Birmingham Eats

[NancyH]

My husband Bob and I have just returned from a week in Birmingham AL, where we attended the annual American Mensa Convention and partook of some mighty fine local eats.

We arrived on July 3, and went with some friends to John's City Diner Downtown,

112 21st Street North. John's lived up to its reputation of "upscale diner" - everyone enjoyed their food, from the most humble to the sublime!

They started us with hot-from-the-oven corn biscuits:

Tere expected her chicken to be ordinary - but it was juicy and the crust was perfectly seasoned and prepared:

She also enjoyed the smashed taters and fried green tomatoes.

The gentleman on my right loved his crab cakes:

Bob and I went for the more "upscale" dinner specials. I had a fabulous filet of red trout, dressed with the freshest melt-in-your-mouth lump crabmeat I've had since I was in New Orleans 2 years ago! It was all drizzled wtih buerre blanc and plated with perfectly prepared grits specked with fresh corn kernels.

Since they mistakenly put green beans on my plate, I got to taste that extra side - and they were very tasty! But the collard greens and sausage, which was the side I actually ordered, was wonderful - not too mushy or slimey, as greens often are - these were bright green and had just a little texture. And, anything tastes good with fresh sausage!

Bob's dinner was simply amazing. Called "Surf & Turf" - it was more like BEEF and shrimp! It must have been at least a half pound of prime rib, lightly smoked and rubbed with just the right amount of seasoning, cooked to perfect medium rare, and served with large Gulf Shrimp that barely got touched (he couldn't finish the meat, either):

One thing about Mensa conventions is that there is always food in our hospitality suites - so we did not go out for every meal. Our next stop out was the next day, when we had a late lunch at a BBQ place in the 5 Points district that we thought was locally owned, but turned out to be a "local" chain - Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q. It came highly recommended, and with good reason.

Any table that comes set like this works for me!

First up - oven-hot cheese muffins:

Bob and I decided to share Mr. Jim's Deluxe Combo - half rack of ribs (we got baby backs, which were the only disappointment because they were a little dry), 3 BBQ Meats (we got house-made sausage, Angus Brisket, and Smoked Turkey), and 4 sides. It was not only a thing of beauty - it was darned tasty!

The sausage was perfection in a casing:

For our sides, we had fresh corn on the cob that was allowed to cook way too long (and therefore not photo or taste worthy - though someone else at the table got an ear that looked very good), and mac & cheese that could have been a meal all by itself:

We also tried baked beans that tasted "made from scratch" and had an awesome pork product in them:

And coleslaw that had to be made from scratch:

We left with a carry-out box of meat that wound up being devoured by some of our convention mates - we couldn't eat another bite until the next day!

Thursday, we lunched at Taj India, 2226 Highland Ave. S. Website with friends, and though we rarely eat buffets, this one came highly recommended so we all tried it. We were not disappointed!

I started with a Lassi, but it was no ordinary Lassi:

It was the "Bombay" Lassi, which is not listed in the menu's drink section, but which is described at the beginning of the menu as you can see in the following photo:

The proprietor actually tried to talk me out of ordering it, once I 'fessed up that I'd never had one before (heck, I'd never heard of it before). And, I could understand how a Western palate might not appreciate the strong flavors, including a bit of hot chile, that did not exactly cool down the spicy Indian food. Nevertheless, I was glad that I tried it.

The buffet included 2 types of chicken (stewed in brown sauce, not pictured, and tandoori style), 2 types of lentils, mixed vegetables, and an awesome mushroom korma (which isn't in the picture because I despise mushrooms); the gravy was fabulous and adorns the right-hand side of my rice:

I especially loved the fiery Sambhar, which I happily scooped up with warm Naan:

The mint raita was spicy and soothing at the same time, and the chopped vegetable chutney was fresh and crunchy:

I neglected to get photos of the desserts, which were all very good: Gajar ka Halwa (homemade carrot and nut delicacy) that was served cold on the buffet, and warm off the menu - it was creamy and sweet - not your mother's carrots, a cold soup with vermicelli and a house made ice cream.

Fortunately for us, we made this an early lunch - because we had dinner reservations at Frank Stitt's Highlands Bar and Grille. Chef Stitt is a member of Slow Food, and is committed to locally sourced and sustainable ingredients; he gave a talk on this subject at our Convention on Friday. We dressed up a bit, got to 5 Points, and were ushered to our table. Multiple servers attended to our every want and need. We enjoyed a first class meal - starting with the bread, which tasted just-baked, and a fabulous sweet butter imported from the Czech Republic, of all places:

.

Normally, Bob and I share an appetizer - but there were so many wonderful looking choices that we each ordered one and we couldn't decide if one was better than the other, because they were so good.

I had Michael Dean's Squash Blossom and Fried Green Tomatoes with Cherry Tomatoes and Crab Salsa:

Again, the crab was pristine - and the tomatoes simply perfect. The Blossom was stuffed with light-as-a-feather goat cheese:

Bob had the Heirloom Tomato Salad, with lettuces, Cucumbers, Belle Cherve and Tomato Vinaigrette:

This was our first taste of 2007 local heirloom tomatoes, and it was sensational. We usually don't care for dressings on fresh tomatoes that are this good, but the Viniagrette complemented the flavors without interfering with them.

For entrees - Virginia opted for the Mississippi Rabbit with Creamy Grits and Chanterelles:

I've had rabbit a few times and never really cared for it - but my taste of this dish was delicious.

Two of our companions shared the Australian Lamb Chops, with Eggplant Gratin, Potato Puree and Basil Oil - the kitchen split their entree onto separate plates, so this photo is a half portion:

Frank Stitt, at his talk on Friday at our Convention, mentioned that he usually uses Jamison Lamb (from Pennsylvania), but that he couldn't get any that week. Rose Lee and Tere gushed at how good the Australian lamb was - and I found the Eggplant Gratin to be fabulous.

Two of us got the Sauteed Apalachicola Flounder and Scallops in an ingenious Gumbo Sauce that contained Okra, Peppers, Chorizio, Shrimp and Spices:

Two others got the Pork Tenderloin, plated with fresh corn, Coosa Valley Grits, and the most tasty local Peach Relish and Arugula Salad. This picture cannot do justice to the taste of those peaches:

For dessert, we ordered . . . a lot of extra spoons! We passed around the following:

Chocolate Dome Cake, filled iwth chocolate mousse and covered with Chocolate Ganache

The best Creme Brulee I've ever tasted:

House-made berry sorbet:

House made ice cream - Vanilla, White Peach, and Chocolate Jack Daniels:

Finally, Bob's choice, a Warm Peach Crostata, oozing with more of those incredibly ripe fresh peaches, three peach slices, and a ball of vanilla bean ice cream:

Our next adventure came the next evening, when a few of us hopped the DART bus down to 5 Points and the hip restaurant "26", sister of Ocean. This place was loud and I do mean LOUD - but it was a fun, energetic loud. And the food was fabulous!

We started with hot bread and herbed butter:

Bob and I ordered a sushi roll for appetizer. The combination of spicy tuna and honeydew melon worked surprisingly well:

I had to get a photo of Sue's entree: House-Made Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp!

The "special" that evening was an Australian fish filet, cooked "en pappilliote" with olives, tomatoes, lemon and wine. Normally, I would stick with "local" fish - but since 26 is the sister of Ocean, which is one of Birmingham's top fish places, I decided to try it. I was not disappointed!

Since this entree did not come with a carb (strangely - a few entrees did not, such as the seared Tuna that Bruce ordered, though most did), and since I adore Mac and Cheese in just about any form, I got the Gouda Mac and Cheese side, which was plate-licking good!

Bob seriously contemplated getting a hamburger, but I convinced him to try the Pork Tenderloin marinated in Sambal and served over Wheat Soba Noodles and vegetables, topped with a spicy Indonesian-inspired sauce:

He was glad he listened to me!

Bob did eventually get his burger, though - we woke up late Saturday morning to pouring rain. By the time we were ready to eat, the Hospitality food (which included food service Mac and Cheese that would have made me happy) was gone an hour early, and Bob wanted to see a program that started in an hour. We trundled up to the hotel restaurant (I wanted the Fish House, but there was no way to get to and fro in time) only to find it closed (we later learned that their roof had leaked). That left us with a choice between the hotel sports bar and Subway, and we opted for the former. You know it is a bad sign when the server doesn't ask how you want your burger cooked, and ours were cooked until any E. Coli (and moisture) were gone. And at $10.95 (and choice of fries or salad) it cost the same as the premium burgers served at Chez Fon Fon and 26. And then, just for a little salt in the wound- Bob found out that his program had been postponed until 9:30pm, so we could have gone out after all!

We made up for our mediocre lunch by having dinner at Frank Stitt's more casual restaurant, Chez Fon Fon. Two of our dining companions had been to France several times, and they were amazed at how well Fon Fon captured the look and feel of a French Bistro - right down to the ambient noise from all of the customers talking!

We began with freshly baked bread and more of that amazing Czech butter:

Bob and I decided to share the Sausage Plate appetizer, which we thought was misnamed - there was a veritable melange of tastes and flavors on the plate:

Chef Stitt has a working farm that produces some of his produce and other products - judging by the bright yolks and fabulous flavor, I'm guessing that the hard cooked egg was from a heritage chicken (he mentioned Aracaunas in his talk). There were two slices of meat - a pepperoni (not my favorite flavor) and a salami (that's more my style!), a tangy slaw, and a dollop of what tasted like freshly made mustard. Also on the plate were boiled potato slices, mini pickles that Bob enjoyed, beet slices, and small olives. Even the green garnish had an interesting, if slightly bitter flavor.

Dorine's Salmon entree looked devine:

Terry treated herself to the lamb, which was dressed with fresh mint puree and served with Zucchini Gratin:

I selected the Fish of the Day - fresh Triggerfish draped with a luscious buerre blanc studded with potato. The haricot verts were exquisite. My only criticism was the boiled potatoes - I would have liked a more interesting side:

Bob picked a winner with the Hangar Steak, topped with a fresh corn relish and served with Pomme Frittes and Fresh Garden Greens:

Bob also enjoyed a local microbrew from Olde Towne Brewing Company. The server mentioned that the brewery had just burned down the previous day - we didn't get a chance to determine for sure whether that was true; a shame because the beer was really good!

Three desserts came to the table and they were all wonderful. First, Pot de Creme with house made chocolate biscotti:

This next concoction layered rich chocolate and nuts, and was topped with a dreamy dollop of creamy goodness:

Finally - coconut custard cake:

We left very happy, and very glad we had arrived early, since the place was now packed (and they do not take reservations) and the bar was three deep with customers!

On Sunday, we brunched at the new Icon, located in the Tutweiler Hotel. We started with beverages. The "Blueberry Monster" was a blend of orange juice, blueberry, mango, and banana purees, apple and Concord grape juices, and it was the perfect revitalizer after a long weekend of partying! Also refreshing was the Raspberry Lemonade made with fresh lemon juice and raspberry puree.

Next - a basket of breakfast pastry accompanied by orange marmaladed butter. The Pecan Rolls were to die for!

A local had told us not to miss Icon's Spicy Green Tomato Soup, with peppered shrimp and applewood smoked bacon. Bob and I decided to split a bowl, and it was presented to us in two small bowls, one of which is pictured below.

The flavors were intense and delicious - this was the best thing we tasted at Icon.

I ordered the "ICONIC EGGS BENEDICT" - English muffin, lump crab, Creole hollandaise, and asparagus, and a side of Stone Ground Cheese Grits.

The grits were excellent. The egg dish was also very good, except that the crab was not very fresh.

Rose Lee ordered French Toast, which came in a huge portion; she enjoyed it, but took a "people bag" with her to the airport!

Bob went more to the lunch side of brunch, ordering an item described as "SPRING TAGLIATELLE cherry tomatoes, spring peas, asparagus, white truffle oil, manchego". What he actually received was:

Though we didn't remember any chicken in the menu description (and you can see why), and though Bob doesn't much care for white meat chicken - we both pronounced the slabs of chicken on the dish delicious (in fact, every component of the dish was delicious). When the check came, there was an upcharge for the chicken, which we realized then was an optional add-on to the otherwise vegetarian dish (which Bob had not ordered); however, Bob had enjoyed it so much that he didn't ask the server to remove the charge.

Also on the lunch side was our friend Jeanette, who opted for Rice Paper Wrapped Salmon, over buckwheat soba noodles, with edamame and shiitake dashi, which she pronounced excellent:

Rounding out our table, Emily and Lori both got the Balsamic and Laurel Marinated Flat Iron Steak, with roasted leeks, carrots, potatoes, and garlic chive crème fraîche and they loved it! Lori had already "dug in" when I snapped this photo:

Jeanette was the only person who ordered dessert, and she enjoyed her Bittersweet Chocolate Pyramid with Cardamom Ice Cream, though she wanted something more gooey in the Pyramid.

Our final dinner in Birmingham found us at Surin West, a Thai and Sushi place that was highly recommended. The experience proved a reminder as to how important good service is to a good meal - even good food will be overpowered by mediocre service.

Our table of 7 was seated and beverages ordered. The server was young and a tad spacy, but nice enough. Unfortunately, his busser, who also helped to serve, had a really bad attitude that infected the entire dining experience. We realized this when the soup was served (I think all 7 of us ordered a cup). The busser handled the saucer roughly and spilled some of mine (fortunately missing my white shorts); he then ignored my 3 requests for a new napkin so I helped myself to one from the next table, which is also where he left the rag he used to wipe the spill. A treat for the customers who were seated there shortly after.

I asked the woman who seated them for some assistance and mentioned the problem with our busser, who was now serving entree plates even though he had not cleared any of the soup plates, causing a pile up. In addition, 2 entrees were wrong and had to be redone.

This was all a shame, because there were some fine flavors in the food. First - Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup:

I had Roasted Duck with Red Curry, roasted duck that is then marinated overnight

in a red curry sauce then blended with Kiffir leaf, pineapple, and fresh tomato:

Bob went for the Pad Prik with pork. He ordered it "Thai Spicy"; it was hot but not incendiary. The dish had red and green bell peppers, onions, garlic, and straw mushrooms in a pepper sauce.

The entrees were served with a nondescript white rice. Overall, I wouldn't rush to eat there again, but then, had the service been better, the food might have tasted better.

For our last meal in Birmingham, we were determined to partake in that Southern tradtition of "Meat and 3". We took the DART bus up 20th Street to Tracy's Cafeteria and oh my did we eat well!

Bob went for the classic - Meatloaf. Even though I usually prefer my own meatloaf to any made in a restaurant, I have to admit that this was very tasty. Bob's sides were Lima Beans, Mac 'N Cheese, and Cole Slaw - the slaw was fantastic and had a vinegar, rather than a mayo base for the dressing:

My meat was perfectly fried chicken tenders. My sides, which were absolutely perfect, were fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and Mac 'N Cheese:

Since my first taste of the chicken seemed kind of dry (and a couple of the pieces were, though the rest were juicy and tender), I asked for gravy and they gave me the mashed potato gravy. I wound up prefering a mustard-mayo condiment I found on the condiment table with 4 types of hot sauce:

We were too stuffed to even consider dessert, which was a shame because they looked delicious.

So there it is - a wonderful week of mostly great eats. The skies opened up as we waited in the hotel lobby for the airport shuttle; at least it waited until after lunch.

Thank you, Birmingham, for your gracious and tasty hospitality!

Edited July 11, 2007 by NancyH (log)

[Domestic Goddess]

Nancy, I truly enjoyed your Birmingham smorgasboard of feasts. I think my favorite foodie pic is that one of the table laden with all those sauces!

[BethG]

Nancy,

Those are truely great pictures. It looks like you have a wonderful time. If you say the crab was good, it must have been phenomenal! I wish I could find honeydew sushi around here, that was my favorite dish that you had.

Thanks so much for the picturebook of your vacation!

Happy Birthday!

Beth

[menon1971]

When I moved to Bham four years ago I was concerned that it was going to be a culinary wasteland. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the cuisine. You hit some of the choicest spots, in my opinion, John's especially (I knew the restaurant as soon as I saw the cornbread).

[wareaglechef]

I live in Birmingham and I think you did a great job of getting our local flavor. Chef Stitt is king in my book but Chris Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish club also does a fabulous job. Cafe Dupont, downtown, is also adept at presenting local produce and quality ingredients together for some stunning meals. There is a lot of good bbq in town, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! It is good to see someone leave with a favorable impression of our culinary landscape. As I travel I compare everything to Highlands and I am amazed how well it holds up. Thanks for an entertaining and well written report.

[NancyH]

I live in Birmingham and I think you did a great job of getting our local flavor. Chef Stitt is king in my book but Chris Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish club also does a fabulous job. Cafe Dupont, downtown, is also adept at presenting local produce and quality ingredients together for some stunning meals. There is a lot of good bbq in town, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! It is good to see someone leave with a favorable impression of our culinary landscape. As I travel I compare everything to Highlands and I am amazed how well it holds up. Thanks for an entertaining and well written report.

←

We were at a slight disadvantage arriving on July 3, because most of the city's good restaurants closed for WTW that week. Hot and Hot and Cafe Dupont were both on my list, but we simply could not squeeze them in. Two of our dining companions did make it to Hot & Hot (the night we went to Highlands) and they gave it rave reviews.

[cyalexa]

I just had an excellent meal at Highlands Bar and Grill. My server was wonderful and suggested perfect wine pairings. I started with the baked grits. It was light and souffle-like, yet still corny, and surrounded by pieces of country ham, mushrooms, and a parmesan thyme sauce.

It was so good I was worried the entree would not measure up. Not to worry! What followed was Daube à la Provençal with a very unctuous portion of beef cheek napped with an amazingly complex sauce. The pic does the dish no justice.

 

I don't generally order dessert but was intrigued by the sorghum ice cream filled profiteroles and was glad I ordered them.

[kayb]

Looks lovely! I've always wanted to go to Highlands. One day...

[cyalexa]

It was an exceptional experience.