Taste Buds

Casa Romero Mexican Restaurant

2019-11-01T22:33:00.001-05:00

I found authentic tacos in Goula! I had barbacoa, lengua and asada tacos at Casa Romero. These were so flavorful. The taco shells were not too thin that the filling falls out like others but not too thick either. I couldn't decide which was my favorite but I do plan to go back and get the barbacoa quesadilla if that gives you any clue.

There was salsa bar with four different salsa at different spice levels. I liked the creamy green and the chunky red mixed together the most. My favorite was the pickled vegetables especially the garlic and jalapeno.

The guacamole was chunky style just the way I like it. I got it spicy and it was perfectly seasoned. It was served with tostadas versus regular chips. I liked how substantial it was. You could pile up the guacamole without fear of it breaking.

Side note: the health inspector was picking up dinner for his family when I arrived. I think that's a good sign.

The menu is below.

Siam Thai Cuisine

2018-03-23T09:54:00.002-05:00

Siam Thai Cuisine brings new flair to an older shopping complex. It took over the spot once occupied by Peking on Hillcrest Road in Mobile. Peking was more known by many of the locals for their Thai cuisine versus Chinese so I had high hopes.

The first thing I ordered was Thai tea. If you haven't had it before, it's a black tea with spices, sweetened with condensed milk and sometimes topped with cream. I think most restaurants use sugar and milk instead of the condensed milk. I would imagine it would be more cost effective. In any case, I liked this version a lot more than I thought I would. It is not as sweet as some restaurants. You can taste the tea flavor.

I've always wondered about the orange color. Apparently, it was added to appeal to Western tastes, much like food coloring was added to boxed Mac and Cheese.

If you've been a reader of mine for any length of time (if you're new, WELCOME), you probably know I can not resist ordering an appetizer or in this case, an entree that I treated like an appetizer. Nam Sod is a salad make with minced chicken or pork. This dish has a unique freshness. There's limes, cilantro, ginger, fresh chilies, garlic and onions. Roasted peanuts add a nice crunchy texture to break up what could otherwise be a mushy dish.

My friend and I went for lunch. With our lunch specials, there was a choice for Tom ka and Tom yum soup as well as wontons or spring rolls. Tom kha kai soup has chicken, mushrooms and coconut milk. I love this soup and can eat bowls and bowls. I thought it could use more coconut milk but otherwise it was really good. Tom yum is a more sour soup. I think it was well. Tom kha kai is just my favorite. The fried wontons and spring rolls are as you expect them to be.

I don't know why but I also get the pad thai when I go to a new Thai restaurant. I judge them by how well they make the so-called national dish of Thailand. Siam Thai did not disappoint. There was a good meat to noodle ratio. The sauce was not too sweet. There was a good amount of spice to the whole she-bang. I did ask for a lime to squeeze over the top. I like my pad thai with just a bit more sour than tamarind provides. I thought the noodle could have been a little less cooked but that's a personally preference.

My friend got the crispy chicken. My friends know I write a food blog so they know I am going to ask for a tiny taste of their meal, especially if it's a new place. In this case, I was so focused on my pad thai I only had a bite of the crispy chicken. I liked it. There was good flavor. It wasn't dried out like some other places. There was plenty to fill you up too!

Overall, I was impressed by Siam Thai. The people are nice, the food is good and the prices are very reasonable. I have been back since my initial visit and I have not been disappointed. I do plan to try the sushi next although it's hard for me to cheat on Kai but sacrifices must be made.

Happy Dining, Friends!

Briquettes Steakhouse - Montlimar

2017-11-21T07:58:00.003-06:00

Briquettes Steakhouse opened its doors in 2013. It took me years to give it a go and I have been kicking myself ever since. I am a big supporter of local businesses and tend to avoid big chain restaurants when I can. I thought Briquettes was one but lo and behold, it's not. According to its Facebook page, it is locally owned and operated. From the food to the decor and the service, this place is top notch!

Rotisserie chicken nachos $8.99

I can never resist an appetizer when I go out. My brother and I like nachos in particular so this rotisserie chicken nachos is right up our alley. It is a plate of chips piled high with chicken, cheese sauce, jalapenos, black olives and salsa. there was supposed to be an avocado lime sauce on top but I couldn't taste it. The nachos came in at just $9 and I think it would be more than enough to serve as a meal for one. I liked that I had toppings left over when I got to the bottom on the plate instead of just nude chips. That in itself gets a double thumbs up!

During my first visit, I didn't know we get cheddar biscuits on the house. OMG. These were delicious. If I knew, I would not have ordered an appetizer. The biscuit was flaky and oh so flavorful. I would have asked for more but I decided I needed room for my actual meal.

Ribs with 2 sides $11.99

My brother could not decide what to get. Briquettes has a big menu, even for lunch. He settled on ribs with two sides. The sides were their steakhouse style mac and cheese and roasted red potatoes. The ribs were massive. I didn't have very much but I thought there was a good bite to the meat. It definitely not the fall off the rack but I don't think it's meant to be. I liked the barbecue sauce. It wasn't too sweet or too tangy. There was a good balance but nothing spectacular. The roasted potatoes were just roasted potatoes. Nothing really stuck out about it but that mac and cheese. It's so cheesy and flavorful. I particularly like the topping. It must have been bread crumbs and some Parmesan cheese because it gave it the saltiness it needed to really enhance everything.

Chopped Steak $11.99

The reason why I went to Briquettes was for the chopped steak. I was craving it bad that day and I didn't know who would have a decent one. I thought surely a steakhouse would have one. I was right. It's a nice big patty of meat smothered in a caramelized onion and mushroom gravy. My only gripe is the mashed potatoes I ordered to go with it was served on a separate plate. What's up with that? Everyone knows chopped steak and mashed potatoes go together. What else was I supposed to use to sop up all that delicious gravy? Instead, they put my sweet potato casserole on the same plate. Now that doesn't make any sense. The mashed potato was nice and fluffy. It really benefited from the slightly salty onion and mushroom gravy. The sweet potato casserole was just as it supposed to be. Delicious. I meant for it to be more of a dessert and it served its purpose.

I have gone back to Briquettes quite a few times since but unfortunately, can not track down the pictures. I thought I would touch on the lunch combos real quick though. It's a good selection for under $10. I had the Briquettes pasta and Caesar salad. At first, I scoffed at the portion size but when I was done, I was stuffed. The pasta had everything you could possibly want. There was rotisserie chicken and concecuh sausage all in a creamy sauce. It's a very good deal.

One of my favorite steakhouses is temporarily closed due to a fire. I was extremely surprised to see many of the same faces at Briquettes. Needless to say, service was great. I liked the pacing of the food. The waitress was informative and attentive.

To check out Briquette's menu, click here.

Bonus: Crown Royal Salted Caramel

2017-10-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

After weeks of searching, I finally got my hands on the limited edition Crown Royal Salted Caramel. I am not a whisky aficionado or even a heavy liquor drinker. I just thought I share what I thought since it's been hard to find in our neck of the woods. That way you can figure out if it's worth the search or pass.

First thing I was surprised about is the mouth feel. It's heavy like a real caramel based drink. I'm not talking about the syrup you get in most coffee shops but caramel sauce. Those drinks have a butteryness that comes from the actual butter used to make the sauce. It's also rich like a caramel sauce drink would be. There is a slight sweetness to it but I don't think it's as sweet as the vanilla or maple versions.

After sampling it over ice, I did add some ginger ale to my tumbler. The ratio was quite right so it was stronger than I like. I imagine it would be much more tasty if I mix it properly in a glass. I think this would be great in some coffee and a touch of cream. I also hear it's good mixed Rumchata. I guess another trip across the state line for a liquor run is in the future.

If anyone has ideas for mixed drinks using this, let me know!

Kai

2017-10-26T08:08:00.003-05:00

Sushi is one of my favorite foods. Done right, it can highlight the subtle differences of the fish and can even include layers and layers of flavor. I have my favorite sushi restaurants, one is Bonsai on Schillinger Road but the hours are wonky and the Japanese owners go home for months at a time. Another is Kai on Old Shell Road.

One of my favorite things to get is the Tuna Ball. Depending on what else I order, this could be an appetizer or the majority of my lunch. The inside is made of a krab salad, that's much like the topping of a typical volcano roll but without all the mayonnaise. The ball is then covered with spicy tuna, then several different fish eggs and some spicy mayo as well as eel sauce. It's like eating the top of some of your favorite rolls without the rice. I think that's why I like it so much.

It's not uncommon for my brother and I to order the Noah's Ark when we go to Kai for lunch. This is a huge amount of food for about $70. You get soup and salad, crab rangoon, three chef's rolls, sashimi and nigiri (chef's choice). You also get two flavors of mochi, which is a dessert. The Noah's Ark is definitely not for those who like cooked sushi rolls. There's a lot of raw stuff going on here.

Noah's Ark

All of the rolls that come with the Noah's Ark are good. There's a mix of cooked and raw. The payday roll is your deep fried roll. The other two, the tuna lovers roll and the red dragon roll, have mostly raw tuna on top or inside. As with any sushi rolls, the rice is an important factor for flavor and texture. I don't like to eat a lot of rice but Kai has some of the best I've ever tasted. The rice can elevate the more simple rolls to stellar levels. There are times I prefer the simpler combination of flavors in traditional rolls than in special rolls.

Sashimi Deluxe Combo $20

I feel like Kai has some of the freshest sashimi in town. I love all of them. In the Noah's Ark, there are 8 pieces of sashimi, which includes tuna, salmon, yellowtail tuna and white tuna. If I am not getting the Noah's Ark, I would get the Sashimi Deluxe Combo which has 12 pieces of the same fishes. The salmon is usually the best with its melt in your mouth texture. With the combo, you do get a little bit of seaweed salad with it.

California Deluxe Combo $15 and a Red Dragon Roll

One of the best thing about Kai are their nigiri. Nigiri is a small piece of rice with raw fish or other seafood on top. If you're getting any of the combos, it's usually chef's choice so whatever they feel like giving you. What I like is the slight twist that Kai has on the nigiri. For instance, the octopus nigiri is a pickled octopus instead of boiled like some of the other places I have tried. The shrimp, or ebie, also has a slight pickled flavor. The only one I have not liked is the egg nigiri. It's a cold piece of egg omelet on sushi rice. The bright orange eggs one, I think it's salmon roe, is one of my favorites. I have already mentioned the freshest of the fish for the sashimi and that also applies for the nigiri.

Have you ever had mochi ice cream? I just recently tried it and it was all thanks to Kai. It's a ball of sweeten, pounded sticky rice filled with ice cream. I can't even try to describe it to you. I do know I like it. Hey if you get the Noah's Ark, it's free so why not be adventurous and give it a try.

As you can tell, I do like Kai for its sushi. When it comes to the rest of the menu I'm not so sure. My friends have ordered some of the other dishes like the ton kat su. The meat has come out dry and so was the rice! My brother tried the ramen when they first introduced it. He was not impressed. We've talked about trying it out again but to be honest, I like the sushi too much to stray far.

If you're ordering sushi, you should be prepared for a bit of a wait especially when it comes to rolls. I have never seen more than two sushi chefs on duty. Most of the time there is just one chef. The service at lunch time is usually outstanding. I can't speak for dinner time. I have ordered take out then but not dine in.

If you would like to check out Kai's menu, check out their Facebook page.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop

2017-09-14T12:58:00.001-05:00

Fuzzy's claim to be my new taco addiction. No, really. It was right there on the sign promising me that very thing for months. After trying it out, I beg to differ. Full disclosure though, I did try Fuzzy's out on opening day. I am going to cut it some slack; however several of my friends have tried Fuzzy's and they have reported back that not much has changed.

My friend wanted to order chips and queso but I convinced her to try the chicken nachos instead. I thought it's basically the chips and queso amped up. I was right. It's comes one a huge plate with chips piled high. There was the chicken, pico and queso. I thought there wasn't much of the chicken or the queso. Once you through the top layer, there basically was just chips left. There's not even any salsa you can use for the rest of it. You are left with a pile of chips with nothing to eat with it. #Fail

Both my friend and I choose the Mexican dinner combo. You get your choice of one taco, one enchilada and two sides. I got the grilled fish taco and shrimp enchilada. For the sides, I got the cilantro lime rice and Latin fried potatoes. Out of all that, the only thing I liked was the enchilada. It was actually the only thing that had a good flavor!! The taco was so disappointing. It says it has the fish, shredded lettuce, garlic sauce and feta. It looks like it's all lettuce and that's all I could taste. I didn't even get any fish flavor! I thought the whole thing was rather bland. I thought it was just my taco but taking a look at my friend's grilled shrimp taco, it was the same story. Her shrimp taco looked just like mine and was according to her, just has bad. There's too much competition in town to settle for a bad taco. I would come back for the enchilada though.

Fuzzy's is a counter service place so it is suppose to be quick and easy. It WAS not. Again keep in mind, I did go on opening day so service could have improved since then. I thought the space was nice. It was open and airy. There's a nice outside area. There's big picnic tables lining the front of Fuzzy's that would be great for big groups. There's pretty lights strung up that may give it a nice ambiance at night. There are also corn hole boards that you can play and perhaps partake in a cold beverage. It makes sense since it is walking distance from the area's largest university. I know it opened in early 2017 and it's August. I kept saying to myself, I am going to give it another try before writing a blog. But to be honest, there's just too many places in town for good Mexican food. Every time I think of going out for Mexican food I have been going for a sure thing instead.

Wedgie's Gourmet Grilled Cheese - CLOSED

2017-09-04T07:21:00.003-05:00

Grilled cheese is comfort food to me, second only to pho. Now, there's a place to try this childhood staple in very adult ways. Classic, check. With fancy cheese, check. With fancy toppings, yup that too. Grilled chicken, brisket? Uh huh. Wedge's has it all.

Wedgie Dip

On my first visit, I got the Wedgie Dip along with Cole slaw and a pickle. It is braised brisket, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, blue cheese, Monterey Jack on French bread. Boy, was this sandwich bursting with meat! I guess this is their version of the French dip. I was suggest you try it plain and then lightly dip it in the au jus. I thought the sandwich was slightly bland but if you dunk it, it's too salty. A little goes a long way. I was also trying desperately to pick out the blue cheese flavor. You can't mistake the flavor and it just wasn't there for me. Overall though, I thought the sandwich was delicious.

I am quite impressed by the cole slaw. I was warned that it has turmeric in it but I was not deterred. I am glad I did. It was tart, slightly sweet. I think the sweet comes from pineapple but I'm not sure. It was light and refreshing. This is also one of the few places that do not have a mayonnaise based dressing. It balances out the richness of the sandwich very well.

On the next visit, I went with my brother. We always start our meals with an appetizer. There are several options but we went with the spinach and artichoke dip. It is served with toasted french bread that has been cut into sticks. Although good, it was your average spinach dip.

The Holy Grill

I went for Wedgie's version of the Reuben. They call it the "Holy Grill." It's corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut on rye bread with 1000 Island Dressing. I got potato salad this go around. If you like Reuben's sandwiches, you have to give this a go. It's just so good. There is a good deal more cheese than your traditional version but it balances out the corned beef well. The kraut gives it the tang that it's needs to break up the fattiness of the cheese and dressing, like any good Reuben. The potato salad was your average variety. Nothing special about it that I could taste. I was slightly disappointed considering the unique cole slaw. All sandwich combos do come with a dill pickle.

Magic Mushroom

For all of my vegetarian readers, Wedgie's have something for you too without sacrificing flavor. It's called the Magic Mushroom. It's grilled mushrooms, with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, swiss and gouda cheeses. I stole a bite and thought it was too cheesy. I know. I know. It is a grilled cheese place but I think there needs to be something to balance out the fattiness of the cheese. The fresh spinach helps but I found it wasn't quite enough.

Wedgie's is a counter service place. You order at the counter, get a number card, grab a seat and they'll bring it out to you. On my first vist, I went on a Friday right after the lunch rush and it was pretty slow. The workers were nice though. I had some questions and the cashier had no trouble pointing me to the right direction.

I really hope this place sticks around because getting to it is awful. It is located on Old Shell Road across from the Mitchell Center. If you're heading west, there is no place to turn in. You have to go up to make a U-turn. Same if you're coming out of the Mitchell Center parking lot. I can't deny that I have always thought twice about eating at the restaurant that was here because of that very reason.

To check out Wedgie's menu, click here to go to their website.

Mary's Southern Cooking

2017-08-19T23:20:00.004-05:00

There's a saying above the front door at Mary's Southern Cooking. It says "the smaller the place, the bigger the taste." In my food adventures, I have found that to be true and I have added Mary's to the list.

Mary's is a cafeteria-style, meat-and-three restaurant. It offers a selection of meats that range from fried fish to lasagna, pork chops and even chitterlings depending on the day. If you think the meat selection is big, the vegetable or the "three" portion is just as large. On this day, I saw everything from corn on the cob to stuffing to greens and mac and cheese.

I walked in the door and straight up bypassed the chalkboard menu near the door. I was drawn to all the food on display! I was surprised to be greeted by the owner, Mary Smith, herself. I like that the owner was working the line. If you are a regular reader, I have mentioned a time or two about my fondness for mom and pop shops. I love spending my money at local businesses. Ms. Mary (yes, I decided to add the Ms. It's the Southern in me) kindly explained how everything worked before she was called away.

I was torn between the seafood platter because the fried catfish looked so fresh and the lasagna. The lasagna was down to its last portion in the pan so I assume it was a popular item. I asked the lady dishing up the meats which she prefers. She unequivocally pointed me to the lasagna. I get a HUGE portion and two sides for about $10. It was the only thing on the menu that came with two sides. I chose the mac and cheese and boiled cabbage. I felt like both were southern staples that had to be done right for Mary's to live up to its name. First, the lasagna was delicious. There was layers upon layers of pasta, meat sauce and cheese. I'm not talking about little crumbles of meat either but nice big chunks! I thought the cheddar cheese was a nice change to mozzarella. The cheddar gave it a boost of flavor that the mozzarella lack. While there wasn't a red sauce running everywhere, the lasagna wasn't dry. There was a nice balance. The mac and cheese is some of the best I've ever had. I find most mac and cheese at restaurants to be too bland. I would usually have to add salt and pepper. This was not the case. There was plenty of both. If you don't like pepper though, this may not be for you. I also appreciated that the pasta was not too cooked either. This still had a bite to it. The boiled cabbage was good. It was sweeter than I expected but very buttery. I was immensely happy.

What is a trip to a southern restaurant without ordering fried chicken? My brother surely could not resist. He got a piece of dark meat and a piece of white, dressing, greens and mac and cheese. I sampled some of the chicken breast. The crust is very crunchy yet the meat was juicy. I would hazard a guess the chicken was brined to make sure it stayed moist. Is there such a thing as frying chicken in bacon fat? Because it sure tasted like this chicken was done in such a fashion. For some people, I can see the chicken being too salty but I liked it just fine. Let's address the sides. The dressing had a whole bunch of meat in it. I don't know if you can tell by the picture but oh boy, there was meat in every bite. It was just the way I liked it. It was moist and the gravy really takes it up another notch. The greens rival some of the best of them. You can taste the smokiness from the ham hock or neck bones. You may even get a little bite of it so I suggest you proceed with caution. Biting down wrong on a piece of ham hock could mean a chipped tooth. I could taste a hit of hot sauce. It wasn't so much that it overwhelmed the smokiness or even the taste of the actually greens but it gives a little something more. The greens were so good I think I ate half of my brother's. Oops.

Aside from your regular drink options like canned soft drinks, bottled water, sweet/unsweet tea - Mary's also serves a signature fruit punch. I think I may have unlocked the secret to the fruit punch though. I got a peek of the jug and it was labeled Kool-Aid. OH MY WORD. Could this infamous fruit punch really the same stuff as the Kool-Aid man? Now, I really want to try it out myself to see.

Mary's is a rather small restaurant but interestingly enough, there is a lot of seating. I think it could seat 30-40 people max. It's hot though, y'all. They had fans going and maybe even the a/c but I was "glowing." In case you didn't know, Southern ladies do not sweat. We glow. =)

One thing to keep in mind when you go to Mary's is the parking situation. It's tight people. The parking lot is one way and not the direction coming from the main street. You will mostly likely have to park on the side street or behind the restaurant. It's a little inconvenient but I think it is worth it.

Mary does have a Facebook page but it hasn't been updated recently. I was looking up Mary's website when I saw Al.com did a feature story on Mary's. I thought it was an interesting read. Take a look.

Southern Sweets Bakery

2017-07-31T07:32:00.001-05:00

I think I stumbled onto a hidden gem in the Atlanta area on one of my trips. I'm talking about Southern Sweets Bakery in Decatur. It really peaked my interest when I read where the manager/co-owner said the bakery provides desserts to some pretty popular places in Atlanta. When I did some sleuthing, I saw where a lot of people describe it as a hole in the wall that had great food. I had to try it. I love hole in the walls!

Lox and Bagel ($10)

Bagel and Lox is probably one of my younger brother and I's favorite sandwiches. We decided to get it as our appetizer. I make it often at home and that's why I think I was under impressed by this one. There was plenty of salmon and the house made Boursin cheese mixture was very good. The bagel was soft and chewy. I liked it. I just liked mine better.

Salmon Salad ($9.45)

My brother and I decided to split two sandwiches. I was voting for a seafood and a meat but I was vetoed. He really wanted to try the salmon salad. It's salmon with dill, capers, lemon and celery served on rye bread. I was surprised by how thick the sandwich was. I guess I was thinking you could see more bread than salmon salad but no, this sandwich was nearly bursting with filling. I added just a touch of salt to it but otherwise, I was very happy with HIS sandwich. =)

My Favorite Tuna Melt ($9.20)

I was debating what to get. I knew I didn't want a cold sandwich but with all the choices I was kinda lost. Good thing I am the chatty sort and struck up a conversation with someone in line. I was told the Tuna Melt was one of the best thing on the menu. Oh my goodness, was that lady right? This was one of the hands down best tuna melt I have every had. I was kind of taken back by the dill pickles inside the sandwich but it gave it the tang it needed to break up the fattiness of the mayo and tuna. My brother and I both got chips with our sandwich. I don't remember if there were any other sides available.

But what about dessert, you ask. We were at a bakery after all and if you remember, the owner's bragging about the dessert is what got us here to begin with.

From pound cake to pies, cheese cake and layered cakes, bars and cookies, there was so much to choose from. There was even a whole display case of Vegan options. I rarely see that at the bakeries in our area. It took me longer to decide on what to eat for dessert than my sandwiches.

Mascarpone Rum Cake ($6)

I ended up getting the Mascarpone Rum cake to share with my brother and friends. A slice of cake was just under $6 and it was well worth it. This thing was heavy! I mean like weight. If it was served on a plain Styrofoam plate, that thing would have been broken. We got a couple of forks and dug in. The looks of ecstasy traveled around the table as the cake hit our taste buds. Yes, it was that good. I don't know if I was full or what but I can't imagine one person finishing off a piece of this cake by themselves. One of my friends was so impressed she bought three slices of other cakes to bring home to her family.

Oh, if you like pecan pie you must try their pecan bars if they're available. They're not big but they're pack a big punch of flavor. I had to buy a few to take home to my other brother, who is a pecan nut! Note: They survived 6 hours in the car just fine.

I love the decor. The wall was covered in art. There was one large table then several outdoor patio like tables. I thought the staff was friendly, if a touch slow to respond to customers waiting at the counter. To check out Southern Sweets Bakery yourself, click here.

Saisho

2017-06-23T10:09:00.001-05:00

It's one of the hottest new restaurants in Downtown Mobile. Saisho bills itself as a "Modern American Gastropub" with a Japanese flair.

I am going to be honest. I went to Saisho a long time ago, took pictures and meant to write a blog and never got around to it. I do remember I was not overly impressed with how the food itself taste. It was beautiful though. This is going to be a blog of just pictures. I will add what I remember because honestly, some of the dishes stood out more than others.

Oysters 3-ways

I can't even tell you which drink is which and a glance at the menu did not jog my memory. I do know that each one packed a serious punch. I mean it. I may be a lightweight, which is doubtful but I think one cocktail would do you.

The Grilled Lamb Spare Ribs were delicious. I just forgot how small lamb spare ribs are. These guys were the size of a man's finger. I needed all of that flavor in a rack of ribs!

Chef's special: Duck

sata andagi

We had a little one with us and she wanted dessert. There was only two options on the menu; a custard and a Japanese donut. She went with the donut. I have to say, this was probably the best thing we ate.

Before going to Saisho, I recommend you go check out the menu. It changes by the seasons and be aware; the majority of the dishes are small plates and not regular sized entrees.

Mars Hill Cafe

2017-03-24T05:55:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried a new-to -you restaurant and always meant to come back but never did? That's me and Mars Hill Cafe. I finally decided to have lunch at Mars Hill only to find out it had moved! What?!?! I did manage to track it down at the new location thanks to Google and Facebook.

I was on Facebook when I saw that they had a special salad. There was candy pecans, spinach, apples, and goat cheese. All the things that I love. It was a really a good salad. There was a good mix of sweet and tart. There was grilled chicken to give it protein. The strawberry salad dressing with absolutely divine. My single complaint is the size of the salad. To me, it looks more like a side salad. If only there was more spinach, I would have considered it an entree. There was definitely enough toppings to make it so. Now I did use a coupon so that could be why the size was small but I am not sure. If it is the regular size, I don't believe it is worth the $9.

I also ordered a sandwich. My thinking was I was going to save half of each entree and have it for later for dinner. That did not happen. I ask the cashier which sandwich I should get. I was torn between the Reuben and the chicken pesto panini. She recommended but I get the panini. I also asked about which side and she unequivocally said the turkey queso. I was like "Cheese? Why yes please!" The panini had chicken, feta, I think Swiss and pesto on a flat bread. Ok. So to me, a panini is a pressed sandwich. You can put it between to hot plates, two skillets, a brick and skillet. This was not it. It was a sandwich, no pressing here. But that's a technicality. The sandwich was middle of the road for me. I was not impressed but I was not disappointed either. I did think it was a bit salty but I took off some side of the bread so that may have been it. The star of this plate was that queso. Oh my. How much flavor can you pack into that? Apparently, a lot. I enjoyed every bite with chips and by itself. There was just enough heat for me to go "oh yeah, there is some chili in there" but I don't think it's hot enough to agitate say a child's stomach. I like the queso equally as much as the salad.

Mars Hill is so cute. One side look like a coffee shop, complete with leather seats and coffee tables. It sure does invite one to sit down and take a load off. It is separated by the counter that looks to me like a diner counter then booths on the other side. It was still very inviting. I had my pup with me so we sat outside at the line picnic table. At least there was an umbrella to give it shade. I think it could benefit from a few more outdoor seating arrangements.

Overall, I liked it and hopefully come back sooner rather than later. It's in am out of the way spot so I actually have to keep it at the forefront on my mind to visit again. I heard they do latte art in the mornings. I've always envied those who could work a steamed milk pitcher.

Guido's & Something Sweets Bakery

2017-03-06T05:50:00.000-06:00

From time to time, I like to go exploring. Living along Mobile Bay, I feel like there's always somewhere I have not been before. On this day, I went to Daphne and found Guido's. It's right along Main Street in Olde Town Daphne in a cluster of other stores and restaurants. I am glad I stopped by.

A peak inside of Guido's and I knew I would love it. I love chalkboard menus. It says to me the chef changes it as he/she see fits to make the most of what's available. Guido's has a very inviting atmosphere as well. I had my pup with me so I opted to sit outside but it looked very nice.

Veal Piccata $10

As I am looking over the menu, I saw that Guido's had veal piccata. It's been a while since I had a good piccata and thought this would be my best bet for some of the good stuff. I was not wrong. There was so much flavor in this dish. The veal was soft but not mushy. There was a ton of capers and artichokes piled on top. The sauce was bright as it should be. It was served with a red potato mash that was really good. I was disappointed in the green beans though. It looks like something out of a can that they added some tomato and bacon. It wasn't bad. It just did not meet the standards of the other two items on the plate. I am excited to go back and try more items from the menu.

As I mentioned, I had my pup with me so I had to sit outside. The waitress was very nice. She brought out a bowl of water for my dog and even moved my table towards the wall and out of the midday sun. I did not feel neglected at all sitting outside. She checked not only on me but on my dog as well. Our drinks were always full. She was helpful when I had questions.

As I was having lunch at Guido's, I saw family after family make the trek across the street to Something Sweet Bake Shop. I mean it, if there was a child in the group they were going across the street. I was intrigued. But I just had a huge lunch, what was I do to do. I decided I was going to walk off some of the calories I just consumed to make way for dessert. I am glad I did.

Something Sweet Bake Shop is not a large place but it has something for everyone. From cupcakes to all sorts of bars and ice cream, you are sure to find something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

I decided to go with a lemon bar and a strawberry cupcake. I liked them both. You can tell there is real lemon juice in the bars. None of that fake stuff. It was tart with just the right amount of sweet. I didn't have to eat the whole bar to satisfy my sweet tooth either.

The cupcake was divine as well. There was real pieces of strawberry! I believe this is the first time I ever had a cupcake with real fruit inside. It's usually reserved for muffins not cupcake. The cupcake wasn't too sweet either, which is perfect because of the mound of icing on top. It's not as high as some other places but boy was it good. I would like to come back soon to try out more cupcakes!

SaZa Serious Italian

2017-01-16T07:35:00.000-06:00

I have been going to Atlanta a lot more recently. It has not been for any particular reason other than wanting to get ou of town for a little while. On this particular trip, my friends decided to head home a little earlier than usual on Sunday. We wanted to stop in Montgomery for dinner. It was something out of the ordinary. Many of the places we wanted to try was closed on Sunday. What kind of sense does that make? I mean it. Isn't Sunday when people typically go out to fancy, smancy dinners?

Anyways, SaZa Serious Italian was on Trip Advisor's top ten places to try in Montgomery so we decided to check it out. My brother and I were still pretty full from lunch so we decided to share an appetizer and an entree.

Prince Edward Mussels ($11)

Mussels are among my favorite things to get at an Italian restaurant. I love dipping bread in the broth. It's usually comprise of white wine, butter and some other goodness. I liked Sa Za's version of the sauce. It was very garlicy and lemony. However, the size of the mussels were pretty sad. It's not something they can help but it was still disappointing.

My brother was dead set on getting the Boneless Short Ribs for $22. I mention the price for a reason. If you notice the name of the dish, there's a "S" on the ribs. We got a single rib. Are you for real? If it was delicious, I wouldn't even be complaining but unfortunately it was not. The rib itself was very soft, almost mushy. It's not the fall off the none goodness either. The veal demi glaze was delicious though. That pink thing you see in the middle of the plate is a Cabernet poached egg. I know the question on your mind: Does it look as unappetizing in person as it does in the picture? The answer is yes, yes it does. I didn't want to judge because looks can be deceiving. I wonder what the chef wanted me to do with it. I took a little bite of the egg white and was like nope, that must not be it. Then I was like maybe I should bust the yolk and eat it with the rib. It didn't add anything to the rib at all. In fact, I thought it actually detracted from the flavor of the demi glaze. The roasted house potatoes was bland and raw. Come on man! I was so disappointed. I don't understand how Sa Za made it to the top ten places to try.

Chicken Piccata ($19)

I actually wanted to try the Chicken Piccata but I think that would have been only a slightly better option. It has a lot of good flavors but I thought it was too buttery. There's definitely a slip to this pasta. If you don't like that, it's best to stay away. There was a good amount of capers and artichokes, which I liked. If you order this, bring an appetite. This was one big plate of food.

Rigatoni Bolognese ($16)

One of my friends got the Rigatoni Bolognese. The menu describes it as a three meat blend with carrot, onion, celery, sunday sauce, cognac and a touch of cream. Out of all the dishes we had, I think this one was the best. The sauce is stellar. I can taste all of the components and it melded very well together. The rigatoni was cooked perfectly.

Garlic Styx with Parmesan Cream

If you're a carb person, be sure to order the Garlic Styx. It's really good. The bread somewhat reminds me of a pizza crust. There is a ton of garlic on here so daters beware. We got it with the parmesan cream sauce. This stuff rivals my favorite beer cheese, it was so good.

Now, let's talk service. The waiter did not know his menu. He actually had to call someone else over to answer questions. It took longer for us to get our drinks than our food. He did not bring silverware. He did not check on us. When it came time to pay, he actually berated us for being too complicated for wanting separate checks. Are you kidding me? Horrid, I tell you. He is the reason I will never be back to SaZa. There's got to be better places to eat in the Gump.

If you would like to check out the menu, click here.

Side note: In an effort to blog more, I will try the voice-to-text feature on my phone. That means it will be more conversational. Would you guys be OK with that?

Soul Caffeine

2016-11-07T05:57:00.000-06:00

I was celebrating a three month adoption anniversary of my furbaby, Baby Beo, so I decided to hang out on the Eastern Shore. I wanted to start off the day with breakfast and coffee so I decided to check out Soul Caffeine in Daphne. As I pulled up, disappointment immediately. There were no outside seating for me and my pup. I had to leave her in the car (with the windows down, of course) while I ran inside and grabbed my coffee. #Fail

I was torn on what to get. I knew I wanted something cold because it was scorching outside but did I want one of their cold brews or a frappe? There were a few people in line ahead of me and it was a pretty even split. For me, it all came down with which was sweeter. I knew I was going to get a pastry so I didn't want an overly sweet drink as well. I decided to go with the cold brew. It was described to me as a coffee concentrate that can be flavored. There was a number of different choices from salted caramel to dark chocolate and peanut butter to a dark chocolate and coconut. All of it sounded delicious but I have a special weakness for salted caramel. Let me tell you it was appropriately named "so good." Some places use so much syrup you can't taste the coffee. Not at Soul. Half and half was used to smooth out the bite of the coffee to make a perfect drink.

There wasn't a lot of pastry selection but what I saw looked good. There was a selection of muffins, fritters and some cookies. Since it was breakfast and blueberry season, I thought it would be appropriate to try the blueberry muffin. The barista asked if he could heat it up for me and I thought that would be nice. The muffin was so moist and loaded with blueberries. It wasn't too sweet and was a perfect compliment to my coffee.

Soul Caffeine felt like it belong more in the Atlanta area. It was very hipster to me but not in any shape or form a bad way. Boy, was it crowded. I mean there was a lot of people there for it to be just after 10am on a weekday. There was plenty of seating inside. From tables and couches to a bar where you can set up your computer to work, there was a lot of choices.

I will definitely be back for a caffeine fix or two!

Warehouse Donuts and Bakery

2016-09-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted to get away? If only for a few hours? That's was the feeling I got one week. I decided Fairhope was perfect place to spend some time. My intentions were to go walk at the pier. I've got to get those steps in somehow. On the way, my stomach had other ideas. The grumblings forced me to find somewhere to feed the beast. Some coffee for me wouldn't hurt either.

I have heard of Warehouse Donuts before and thought I give it a go. Grabbing a menu, I saw that Warehouse has a lot more than baked goods. There's a full on menu. We're talking biscuits, pancakes, breakfast bowls, sandwiches and salads. There's apparently a pizza menu at night too!

I decided on a fig and brie croissant, a side of cheese grits and coffee. The fig and brie croissant really hit the spot. I thought it would be a sandwich. A croissant sliced in half and then filled but it wasn't. This was much more labor intensive. The fig and brie were baked into the croissant and they didn't skimp either. The croissant was still flaky and buttery while the filling gave it plenty of flavor.

There are three choices if you opt for hot coffee and it all comes from the Fairhope Roasting Company. You can choose between a decaf, medium and dark roast. I had the dark roast and was surprised it wasn't roasted to death. There was none of that bitter tang after taste that I have come to associate with dark roasts. Trust me, I worked in the coffee business for 7 years.

For $2, you get a side of cheese grits of about four ounces. I have to admit, I wrote this off. I didn't even take a picture thinking "it's just grits." After one bite, out came the phone. This has got to be some of the best cheese grits I've had since Hungry Owl was a small counter service joint. I mean it. It was creamy and smooth. There was no need for more salt and pepper. It was perfect as is. I recalled seeing it as the base for one of their breakfast bowls. I must come back and try it out.

I love the feel of Warehouse donuts. It's a really big space with these really rustic tables. There's a long bar at the back if you want to set up your laptop and work. There's low tables for the kiddos. There's big communal type tables for big parties. I have to say the chairs can be a little more comfortable but hey, that's negligible.

Check out their cake case! They have all sorts of stuff. There's layered cakes, napoleons, pound cake, cheese cake, fruit cups. There's a lot to choose from. I can't wait to come over at a more sensible time and order something sweet.

I did make it down to the Fairhope pier. I was able to walk around for a little while before a storm rolled in. Although my visit was cut short by the storm, it sure did make for some pretty pictures.

It didn't take me long to come back to Warehouse. About two weeks after my first visit, I decided to take the scenic route to Foley and stop by for breakfast. This time, I wanted to get one of their breakfast bowls. I enjoyed the grits so much from last time I had to have it again. I got the Southern Veggie Bowl. It starts with grits as the base, then greens, two eggs over easy, a tomato gravy and topped with fried okra. Oh my goodness, there's a lot of flavor in this bowl. I mean it. I thought surely I would be missing a meat but I didn't even notice the absence. The greens were cooked and seasoned perfectly. It wasn't too mushy. There was still a nice bite to them. The real pop of flavor from this dish came from the tomato gravy, though. The fried okra gave it texture. When I busted into the yolk of the egg, it was velvety. This dish was definitely a winner all the way in my book.

The Original Pancake House

2016-07-22T07:10:00.003-05:00

Breakfast. I think too many people skip it or make do with a bowl of cereal, some butter toast or a protein shake. Gone are the days we can load up on eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, pancakes and grits guilt-free. We, as average Americans, just don't burn nearly enough calories in our daily lives to warrant such a large breakfast. My friends and I decided to indulge a lot the day of our white water rafting trip. We knew we were going to be on the road for a while and the opportunity for lunch maybe nil. A friend who lives in the Atlanta area turned us onto the Original Pancake House in Cheshire Square.

When we pulled up, there was quite a crowd waiting for tables. One of my friends and I took the opportunity to walk next door and load up on drinks and snacks for our trip. When we returned, my other friends were seated but they told us, the waitress threatened to ask them to wait until the entire party was there. That was rude but nonetheless, we got back in time not to get kicked out.

I decided on the corned beef hash with two eggs over easy with three buttermilk pancakes because really.. how can you go to a pancake house and not get pancakes. The corned beef hash was some of the best I ever had. It was well seasoned and cooked where there were these little crispy pieces mixed throughout. My eggs were perfectly cooked and the pancakes were light and fluffy. I had coffee along with my breakfast. I was wondering why it was extra rich and creamy. Apparently, Original Pancake House served their special blend of coffee with HEAVY cream. Talk about added calories! It was delicious.

With so many options on the menu, it is hard to decide on exactly what you want. Fortunately, Original Pancake House has an option for half portions. My brother decided on two of their specialties; the Sourdough French Toast and the Georgia Pecan Pancakes. The half portion of each was three pieces of french toast and three pancakes. The Sourdough French toast was light and fluffy. It wasn't too sweet. Be sure to ask for the blueberry preserves. It really took the french toast to the next level.

The Georgia Pecan Pancakes featured toasted pecans, a tropical syrup, and a light dusting of powdered sugar. The tropical syrup tasted heavy on orange juice and pineapple juice that had been reduced to amp up the flavor.

One of my friends got the steak and eggs plate. The other got eggs and Canadian bacon plate. I had so much food I didn't snag any of their food to taste.

I heard the service could be spotty but our waitress was great. She was very helpful to these first timers. Our food was brought out in a timely fashion and drinks refilled often.

If you want to check out the menu, click here.

Carmen's lunch bar

2016-07-09T20:10:00.003-05:00

As a Pensacola native, I am happy to see the downtown area thriving. I am always hearing about new growth and new businesses popping up. To be honest, I can't keep up with all of the new restaurants, which is actually a good thing in my eyes. I was in town for a few days and my friends decided to go exploring a bit. One in particular said he wanted to try Carmen's Lunch Bar. He works on the other side of the city and says he can never make it downtown to try it out so we did.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs $5

If you're new to my blog, first.. thanks for stopping by. Second, I have a confession to make. I have an addiction to appetizers. Really, there is rarely a time I go out, especially to somewhere new, and not order an appetizer. This time, I decided on the smoked salmon deviled eggs. To be honest, I was hoping for more of a smoked salmon punch but then I looked at the menu. It said a "hint" of smoked salmon. I missed that part. Oops. It was good though and enough to whet your palette for what's to come.

For lunch, I decided on what the waitress called their most popular dish: the Spanish Crab Melt Sandwich ($14). This was blew my mind good. I couldn't get enough of it. It has jumbo lump crab meat (so good), chorizo (even better) and some cheese (Yes, please!) on some ciabatta bread. I was surprised the chorizo didn't overwhelm the delicate crab meat but you can definitely tell there was seafood in this sandwich. I didn't eat it like a sandwich. I used a fork and knife instead. It was very good.

As a side, I was given a choice of potato salad or chips. I went with the potato salad. I should have gotten the chips. I thought the potato salad was beyond bland. I had to add a whole lot of salt (and I am not a big salt eater) to make it palatable.

Spanish Pepper Poppers ($8), Straccotta Pie ($12), BBQ sandwich ($10)

My friends ordered a few other items too. One was crab stuffed peppers. It is basically what was in my sandwich stuffed into a baby sweet pepper then broiled. It was delicious. I liked having the arugula to break up the fattiness of the stuffing. The Straccotta Pie is like a Shepard's pie but with roasted beef. OMG this was bland. Even adding heaps of salt and pepper, my friend could barely barely put a dent in it. Let's just say he was not happy with his meal. The BBQ sandwich was just "eh" according to the friend, who ordered it. She actually was trying to give half of it away. I don't know what that says about the food. It appears we should have stuck with the seafood options. The prices are on the high side but some items are worth it.

Be forewarned. Carmen's is extremely small. I mean the actual place is just a bar and then maybe five seats facing the window. My friends and I opted to sit outside. There's maybe 5 tables outside that seats about 4 each. When we arrived, it was a rather pleasant day but Florida weather being what it is.. storms started to roll through. At one point, a strong gust of wind blew over food from the balcony and it barely missed us. As you can imagine, we quickly paid for our food so we could get out of there. Otherwise, I had a great experience at Carmen's Lunch Bar. My friends, not so much. It's all in what you order. Apparently, Carmen's have a tapas style menu for the evening. I would like to try that out but the question is can I convince some of my friends to give Carmen's a second shot.

To check out Carmen's menu, click here.

Clark's Kitchen

2016-06-27T07:11:00.005-05:00

South Alabama students are getting more options when it comes to places off campus to eat. A new shopping center was just built with two restaurants inside. Then there's a taco place that claims it will be "your new addiction." Not to far from that is Clark's Kitchen. It is in what use to be Camille's. I was riding around one day looking for something to eat when I decided to try Clark's out.

I came into Clark's virtually blind. I haven't checked out the menu or heard anything about it. The only thing I knew I wanted was something hot. After having a conversation with the cashier, I settled on the Reuban. It's your basic corned beef on rye bread with thousand island dressing, sauerkraut and swiss cheese. But there was something about it that was very satisfying. There was a good amount of corn beef. I hate it when places are skimpy with the main ingredient. I thought there was a good balance of salty from the meat, sourness from the sauerkraut and fattiness from the sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed my sandwich.

Along with the sandwich, I got to choose a side. There was chips, pasta salad, broccoli salad, potato salad or fruit. I decided to go with the broccoli salad. I have always liked broccoli salad. I don't know why I don't make it at home but I digress. I found this one to be very sweet. Is that normal? I mean, I really felt like there was sugar in the dressing or something. Or perhaps there was just too many raisins in the salad. I would have preferred more broccoli and nuts myself. I am not saying it was bad. I am saying it was sweet.

Sidenote: If anyone knows of a good and healthy version of broccoli salad, let me know. I would love to try it out.

The dining room at Clark's is a pretty good size. It is sort of divided in three sections. Each side area has a mixture of booths and tables. The middle section only have tables. I thought there wouldn't be room for large groups but I would be wrong. I saw a big group on the other side of the building. There's also apparently a party room you can reserve if you have an even larger group.

If you would like to check out Clark's menu, click here.

Fish river grill #2

2016-06-07T08:25:00.003-05:00

I don't like to think of myself as a creature of habit but to be honest, when it comes to dining options in Foley I am. It seems like I always visit at Lambert's Cafe, Home of the Thrown Rolls. But good news, I did break the chain and branched out. My friend and I decided to try out Fish River Grill #2 on Highway 59.

To start off the meal, the restaurant gives you a taster of their Swamp Soup. The serving is not big, only about 4 ounces but It is delicious. The soup has a chicken beans with some sort of greens (I think it's turnip greens) and beans. There's a little bit of sausage and a tang to the soup. I am sure the tang comes from a hot sauce. I thought it was a perfect amount to wake up your taste buds in preparation for your meal. I found a recipe for swamp soup that I want to try so I'll leave that right here too.

I got the grilled whitefish basket with a crawfish creme sauce. I don't actually remember the name but let me tell you something, be sure to bring your appetite for this one. You get four fish filets, cole slaw, fries, fried okra and hush puppies! I thought the sauce made the fish a little too salty. However, I have been cutting back on salt a lot lately so that could be just me. I did share with my friend and she thought it was a bit salty as well. I know the rest are common but man, those hushpuppies were delicious. I couldn't get enough of them. I finished my fish but still had a lot of the fried stuff left.

My friend decided on the seafood basket. It comes with shrimp, fish and oysters with fries, hush puppies and cole slaw. I ate several of the items and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nothing was overly fried. The shrimp had a nice bite to it still. The oysters were crispy and not soggy like some places could be. The fish was flaky. I also liked that nothing was salty. Everything was just right after dipping in a tarter or cocktail sauce.

After we were done with our meal, we got a nice little surprise. It was a little piece of cake! Who can say no to cake? I ate just the cake and not the icing. I thought I already had all that fried food so I will be good. It was moist and flavorful.

I have to admit the only thing that would make this a better experience is faster service. The pace of the meal was quite slow from start to finish. If you're looking to classy, this place is not it. The tables are the plastic party types you can get at Sam's or a hardware store. The chairs aren't all that much better. But it has charm abounds. Sure, you can go down the road and pay a good bit more for good seafood. But why make that longer drive when there's plenty of good food nearby? I would not hesitate to come back and probably bring plenty of friends.

To check out Fish River Grill #2 menu, click here.

Red Fish Blue Fish

2016-05-17T08:46:00.003-05:00

As a born and raised Florida girl, it's no surprise that Pensacola Beach is one of my favorite places to be. There has always been a number of places to eat on the island but I've always just brought a cooler of food and drinks instead. Because come on, who wants to pay those tourist prices? I was pleasantly surprised by Red Fish Blue Fish though.

I ordered the carne fries from the "small bites" menu. At $9, this was huge. According to the menu, it's "hand cut fries topped with slow braised beef, Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese with fresh cut green onions." It was good. The fries were hefty enough to stand up to all of the toppings. The beef was nice and flavorful. However, my friend and I thought it needed a little something. I would have liked to see it served with either a dollop of sour cream or maybe ranch dressing. I guess I could have asked for some but to be honest, I didn't think about it.

Spicy Fish Tacos $12

For my entree, I decided to go with fish tacos although I was torn between the "tropical" or "spicy." I did end up getting the spicy fish tacos. It's three flour tortillas with blackened or grilled fish, topped with an Asian slaw, chipotle sauce and cilantro lime sour cream. It's served with chips and salsa. I got the blackened version because the waiter said it was tastier. I agree. It was very good! I enjoyed the flavor combination a lot. I felt like it had more of a Caribbean vibe than an Asian one though. The only thing I would change is to serve the tacos on corn tortillas. It may have needed to be double stacked but it would give it a better taste and texture.

Fried Mullet Basket $12

My friend got the fried mullet basket. It came with three pieces of fish, fries and coleslaw. Surprisingly, I did not pick off her plate so I do not know if it was any good. She did tell me it was delicious though! I think that should count for something.

I was on a mini-vacation so I decided to have a drink with my meal. I got the 3-mile bridge bucket. I think it was $10 or so. It has coconut rum, banana rum, mango rum, passion fruit rum and pineapple rum mixed with orange juice, pineapple juice in a 32 oz bucket. I don't know if it was because all the booze was flavored but all I could taste was juice. In fact, I was really considering ordering some straight Captain Morgan to go into the drink to pump it up a little. Alas, I did not. It was still good but I did not feel anything from it, not even a slight buzz.

I think the best part of Red Fish Blue Fish has to be the courtyard. It sits right on the bay so you can eat your meal right on the water. They have a great set up. There's a gas fire pit that I definitely took advantage of because it was so windy the day I went. There's picnic style tables and another area large enough for a big group to eat, drink and be merry. I like the games they had to entertain the adults and kids alike. There was a huge Connect 4 game, Toppling Blocks, Corn hole and probably a few more I didn't spot. From the courtyard, you can also see over to Flounder's and watch whatever volleyball tournament they have going there. There's a lot to see and do. I really enjoyed myself.

If you would like to check out Red Fish Blue Fish, click here.

Bamboo Fusion - Closed

2016-02-25T08:57:00.001-06:00

Hello my friends,

I am back with another blog and this one is a long time coming. Bamboo is now in Midtown. The latest venture is called Bamboo Fusion on Airport Boulevard near the Loop.

If you read my blog before, you may know that I lunch with my brother and we just can not resist appetizers. I like to order appetizers because it gives me a well balanced look at the menu. On this particular day, there was a special where you can get an order of krab rangoon for free with any lunch or dinner purchase. You know I was all over that. Four rangoons came to an order and as you can tell, they were fried pretty crispy. The problem I had with these were the filling. It was still cold. My brother and I can tell the rangoons were frozen and then dumped in TOO hot oil. Good thing I didn't pay for these, I would have been angry.

Before I spotted the free appetizer, I ordered the Laab Salad as an appetizer. So this is actually an entree but really who's going to be the food police here. Laab is basically the Thai version of a chicken salad but without mayo. Instead, the chopped up chicken is tossed in a lemon, chilli and cilantro dressing. At BF, it is served in what I can only describe as an iceberg lettuce "bowl." I thought "how cute!" However, it wasn't too easy to eat. I would have like to have either a) rice crackers or b) more greens to eat with it. As it was, my brother and I just scooped it up with our fork and as it as is. Aside from that, I thought it was very tasty. I would definitely have to order this again when I go to BF the next time.

Several of my friends were excited a restaurant in Mobile was going to serve ramen noodles. Not the packaged type but real ramen.

I ordered Miso Ramen. It's Japanese egg noodle in a flavored miso soup. There's egg and pork in the broth. I liked the soup but I wasn't too happy with the noodles or meats. I could have made something better from my packaged ramen noodles. My brother has the Yaki Udon and he wasn't all that impressed with it either.

I believe one of the reasons were were not satisfied with our ramen is because we have had authentic ramen. We go to Atlanta a few times a year and have scoured the city for the best ramen. There have been some hits and misses but they have all been better than what we had at Bamboo Fusion.

Let's get to service. We were the first customers to arrive at BF for lunch. Our waitress was nice but the pacing of our meal was horrible. There was just a huge lag between each course. I was done with work for the day but my brother wasn't. Our lunch took well over an hour. I would not recommend coming to BF unless you're not in a hurry or you order just one item (maybe a sushi roll) for lunch and that's it.

Rice Asian Grill and Sushi Bar

2015-12-03T08:38:00.002-06:00

It was Friday and I had just gotten off work. I was looking at 9 days of no punching the time clock. To somewhat celebrate, I went to lunch with two friends at Rice Asian Grill and Sushi or just Rice. I didn't know what I was walking into but I was optimistic.

As I browse the menu, I noticed it leans heavily towards Thai cuisine and sushi. There was everything from Thai noodles (pad Thai) to larb. There were also some stir fry that could be labeled as Chinese.

Although our lunch came with appetizers, we decided to order the boom boom shrimp. It is a play on the famous bang bang shrimp from Bonefish. The sauce is very similar. It is a garlic aioli with sriracha sauce or as I like to call it spicy mayonnaise. The difference though the batter on the shrimp is much lighter. It still have that nice crisp to it though.

I had the drunk man noodles lunch special. It came with wonton/spring roll/salad and choice of 3 soups. I had the soup with ginger dressing and the tom gah gai soup. The salad was simple but refreshing. I like the soup but I thought it was a bit salty.

My friends chose the spring rolls and the same soup. It came with two per order. They liked it. One reason is because the vegetables inside are not cooked to a mush. They tell me, there was still a good bit of crunch.

Drunk man noodles is wide rice noodles with carrots, green beans, bell peppers and choice of meat in a basil based sauce. For $8, you can choose between chicken, pork or plain veggies. For a bit more, you can do beef, shrimp or combination of meats. I really liked this dish. It had a good proportion of noodles, veggies and chicken. There was just enough sauce to cover the noodles but not too much.

One of my friends ordered the Pad Cashew for lunch. It's your choice of meat with onions, carrots, bell pepper, and cashew nuts with what they're calling a Thai sauce. I was able to snag a piece of the chicken. There's actually a little bit of a batter on the chicken. I think it helps the sauce stick to the chicken. It was really good. It comes with a cup of white rice or fried rice. The portion size is huge especially when you consider the appetizer that came with the entrees. My friend took about half of her meal home for dinner.

My other friend ordered the Thai noodles, which is Pad Thai everywhere else. If you're not familiar, Pad Thai is rice noodles with meat, egg, scallions and in a sour/sweet/spicy sauce. There's usually peanuts on top as well but I didn't see any. My friend liked it although she says there were two type of chicken in the dish. You see the big chunk of chicken on top but there were smaller pieces that were more flavorful throughout the dish.

I could not resist ordering a Thai tea. If you never had it, it's a mixture of black tea, spices, sugar and milk. I thought it was way too sweet for me. Keep in mind, I have been cutting WAY back on sugar in the last couple of years. I was able to taste the black tea and spices through the milk which is a good thing.

While service was prompt, I was hoping she would be a bit more attentive. We were there for over an hour and half. Our drinks were never refilled. Our drinks were actually empty for about the last 15 minutes or so of our meal. Otherwise, it was a good experience. I would come back.

To check out Rice's website, click here.

Dumbwaiter

2015-11-19T08:48:00.003-06:00

Sometimes the best thing about vacation is having time to spend with family and friends. I got together with one of my good friends and her daughter for lunch at Dumbwaiter in Mobile.

New South Brussel Sprouts $9

I am told one of Dumbwaiter's signature dishes is the roasted brussel sprouts. They are split and roasted then topped with sliced red onion, bacon confit and a balsamic glaze. I can see why it was so popular. It was really good. The only downside my friend apparently doesn't like brussel sprouts. I ended up eating just about all of it and the balsamic vinegar overwhelmed my taste buds after I gobbled up half of the dish. I don't regret it though. Next time, I need more people that like brussel sprouts to share the "small plate."

Beef Tournedoes $16

There was a lot of items on the menu that sounded delicious. I settled on the beef tournedoes. It is beef with grilled onions, blue cheese and asparagus in a port demi sauce. It was delicious but I just wish there was more of it. The grilled onion ring you see there is slightly bigger than your index finger and thumb almost touching. Note: I have small hands. That means that is about a 3 oz piece of beef on top. For $16, I was expecting at least double the amount. I was still hungry after I finished this dish.

Chef Chris' Shrimp and Grits $15.5

My other choice was the shrimp and grits but alas my friend decided to order it. She knows me well and doesn't mind sharing her lunch. It is your basic shrimp and grits with an Andouille and Conecuh sausage sauce. The shrimps were nice and plump. It was cooked so it was still juicy. The grits were very creamy and rich. I felt like it was cooked for a very long time. The issue I had with this dish was the sauce. It was too salty. If there was less of the sauce, it could have been better but as is I did not like it. There was also a tartness to it that I could not place. Now, I am wondering if it was the balsamic vinegar from the brussel sprouts that left that taste in my mouth.

Tomato Risotto (side) $5

My friend is a big believer in scoping out restaurants online to see what's the best dishes a restaurant has to offer. She apparently saw a lot of people raving about the tomato risotto. It reminded me a lot of soggy jambalaya. I only had a few spoonfuls. My friend brought the rest home for dinner.

Dumbwaiter Burger $10.50

I ordered the Dumbwaiter Burger to-go for my brother. It's a burger patty with bacon confeit, pimento cheese and the rest of the fixins'. It came with fries. My brother really enjoyed it. He especially liked the pimento cheese and bacon confeit. It definitely made this burger unique.

Dumbwaiter has a great atmosphere. It is more long than wide but there's plenty of space for diners. The waitress was nice and knowledgeable. We had a little one with us and the waitress tried to cater to her as well.

To check out Dumbwaiter's website, click here.

Dragonfly Foodbar

2015-11-19T08:43:00.004-06:00

Living along Mobile Bay, there are plenty of places to explore. On a recent staycation, I went to Fairhope for the day. It is a quaint town on the bay that I enjoy exploring. I met up with an old friend and his wife for lunch. They are quite the foodies and know their town well. While discussing where to have lunch, we decided to try somewhere new to all of us: Dragonfly Foodbar.

As always I can not resist ordering some type of appetizer. I decided on the langouste nachos. I believe that is a fancy term for a prawn. It is served on fried wonton sheels and topped with arugula, a sriracha sauce and a while sauce. The langouste was served cold which surprised me but it worked. There was still a good bite to the meat, instead of any mushiness. The arugula gave it a fresh taste. The bitterness also balanced the creaminess of the white sauce and the slightly greasy feel of the fried wontons. My friends and I really enjoyed the nachos. I personally good have had these nachos as my entire lunch.

Dragonfly is actually known for its tacos. The tacos are a la cart. The tacos are about $3 a piece and goes slightly up from there. Dragonfly has a few staples and then a couple of specials everyday.

I had the braised pork tacos. The pork on top was a little cold but the filling on the bottom wasn't. I don't know if that was intentional but it worked. I was expecting a bit more of a kick to it though because of the habanero. All in all a good taco. I would like to come back and try a few of their other tacos.

One of my lunch companions ordered the langouste taco. Jackie said it tasted like air. It looked like fried shrimp balls topped with a bbq like sauce. She savored every single bite.

Her husband, Larry, decided to get the special of the day: a fried oyster taco. He thought it had a nice ratio of oyster to slaw. Larry said it help cut the greasiness of the fried oysters. He said it was delicious.

To check out Dragonfly's Facebook page, click here.

Quickly

2015-10-09T09:13:00.001-05:00

I was so excited to hear in Atlanta favorite made it down to the Gulf Coast. The original Quickly's has a wide variety of teas, milk teas and smoothies. It also serves Taiwanese street food but the I'berville, Mississippi location expanded that to much more.

My favorite drink to get at Quickly is Thai milk tea. It is a black tea spiked with a bunch of spices and milk. It is much like a Chai tea latte but less star anise flavor. I like Quickly's version because it's not too sweet. This did not disappoint. You can get several add on to your drinks including tapioca pearls and jelly. I like mine plain but I know plenty of people who like the add ons.

We decided to order a bunch of the small bite appetizers, which are only what the Atlanta Quickly serve. We got Taiwanese popcorn chicken, kimchi fries with a fried egg on top, takoyaki octopus ball, Hawaii spam Musubi, pan fried dumpling, quickly original wings and crispy shrimp wontons.

My favorites where the popcorn chicken and the kimchi fries. The popcorn chicken was thinly sliced chicken battered and then fried. The strange thing was the first order didn't have much, if any seasoning whereas the second order had there signature seasoning. I like it both ways. I just thought it was strange that it came both ways.

The kimchi fries with the fried egg on top was delicious. You are getting exactly the name of the dish. I would have liked a stronger kimchi flavor but it was really good. I do not know if the fried egg added anything to this dish. I liked breaking the yolk and spreading it over the fries. The sauce on top was also rather good.

Pan-fried dumplings, Quickly Original Wings and takoyaki (octopus balls)

The pan fried dumplings was cold when it got to me and the flavor was not that great. I was thinking pan fried would still have a bit of crunch to it but it tasted more like it was steamed. The owner was telling me they were considering adding a fried version and gave me a couple to sample. I like the fried version much better.

We got the Quickly Original wings. It is just fried wings with salt and vinegar. It was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside but there was a definite lack in flavor. I would like to try the Korean wings or the ginger teriyaki wings the next time.

The takoyaki octopus ball was good. An order come with 4 for $4.95. If you've never had it, it is chopped up pieces of octopus rolled up into a ball with batter then fried. It is slightly crispy on the outside and quite mushy on the inside. If you are a texture person, it may not be for you. There is a sour taste to it that I cannot find origin. I am thinking there may have been a squeeze of lime over it but I am not sure.

Hawaii Spam Musubi is apparently one of their best sellers. I do not understand why. It is rice with spam wrapped in nori (seaweed). It is drizzled with eel sauce. There was a good balance but it's nothing special. I make this myself any day of the week.

I was told the crispy shrimp wonton was a bestseller and a must-try by the owner of course. The crispy shrimp wonton in itself was not bad; however there was a heavy drizzle of a sweet mayonnaise on top. That was just gross to me. I don't understand that flavor combination.

For sweet stuff, we got the Mochi waffles and the Hong Kong egg puff. If you are unfamiliar with mochi, it is a Japanese rice cake that is very chewy. You can flavor it a number of ways. We got the strawberry version. It tasted very fake like a flavoring instead of actual berries. It is was chewy as well. There is a bite or snap to it versus any softness. The Hong Kong puff is a different story. It tasted angel food cake and waffle like form. It was not too sweet. I liked it.

Check out the website: http://www.quickly.ms/