lot of fresh seafood that had the usual fried food taste, but it was still good.

http://www.pappadeaux.com/home/