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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.