Thursday, September 6, 2012

Little Donkey

Ok, Little Donkey is such a fun name for a Mexican restaurant! It is so unique and stands out from your traditional Mexican names. Which is appropriate, because this isn't like your normal Mexican place.  Little Donkey is located in Birmingham, or Homewood more specifically. Now, I know this isn't in Tuscaloosa, but, Birmingham isn't that far away and we Tuscaloosians often find ourselves in Bham needing somewhere to eat.
Outside shot (I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed this one from my company) :)


I was in Birmingham for training this week and stayed over night.When planning dinner, I wanted to try somewhere I hadn't already been. I had heard that the food was extremely fresh, unique, and good at Little Donkey, so that was my pick. Wes joined me as well as a couple of our friends.

On their website, Little Donkey claims to be original Mexican food, inspired by Southern roots, with slow-cooked meats, and scratch made everything. You could tell that all of these things were happening on the menu. I have already said it was unique, or as they say, original. The variety of meat was really cool. They offered tacos with steak, chicken, fish, brisket, and pork all with different fresh ingredients. And, you could tell the tortillas weren't store bought.

We started with guacamole. This is one of Wes and my go to items at Mexican restaurants, especially those that seem to be using more fresh ingredients. My hope was that it would be made at the table. But, that didn't happen. It did end up being delicious guacamole. Topped with a little tomato and cheese, and the chunks of avocado brought extra flavor and freshness to it.

guacamole (half eaten)


I chose the enchiladas verdes. The fresh tortillas were filled with chicken and cheese and topped with the green salsa. I thought the cheese was a little thick and not as melted as I would have liked. I guess I was imaging the idea of traditional queso cheese in the enchillada, but this was more of a slice of cheese with the chicken. But, the flavor was great.

Enchiladas verde

This dish was served with two sides. The sides are unique too. You can choose from mexican rice, black beans, pinto beans, street style corn, fresh fruit, or la concoction. This last item was rice, with black beans, some sauce, and a poached egg on top. I tried the black beans and corn with mine. The corn had a seasoning on it that was really interesting. I am not sure what it was, but it wasn't spicy, it had a little kick of sweet to it, and the flavor of the corn, which was roasted on the cob, was yummy. The black beans seemed just normal to me; not bad, but nothing special either.

black beans and street corn
 

Wes got the tacos and tried a steak and a fish. His favorite of the two was the fish. I didn't try either of these but there wasn't a bite of either left! And, he had the la concoction as his side. It was really cool looking and definitely had neat flavor and texture. I did try this and it was tasty.

Fish and steak taco and la concoction
All in all, Little Donkey has a really cool atmosphere and vibe. The fresh ingredients and unique ideas make this a really awesome spot. I hear that we may be getting a Little Donkey in Tuscaloosa, which is really exciting. I think local places like this are exactly what we need in town.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Glory Bound Gyro Co

I was totally excited to hear about this new restaurant opening in Tuscaloosa. Glory Bound Gyro Co. is owned by the same people as Mugshots, a now very popular restaurant in downtown, so I had high hopes for the quality of food. And, they serve one of my favorite types of food, Greek. I like to give a new place a couple weeks to work out all their kinks. But, from what I hear, others have been having a great experience since it opened. Glory Bound is located on the corner of Greensboro and University in downtown T-town. This spot is one of the coolest in town, but, if you have been around for a while, you know that things have had a hard time making it here. After one meal, I certainly hope that this one is different. The feel is funky and casual.

Cool guitar art everywhere.
Anyone who knows me, know that I am a hummus freak! I seek it out, order it just about any time I see it on a menu, and always have some in the fridge at home. So, when I say to you that this was literally some of the absolute best hummus I have ever had, you should know it is a big deal.  They offer quite a variety of flavors and you can order them individually or as a trio. I went for the trio so I could taste a few. After the recommendations from the waitress, I decided on the original, roasted red pepper, and the garlic basil. All of them were phenomenal. The original was a little salty but that doesn't bother me. You could tell the roasted red pepper was made with fresh ingredients and just plain fresh. And, the garlic basil was my favorite. It will be hard for me to visit again and not get all the hummus I can eat!!
Oh, and everyone at the table agreed with me. Great hummus and the pita bread is just as great.
Hummus trio
I was almost stuffed after this, but of course I was trying one of the gyros. On Tuesday, they have a special where all the gyros are $5 and the steak and shrimp gyros are $6. What a deal!! They come with cottage fries, which are homeade potato wedges, and are amazing too. I went with the surf and turf gyro. This came with steak and shrimp with mushrooms, peppers, and onions and their come back sauce. This sauce is similar to the shrimp sauce at a Japanese restaurant. So, if that means anything to you it should mean deliciousness.  This was way too much food, but I couldn't stop eating. It was amazing!
Surf and Turf gyro
This was book club night, so I had 5 other girls with me eating. Glory Bound and its food was well received by all! I can't wait to go back and try some of the other meals. Apparently their signature sandwich is the Pepperjack which is a traditional gyro with pepperjack cheese, bacon, and come back sauce. What! I think I will need to split that one.

Birmingham food

Saturday Dinner

Ok, so for the final round of birthday fun, we spent Saturday night in Birmingham and did dinner Saturday night and brunch Sunday morning. Birmingham has really become somewhat of a food destination. I have been hearing all kinds of great things about lots of different restaurants downtown. We were excited to have a night out and then follow up with something yummy on Sunday too.

I had gotten a gift card to Ocean and we had saved it for out birthday celebration week! I had heard great things about their food and it was all true. Everything we had was fresh, unique, and delicious. Everyone gets bread with olive oil and a cucumber, tomato, red onion, feta, and olive oil salsa type spread. I must say the fresh tomato topper was one of the best parts of the meal. Even Wes, who isn't a big fan of anything like that, really enjoyed it. I tried to take a picture but I just couldn't capture the real essence and deliciousness with a picture.

Our first item ordered was the calamari appetizer. This is always one of Wes's favorite starters, so when I see it on the menu I usually want us to try it. This was perfectly breaded and tender! One of the worst things is getting really chewy calamari. Of course, this one was perfect. And the sauce!! It was described as a remoulade. You know I have a hard time waiting to eat until I have taken the picture. As you can see, this one was no different.
Calamari appetizer
I followed this up with the Ocean salad. This was the best part of my meal! Imagine a Greek Salad topped with fried feta cheese. Yes, fried feta cheese. In the picture below, the piece of cheese look like croutons, but no, it's cheese.
Ocean salad- with fried feta
For my entree, I ordered pan seared scallops. Not only do they offer several special meals, they also offer a list of meats cooked in a variety of ways (pan seared, greek, fried, etc). All of these came with sage mashed potatoes and root vegetables. I chose the scallops with mashed potatoes and vegetables instead of doing the special meal with risotto. I know I would have like the risotto better than the sides that I had with mine. But, the scallops were perfect.
scallops, mashed potatoes, and vegetables
Wes went with the grouper. His sides were white cheddar cheese grits and a crawfish cake. Everything on his plate was delicious. It all has lots of flavor and as I mentioned before, you could tell it was all fresh.
Grouper with cheese grits and crawfish cake

I find that no real dinner is complete without a dessert. And I especially feel this way at restaurants like this with specialty desserts that I can't find just anywhere. So, I politely asked the waitress to hold off on bringing us the dessert menu until I was a little less about to pop. And, we were so glad that we did. The strawberry shortcake was spectacular, mainly because of the tempura battered pound cake. Neither of us were sure about the basil whip cream. It was wonderful consistency, but the flavor just wasn't my favorite. It also came with white balsamic sorbet. I thought the tangy, crisp, and fresh flavor was really interesting. Wes did not.
strawberry shortcake
All in all, this was a great night out at a really delightful restaurant. I told Wes I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. I think a big reason for this is the fact that I didn't order the risotto. Risotto is always my favorite. When I didn't really like the sage in the potatoes, I knew that the risotto would have made all the difference.But what we had still made for a wonderful night out on the town.

Sunday Brunch

Sunday morning, we got up and headed over the mountain to Chez Lulu. Even though we had asked a few people their suggestions for brunch, we just used the handy iphone and asked yelp for some brunch ideas. We narrowed it down to 3 and honestly, I probably picked this one because it seems French-ish. I am currently all about anything French in preparation for our big trip. This quaint restaurant is in Mountain Brook. With cute little tables outside and Christmas lights up inside, it was an adorable spot for brunch.


The bakery next door is also a spot where you can pick up items like croissants, muffins, and pastries and I am sure that all their offerings would be as tasty as the things we had at the restaurant. They start you with a very European breakfast option, bread and olive oil. There was a variety of bread, of course we tried them all, and were quite pleased with this start to our meal.

Bread at breakfast!
For my meal, I decided to go with a crepe. It was a French inspired place, right? With a wide variety to choose from, I decided to go local and chose the Chilton county peach crepe. Light, flavorful, and yummy whip cream on top, made this a great selection.
peach crepe
I also ordered the white cheddar biscuits. This was to share with Wes, but, who can resist trying some cheddar biscuits.  My comparison here would be the asiago cheese bagel at Panera. I love the way the cheese is delicate in the bread and not overpowering. But, you still get such a strong flavor. They also served these with fresh jam which made these biscuits Amazing!!

white cheddar biscuits
Wes has the daily frittata special. I now can't remember what was in it, but the bite I had was delightful. And, I didn't take a picture of his either. Oops.

This is a really cute place for brunch and I can imagine their lunches are just as great. I wish I had stopped in the bakery and picked up a couple of things to go. But, the weekend of food had to stop somewhere.


Sunday, July 29, 2012

Depalmas

Since my days as a college student, Depalmas has been one of my favorite spots to eat. So, it just makes sense, that when celebrating a milestone birthday, this would be my dinner choice. And, as always, it didn't disappoint. Here are a few of the things we had this evening, but honestly, I like almost everything on the menu that I have tried, and that is quite a bit!
The atmosphere is really cool. You are surrounded by wine bottles from special occasions with names and dates written on them. Posters, pictures, and art decorate the wall. And, you can see the hustle of the kitchen preparing all the freshly made meals.

To start, we ordered our two favorite appetizers, stuffed mushrooms and the antipasta platter. Half of the mushrooms are stuffed with pesto and half with sausage and cheese. For a few years, we ordered double sausage stuffed mushrooms, but I am glad we added the pesto ones too. Both of these are yummy!! Sometimes I forget to take the picture before we start to eat. Oops!
Stuffed Mushrooms (or half of them)
The antipasta platter is similar to any you will find. It has salami, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, and maybe asiago cheeses, artichoke hearts, olives, grilled zucchini, onions, and the best balsamic vinaigrette dressing in town. I love to mix and match the flavors on this plate!
Antipasta platter
Now, when it come to the main meal, you can't go wrong with any pizza or calzone. Of course there is the option to get a combination they have on the menu or make your own. But, I am a pasta fan. So, when at Depalmas, pasta is my usual main course. The pasta depalma is one of my favorites, and has been for years. It is a baked pasta with a light cream sauce. It has so much flavor and is very unique. I also really enjoy the Mediterranean pasta that is lighter and has feta, banana peppers, tomatoes, and I add chicken, all tossed with tri colored pasta and olive oil. I also have loved most of the specials I have tried like the chicken florentine lasagna, the lobster ravioli, and the gorgonzola filet. This is actually one of the best steaks I have had before. So, again, it is hard to go wrong!

This night, Wes and I both ordered the radiatore with pesto sauce. If you like pesto, this dish is for you! We add the chicken and sun dried tomatoes which really makes a difference.
radiatore with pesto (half of it)
radiatore with pesto and chicken and sun dried tomatoes



Happy Birthday week was a great success. We both enjoyed celebrating with friends at all of our favorite spots in Tuscaloosa.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Nick's in the Sticks

In celebration of both Wes and my birthdays, we have a had a week and a half (still more to come) of birthday fun. We started with two of our favorites here in town, FIVE and Innisfree which can be seen in previous posts. But, Saturday night, we went to one of the most hole-in-the-wall restaurants I have ever seen, and certainly one of the best.

Nick's in the Sticks is literally in the sticks. You go through West End and keep going until there is nothing else around. The building, which holds about 30 people, is a plain brick building with one room for dining, a bar, and paying your ticket. It is certainly not glamorous but it is delicious, a great value, and one of the most popular places in Tuscaloosa.  As I mentioned, it is a small space, so it isn't uncommon to have a decent wait especially on the weekends. It is totally worth the wait!

Ok, so you are waiting, why don't you have a drink. Their famous Nickodemus, is a fruit punch looking drink that isn't quite as sweet as it looks. I can't come up with anyone who really knows what is in this drink, but I know that for years, it is one of the most talked about drinks in Tuscaloosa.

Once you are seated, you will have pretty quick service. The menu is short and I can tell you that every time I have been I have ordered the small fillet with baked potato for a whopping $9.99. What a deal right! It is one of the best steaks I have had anywhere. And for the price, you really can't beat it! It also comes with a salad. One of my favorite things at Nick's is the salad dressing. They have a ranch blue cheese mix that is unbelievable. We always ask for some extra to keep for the steak. Oh, and Wes would want me to share that they have some of the best Chicken gizzards, or as far as I know, the only ones. This weekend, both Wes and John were excited to order this appetizer. And, proudly, Amy and I did at least try them. I have nothing to compare them to, but again, Wes says they are some of the best.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. This is truly one of the most beloved locations in Tuscaloosa. Part of the charm is that you have to know about it to find it. While the other is great quality at a great price and a unique experience.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tuscaloosa's Farmers Market

Tuscaloosa has several spots for fresh, local fruits, veggies, plants, and even meat. This past Saturday, I ventured to the new River Market on Jack Warner Parkway for about the third time. By far, this was the best visit. I grabbed lots of yummy goodies and thought I would share some of the things I bought and what I made. The market is open on Tuesday and Saturdays from 7-noon. I will suggest you get there early for the best selection. We arrived before 9:00 and already some of the vendors were out of some items.
Stage area where Matt Jones was setting up  to perform some live music.

One of the biggest vendors at the market is Snow's Bend Farm. They always seem to have a large variety and they are a name I recognize as having had fresh produce in the area for years now. From this stand, I bought eggplant and a yellow and red pepper. My mom bought some rattlesnake beans. I loved the pictures of this produce.
 
Snow's Bend Farm stand
I also bought some squash from a former student, some banana peppers from a member of my church, some Chilton County peaches and some tomatoes, cucumbers, and blueberries from three other vendors. All said I purchased fruit and veggies from 7 different growers and all of it has been delicious. And it's a great feeling thinking about the "naturalness" of the food I am eating and supporting local growers. And, this week it was an added bonus I got to buy from a few people I knew.
All of my purchases
This means Wes and I had a great meal Sunday night! I made chicken kabobs with the peppers and a squash. And we also grilled the eggplant with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Then, I fried the squash, cut the cucumbers and soaked them in vinegar, sliced tomatoes and made a blueberry crisp.
Finished product
Blueberry Crisp

If you haven't visited the market yet, you should! The new venue is gorgeous and the experience is great. The last time I went I bought sausage from the pork man and ground sirloin from the beef guy. We made some burgers with the ground beef and it felt great to have meat that wasn't over processed with who knows what in it. Wes and I don't eat a lot of ground beef, we have switched to more turkey, but when Wes was patting out the burgers, he could tell a big difference in the quality. I will certainly be going back as much as possible.

Monday, June 11, 2012

YP(t)

If you are out of college and under 40 in Tuscaloosa, you should be a part of the YP(t), or the Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa. This is a group formed as a part of the Chamber of Commerce designed to give "young professionals" a way to get involved in town and get to know each other. Tonight, this post is about a couple of events that the ypt group has either hosted or participated in over the past few months. In the past, we have had parties, networking events, and special interest events.You can find them on facebook, but the website is under construction.

Tonight was the Sushi Making Event at Chuck's Fish and what a great time we had. This event was in their private room upstairs. If you haven't been to Chuck's for sushi then you are missing out on some of the best sushi in town. But, tonight, we were not just eating the sushi, we were learning how to roll our own sushi. We had the option to make several of the most popular rolls and everything I had was delicious. Here is a shot of us making the spicy tuna roll.
Learning how to make the sushi
We each got to make two rolls. Amy and I shared our rolls so that we could try a few. Here is our first go of it with Spicy Tuna and Crunchy Shrimp.
Amy and me with my finished product.
We also got to try the uptown shrimp. I haven't tried it before, but it was just like the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish. It was delicious!! And, they have a special on Wednesday night with Uptown Shrimp specials.

This was a great night with some familiar YP(t) friends and a chance to meet some new ones. I don't know how easy it is to set up a sushi making event with Chuck's, but it was a lot of fun. I know that I always have a good time with the young professionals group and tonight was no different. So, this post is to share that Chuck's has great sushi and to tell you to come to a YP(t) event if you are in T-town and in the age range.




I do think I learned that sushi is a food that I will continue to go out and order and not something I will make at home. Sure, the roll was good, but it takes a bit of prep and I definitely don't have the ingredients at home.

The other event that I participated in recently for YP(t) was the JLT Dragon Boat race. This event was at the end of April and it required 20 paddlers. Yes, paddlers. We paddled a boat down the Black Warrior River and had a blast!
YP(t) Team
Our team came in 10th out of 26 teams. And, I think everyone on the team had a really great time. I know I made a few new friends and can't wait to do this again next year. I think the event was really well received by the rest of town too. There were lots of business and other social groups who had teams. And, I heard great things from lots of the groups about how much fun everyone had.
YP(t) practicing before the race.

 This year the event was on the river behind Cypress Inn. They had food and drink for the spectators and the participants and most of the teams had set up tents with a tailgate like atmosphere. We were out there for a few hours and it was a great way to meet people and have fun outside in Tuscaloosa.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tuesday in T-town

The new farmer's market on Jack Warner Parkway has opened! If you haven't been by it, it is a beautiful facility. It is open Tuesday and Saturday from 7a-noon. I hadn't been yet, but I had really been wanting to go. So, yesterday morning I stopped by to see what was there. I was expecting fewer vendors and a smaller crowd because it was Tuesday. And, it seems still a little early for a lot of produce. I can't wait until June with the good tomatoes start coming and the yummy fruit. According to the director, there are more vendors on Saturday and still room for more to come.
Here is a little about what I saw, and what I hear is there on Saturdays. I bought some fresh spinach and sweet potato butter from one of the men. He also had onions, collard greens, chow chow and relishes. There was a lady with homemade jellies and fried pies that looked delicious! A guy was there with pork products and a guy with pottery. Christy said that on Saturday there are more produce vendors, a man with black angus beef, plants, and more. I can't wait to stop back by this weekend on my way to the Dragon Boat Race.


Then, last night I went to the Documenting Justice film screening. This is a class at UA that has students from all different majors who come together to make 10 minute documentary films on something happening in Alabama. Here is a link to the article about it. These students did a fantastic job. Topics ranged from tornado relief in Tuscaloosa, to immigration, to schools in the black belt. I was really drawn in to several of them and felt like they could have been at least twice as long so I could hear more about the stories. This event was at the Bama Theatre, which is by far one of the greatest venues in Tuscaloosa.
This event only happens once a year, so you will have to wait a while if this sounds like something you would enjoy. But, it is just proof of the cool things being done here in town. And, just how lucky we are to have UA and the things that come along with that. This is certainly a chance to see just want the students here can bring to the table.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Nashville

Ok, so I said in the beginning that I wanted the focus of this blog to be about Tuscaloosa and the things I do here. But, I went to Nashville for a conference this past weekend and I just wanted to talk a little bit about this fabulous city that happens to be an easy drive from T-town.

The conference was for AAF District 7. AAF is the American Advertising Federation, and district 7 encompasses Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee clubs. The conference changes every time to a different location and this time we were in Nashville.

Thursday night we hopped around on Broadway and 2nd Ave. checking out some live music and the night scene. One of my favorite stops was at Whiskey Bent. They had a great band playing. This is one of the best things about Nashville, the live music. It isn't hard to find someone who can sing and play in this town. After all, isn't that why everyone is there, trying to make it big?? We stopped by a few other spots but we landed at The Big Bang Bar last and stayed there the longest. This is a dueling piano bar. If you haven't been to one before, it is a lot of fun. The guys take requests for songs, the more money you tip, the more likely it is to get played. They play everything from Elton John, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and my favorite, Def Leopard's Pour Some Sugar on Me. We used to have one of these places in Tuscaloosa and unfortunately it didn't make it. The Big Bang was so much fun, we went back the next night.

Like I said, we had so much fun at Big Bang we went back Friday night after our Denim and Diamonds party. We also stopped by Tootsies, a classic stop on Broadway. And, we went to Paradise Park, which was really cool. Again, live music is everywhere and it is all good! You shouldn't miss these bars either.

Saturday we took a special tour of the Ryman Auditorium. I grew up only a little over an hour away from Nashville and had been tons of times before to the city. But, this was my first time in the Ryman. It was absolutely beautiful.
The stage at the Ryman

They have the original pews that were in the building around the turn of the 20th century. Those are some old pews!
Original Pews in the Ryman
The stained glass windows were gorgeous. They call this the mother church of country music. And, it actually was built as a church to have revivals but that turned out to not be all that profitable and so they started books acts to perform.
Stained glass windows in the Ryman Auditorium
They have exhibits that come and go and some pieces of the Ryman history on display all the time. There was a Johnny and June display currently with some really Johnny Cash boots and I can't believe I didn't get a picture. But, this picture shows Minnie Pearl's dress which I thought was really cool.
This is a great venue to check out if you visit Nashville. Of course, we didn't get to see a live performance, but I hear that the sound and acoustics are great.  This visit to Nashville has me wanting more live music! I might just have to check out their calendar of events.

The gala Saturday night was at the top of the Pinnacle building in downtown Nashville. It was just an open space and they brought tables in for the event so it had a really cool vibe to it. But, the best part was the view. I love a view!! I would live at the top of the Empire State building or the top of the Sears Tower if I could. It is even better when the sun goes down and the night lights up the sky. I have always loved city lights. So, you can imagine the view from this party was right up my alley.


This group likes to have fun. So, after the presentation of Clubs of the Year, the new Governor of the District, and some lovely speeches, we had a great band that played for us. Justin Nault and his band played great cover songs that had a big group of us dancing. They were tons of fun and even took a bunch of requests we threw out at them. It just so happens, that Justin is also a piano player at The Big Bang Bar and we had seen him play there too. What a small town Nashville ended up being. This isn't the best picture of the band, but you can also see the set up of the room.
My friend, and fellow AAF Tuscaloosa member, Laura went to the conference too.  We had a great time, heard great music, danced, learned some new things about advertising, and all in all had a great Nashville experience. It wasn't my first, and it won't be my last visit to The Music City.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Weekend of excitement

This was a great weekend in Tuscaloosa. The weather was perfect, there were things happening, and we got to hang out with several friends. I already mentioned the wine tasting and the dinner we had at Five, so I am jumping right to Saturday. I decided to put these all in one post because while we had fun at all the places we went, none had quite enough to talk about alone.
We started Saturday at Tree House Farm and Nursery for their garden expo. Coach Pat Dye was speaking at 10:00 about Japanese Maple Trees and of course, that caught Wes' attention. I really enjoyed hearing him talk about the trees and the way he has come to love them.  After coaching at Auburn, he started a small nursery at his home and now it has grown into quite the Japanese Maple farm.  He taught us how to prune the trees. After the talk, we looked around at all the great plants they have. If you are looking for trees or bushes this is the place to go! We bought one of Coach Dye's trees for Wes' aunt and uncle.
Coach Dye pruning his trees.

The baby Japanese Maple we bought.

After Treehouse, we went downtown to see what was going on with the Tour de Tuscaloosa and the Druid City Arts Festival. We had lunch at Depalma's. This is my favorite restaurant in town and some of my favorite Italian anywhere. I will make a whole post about this one sometime, but just quickly, the food has always been good, the service is good, and the atmosphere is really cool. There is always a mix of people, from college students, to young couples, to business people at lunch during the week. This visit I had the Mediterranean pasta with chicken. It is one of the lighter pastas, with less sauce but lots of flavor from the greek olives, peperoncini peppers and feta cheese.

We walked around downtown for a bit following lunch and made our way over to the Druid City Arts Festival. This art show is put on by a group on campus. I saw an article yesterday that it might be the last year as some of the founders of the event are graduating, but I hope they figure out a way to keep it going.  There was quite a variety of vendors and artists set up in the government plaza, the green space behind the city hall. Bands were playing music throughout the afternoon. One of my friends, Rebecca, had her Little Bee Design tent set up with her punny art! And, we walked around and saw jewelery, paintings, and knitting a lot of the other tents.

The Junior League of Tuscaloosa was hosting a wine and beer tasting at The Alcove, so we walked over there after we finished at the festival. The Alcove is a really cool spot in town with lots of beer selection, on tap and in bottles, and the home of the 2 oz drinks. They have some patio areas and have expanded what used to be a very small area inside. The crowd is an older crowd and is usually more laid back.  This event had the bar pretty crowded but it was a fun event and we enjoyed the tasting. I always recommend The Alcove for non college students looking for a cool place to have a drink, and we enjoyed sitting out back on the patio with some friends.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Friday food at FIVE

Five has already shown up in one of my blog posts, but here it is again. A few weeks ago, I talked about the very cool jazz brunch on Sundays at Five. This post is about the fabulous dinner we had at Five Friday night. This has quickly become a very hot spot in downtown Tuscaloosa and for good reason. There is always a crowd, the food is consistently good, and the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in town. Five is located on 6th Street next to Catch 22 and just down from The Shirt Shop.
Outside seating at Five.

There is a small outside eating area, and one big dining area/ bar/ stage area. The whole room is very open with tons of chandeliers, a gorgeous bar, and a fairly crowded eating area.
View of the bar and chandeliers

Wes and I find ourselves at Five pretty often. The crowd is usually the same. Depending on the time of night, there may or may not be a good crowd of college students. They tend to come in a little later.  While we were there Friday, there was quite a few college students, 30 something's on both dates and group dinners, and parents bringing their college students to eat. The restaurant is somewhat small and the crowd is usually big, so there is often a decent wait time. This weekend we were at the wine tasting around the corner at Carpe Vino and we put our name on the list while we finished. It was a great idea! Five is working to turn the building next door into a pastry and lunch spot that will then serve dinner too. It will be nice to have more room!

Like I said above, the food is consistently good. There are five entrees written on a chalkboard in the restaurant. The options change a few times a year. There are also nightly specials, five appetizers, five white and red wines, and five specialty cocktails. The idea is simple and unique, and has been well received in Tuscaloosa.  My favorite item on the menu is the paneed chicken. It is served with mashed potatoes and a salad. All the entrees come with the same salad. It is topped with fruit, nuts, and feta cheese and their homemade vinaigrette type dressing. It is delicious. Wes ordered this Friday night and here is the picture.
Paneed Chicken

At dinner, we talked about what nice size portions you get at Five. This plate is $17, which is a little bit more expensive than some other places in town. But, it is a full plate. You definitely don't leave hungry. You know sometimes you can go to those fancy places with fancy ingredients and spend more than that for too little food. So, the prices range from $13 to $20ish but you will be pleased with the food.
I had the Friday special. This was the first time I had tried the jalapeno tequila shrimp and I was very pleased. It was served with a polenta cake and the same salad that comes with the other meals. The shrimp had a little bit of spice to it but it wasn't too much. The shrimp was served with peppers, onions, and a light sauce over the polenta cake. The polenta cake was just slightly crusty on the outside and really tasty. Wes and I talked about what exactly polenta is. I was thinking it was similar to grits and I looked it up to make sure. Yes, it is similar to grits made with cornmeal. All in all, the meal was delicious as always. Here is a shot of mine. The polenta cake is covered up in this shot. I forgot I also got a piece of bread.
Jalapeno Tequila Shrimp
We have taken several friends from out of town to eat at Five. Everyone is always pleased with their meals. It really is such a cool atmosphere and you don't even feel like you are in Tuscaloosa. Later in the night they have live music, which is cool but gets kind of loud. They also serve food late, so if you are out in downtown and need some food this is one of the few places still serving late. Quickly, this has become the place to go for dinner, drinks, live music, and to be seen. Even though parking in downtown can be a challenge, you can park once grab dinner, drinks, meet up with friends, and have a great night out in downtown Tuscaloosa. I highly recommend Five!!

Carpe Vino Wine Tasting


Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, Carpe Vino, a locally owned wine store, has a wine tasting. For $5 you get to sample 5 or 6 wines and then get $5 off a bottle of wine.
Carpe Vino has a nice selection of wines that are displayed in really cool silver tub like containers. The sitting area is several red sofas and several chairs. While were there all the sofas were full as well as a couple of groups of tasters standing around the room. The vibe at Carpe Vino is really laid back, casual but cool. I have been for a couple of other wine tastings at this location and have always really enjoyed myself.

The crowd Friday night was a variety of ages from college students to probably 50s and 60s. I am always impressed when I visit a place in Tuscaloosa that can draw both college students and adults. You could tell it was some visitors' first times as well as several usual clients. There is nothing intimidating about the visit. Just walk right in and go to the counter to order your wine by the glass or ask to take part in the tasting. 

The tasting this week was small vineyards from Italy. I follow Carpe Vino on Facebook so I see each week what types of wines they are going to have at the tasting. I really like Italian wines, and Italy in general, so this one caught my attention and I asked Wes if he would go with me. The small vineyards have a gold label (see in the picture below) that tells you the wine is from one of the region's smaller vineyards. My friend who works here says these are always a real treat! The wines came from all over Italy and were all very different. We had three whites and three reds. From a Prosecco (light and bubbly) to a Super Tuscan (a stronger red), we were able to taste sweet,light, dry, but all really good wines. We bought a bottle of one of the reds that was from the southern heel of Italy.


Carpe Vino is located in downtown Tuscaloosa on Greensboro Ave between Mugshots and Epiphanys.You can also stop by and just buy bottles of wine. I think it is always nice to buy wine from someone who can answer questions and offer suggestions for what you might like.