wordwiseguy

Let's talk about some of the great restaurants here in Birmingham. We all know about Frank Stitt's restaurants, Highlands being my favorite, but more are emerging every day. Some are trendy, some casual, others exotic. Let's find them and talk about them. One place I love to go is Sol y Luna over in Lakeview. This one may be an obvious choice and certainly not a secret to many, but I wanted to offer this one first because in many ways Guillermo is a pioneer here with what he has done to expand the Latin American pallette in Birmingham. He manages to bring the real flavors of Mexico to his little tapas and tequila bar. He pays attention to the details and works hard to hit quite of few of the senses - sight, sound, smell and most importanly taste. So, what else is out there? I've heard there's a relatively new Korean place on Greensprings - Seoul Korean I believe? Anyone been there? What about Standard Bistro? Or the Brazilian place in Vestavia?

Glad to be here. Thrilled to know there is a Birmingham contingent. We have some really great retaruants here. And I hear from a few reliable food sources around town that more exciting options are on the way.

If you're still in Guadalajara, try Sacromonte. What an amazing restaurant. My friends, who live in Zapopan swear it's better than Santo Coyote, the most discussed of the trendy restaurants in the city. Another great restaurant is Tacos Providencia Centro on MORELOS 86 CENTRO 44100. This place has the best tacos al pastor of the places we ate during our last visit. It was just down the street from my wife's grandparent's house and we ate there as much as we could.

Papas con chile, amigo. I always look for them when I'm in Mexico. Plus, give me tacos al pastor con cebollitas on the side and the little orange drink - Chaparritas - in the short bottle. And what about tortas ahogadas? Although this is more a Guadalajara thing. Incredible. Mexicans in Guadalajara swear tortas ahogadas are the single best hangover cure on earth. Finally, I never miss a chance to get aguas frescas, my favorite being horchata de fresa. ¡Buen provecho!

Frank Stitt is great. His new cookbook is informative and inspiring. But what I like most about Stitt is his passion for local food and how he uses local produce, herbs and anything he can manage to work onto his menu. His commitment to the Chef's Collaborative and the Slow Food movement is admirable and upon learning this I spent an afternoon researching both essential organizations I've come across Stitt around town and have found him to be a pretty cool guy to boot. I remember when I used to wait tables years ago at a local restaurant he'd often pop in near closing time, sit quietly in an out of the way booth and have either a steak sandwhich or a NY strip and a drink before heading home for the night.

Chocolate covered crysallized ginger is pretty damn good. You can get it at some gourmet chocolate shops. I know Bon Bon on Clark in Chicago used to have the best I'd found while I was living there. You'll find Bon Bon in Andersonville just off Clark and Balmoral. While you're there try the ginger Buddhas as well. Yum.

Here's what I've learned: That I am not alone in my food obsessions, whether it's having to try every taqueria I come across, or my uncontrollable lusting toward the Frances Frances Espresso maker (orange), or my need to have excessive number of Oxo spatulas and other products. That while great food is about fresh, simple ingredients, it's also very much about the people involved and the atmosphere in which it's consumed, the undeniable creative process and the passions that drive chefs and gastronomes alike. That when it comes down to it, I know nothing about food and I have a lot of reading, experimenting, cooking, creating and eating to do.

Sounds like a great idea. My wife and I made carnitas last night, roasted in the oven and served with homemade tortillas and pico de gallo. Yummy! It was our first time making tortillas at home and upon doing so I exlaimed that we would never buy packaged tortillas again. If you haven't tried making tortillas at home, I highly recommend trying it. The flavor and texture is better and the process is relatively easy. And, when we finally sat down to eat our tacos, they tasted even better knowing they were made with our hands. I eat my pork carnita tacos generously topped with pico. Now I'm craving carnitas all over again.