Huntsville, Al.

[=Mark]

I'm here for a few days, any suggestions?

[Busboy]

I'm here for a few days, any suggestions?

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Rocket City USA - home to the maternal half of the Busboy liniage. Unfortunately, in many decades of visiting Huntsville, I have never had a decent meal there that didn't involve Grandma's biscuits and fried chicken and Granpa's honey and "termaters." When I got older, there's be a tumbler of Old Crow with the other men out in the garage -- no drinking in front of the ladies, please.

I'll e-mail the relatives and see if I can find anything, but it's tough. Most of the town has grown up since the 60's and a lot of charm has been lost as the strip malls were built.

[FistFullaRoux]

I've eaten at a German place - Ol' Heildelberg

(256) 922-0556, but that's about it. Usually, when I'm in Huntsville, meals are hotel convention type stuff. The infamous "fist of beef"...

[SusanGiff]

This may not be much help, but...a few years ago, we started chatting with a couple sitting at the table next to us in a restaurnant (Picholine) in NYC. They were from the Huntsville area and told us about an incredible sushi place outside town in a converted garage or gas station or something. I've always been really intrigued by it because it seemed like the kind of thing you'd never find out about as a tourist/business visitor. So if you ask around and actually find it and try it, let me know!

[=Mark]

A well kept secret on Redstone Arsenal is the Fox's Den, A BBQ joint hidden in the basement of the Fox Army Health Center. There are no signs and no advertisement. More than half of the people who work at Redstone don't even know about it. They do a full BBQ buffet for $5.75, a single serving for $5 (3 huge spareribs, greenbeans and turnip greens with hamhocks). The guy who cooks also runs 2 BBQ places in town. Unfortunately you can only go if you can get on base, not an easy thing since 9/11...

For dinners I did Mexican at El Camino Real (Could have been spicier), Then went to Thai Garden for Thai food (Was nicely spicy! Will add their Larb to the egullet thread on that topic). The last night I went to a new Indian restaurant called Sitar that did very good somozas and lamb vindaloo.

Nice place to visit but I don't think I'd want to live there...

[SusanGiff]

An all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet in a health center? Only in the South. Beats the MacDonalds popping up in other hospitals, I guess.

[lambretta76]

So - as I frequently travel to Huntsville for work, I'd like to find a couple of decent places to eat down here. So, please share some of your off-the-beaten path recs, and I'll share some of mine.

As for sushi, I'm always fairly surprised by the quality of the fish at Edo in Madison. For being an almost-landlocked state, they have surprisingly high-quality fish. And, they do a number of other Japanese standards fairly well. Plus, they sell Pocky and other strange Japanese items. It doesn't compare to the better sushi joints in NYC, but for where it is, I'm quite impressed.

Well known, but quite tasty, is the vinegar-heavy ribs at Dreamland. Warning: don't go near closing time or you may be served some past-their-prime ribs. However, their 'nana pudding is heavenly - worth a trip in and of itself.

Avoid the Atlanta Bread Company in town (on University) - no idea if it is indicative of the entire chain but I've never had anything competently prepared at this place - undrinkable espresso, burnt coffee (and not style-wise ala Starbucks, but genuinely burnt), rubbery eggs, and undercooked muffins. Absolutely disgusting.

I'd like to hear more of the hidden gems of Huntsville, along the lines of the BBQ restaurant on the Armory...

[lambretta76]

While we're on the topic - does anyone know of any "authentic" Mexican restaurants in the Huntsville area? Looking for a place that doesn't feel the need to pour something regarding Chef Boyardee sauce over top of everything...