bovinekid's Profile
Special occasion dinner - Birmingham
Google can't find it for whatever reason, but Ollie Irene's website, with menu, is simply http://www.ollieirene.com/ Menu isn't updated daily, so it's not exact, but pretty damn close to what it was on Wednesday when I was there.
Think I'll post on the other thread about it now, actually.
Hispanic grocery store
Oh, my bad. I just thought of the Lorna one first because that's where the Mexicans I work with used to get carnitas to bring to work all the time. I actually never heard of Brito's; I just googled it and it gave me the Alabaster one.
Hispanic grocery store
Brito's is way down 119 in Alabaster. El Mercado is on Lorna Road in Hoover in the Plaza Fiesta shopping center along with Iguana Grill.
Thai Emerald closed - B'ham
Just happened to drive by a few minutes ago and saw a handwritten poster in the door saying they were no longer in business. If I'm surprised, it's because they lasted as long as they did. It never looked busy there. The food was solid both times I ate there, but it was a lot more expensive than I expect for Thai food, even in Birmingham.
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Thai Emerald
5408 Highway 280, Birmingham, AL 35242
Moe's opening Crestline/ Mafiaozo's closing?
Sorry for double post. Site was being weird.
Moe's opening Crestline/ Mafiaozo's closing?
It's not really a secret, I guess. Mafiaoza's is some kind of loophole-exploiting tax shelter for some Nashville attorneys.
Moe's opening Crestline/ Mafiaozo's closing?
Mafiaoza's is some kind of loophole-exploiting tax shelter for some Nashville attorneys. It's not really a secret, I guess.
Moe's opening Crestline/ Mafiaozo's closing?
IF they are closing, it probably has more to do with the true nature of the business than a lack of customers. I don't know any details and haven't heard that they're closing, but the one thing I do know is that Mafiaoza's isn't there to make a profit. :P
Birmingham - new, or new to you?
Damn, that was quick. I was planning to go try it. That is a terrible, terrible location, though.
New Gastropub - Birmingham
Heh. Just opened 90 min ago, so I'm guessing no one's been yet.
Looks like a great concept. Good luck to them in that risky location.
Not to miss restaurants in Auburn, AL?
Momma Goldberg's is a couple of blocks from the stadium, and will be a madhouse on game day, I can assure you of that. Frankly, I doubt it will be worth your trouble. As an alumnus, I adore it for nostalgia purposes and almost always go when I'm in town, but if I had it for the first time now I probably wouldn't have much positive to say about it. And I NEVER liked the nachos made with Doritos. Gross.
Not to miss restaurants in Auburn, AL?
Byron's is my favorite BBQ in Auburn. Last I checked they weren't open on game days, though. Only pre-ordered catering available then.
Bagels in Birmingham?
Oh, good. You probably remember when it was exactly, then. I was trying to remember the approximate time it closed and couldn't. Bagel Factory was the bagels I grew up on.
Bagels in Birmingham?
I don't think anyone in town has made real, boiled bagels since the Bagel Factory in Cahaba Heights closed.
Birmingham - new, or new to you?
Hasn't been "Franklin's" Homewood Gourmet in quite some time. :)
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Homewood Gourmet
1919 28th Ave S Ste 113, Birmingham, AL 35209
Visiting Orange Beach for first time ever. Would love to hear your opinions on my list of possible good eating spots.
That's a pretty awful and strange experience, but I ate at Cobalt just a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic meal. Two of the five people at our table ordered a special that they were out of, and I can assure you we were informed immediately and easily found something else to order. No problems.
That said, my hosts for the trip, who spend a lot more time on the coast than I do, told me that restaurant service on the whole is significantly better in Destin than in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area. Even so, that seems like a pretty extreme example.
Also (sorry, can't help myself), bigbobt, maybe you should work on punctuation and paragraph usage if you want people to actually read your posts. I read it because it was about a restaurant where I'd just recently dined so I was particularly interested, but otherwise I'd have never even attempted that horrendous wall of text. Jeez.
Diet Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale
There is nothing remotely natural about them cans o' corn syrup. You act surprised by this.
Best Restaurants in Birmingham?
Never had the daily breakfast there, but the brunch at Trattoria Centrale is indeed spectacular. It's counter service, not full, if that makes a difference to you.
Be sure to get there early. Not knowing when they opened, I accidentally showed up 15 minutes early on my first brunch visit, and there was already a short line. By the time I ordered, the line behind me was quite long.
Sorghum Syrup in Birmingham?
I usually buy honey from Odenville there. I feel like it's all wildflower, though I swear I saw some clover honey from the same producer somewhere once. Maybe it was there.
Birmingham Downtown lunch on Saturday
Highland's Bar and Grill is not downtown.
There is NOTHING open downtown on a Saturday at lunch time that I can think of except Urban Standard.
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Urban Standard
Birmingham, AL, Birmingham, AL
Birmingham-suggestion-Five Points
Well, not Rojo, 'cause that's not really in the Five Points area. Not far though, and definitely good.
Always Stitt-first :-) - Chez Fon Fon or Bottega Cafe.
Jim & Nick's for BBQ
Surin is boring but solid Thai (sorta) and sushi
Sitar is great Indian is a couple blocks north at University; I still like Taj India, too no matter what anyone else says, but Sitar is better
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Taj India
2226 Highland Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205
Rojo
2921 Highland Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205
Brick & Tin, Birmingham
This is going to turn into a tipping thread. Uh-oh.
I've waited tables (recently, not like 15 years ago such that I barely remember it), so I'm a pretty good tipper. I generally leave a minimum of 20% unless the service was really terrible, and a server needs only a minimum amount of charm or effort to get more than 20%.
That said, I do not tip for counter service. At all. I'll make an exception if there is some extraordinary, beyond-the-call-of-duty service, but this has happened maybe two or three times in my life.
I tip servers because that is how they get paid. If there were no tips, there would be no servers; $2.13/hr simply isn't enough for anyone to do that job. Tipping at a full-service restaurant is part of the dining out paradigm. Frankly, it's sort of weird and nonsensical, but that's the way it is. Employees at counter service restaurants get paid at least minimum wage (I'd be shocked if Brick & Tin employees didn't make significantly more); they don't depend upon tips for their wages, and the amount of service they provide generally reflects this.
Obviously, then, I'd say that you were being extravagantly generous to tip 20% at Brick & Tin, and even the 10% he thought you were leaving was more than necessary. In fact, I'm almost inclined to believe that maybe the guy at the register was making that "hoo!" about something else and there must have been some misunderstanding. Otherwise, I agree with mahalan that you should let Mauricio know about this.
Bham - Pita Stop
FYI: Pita Stop is opening another location soon in Cahaba Heights across from Winn-Dixie in the building that used to be a Hardee's. They've done a lot of work on it, though; it doesn't look like a fast food building anymore.
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Pita Stop Cafe
1106 12th St S, Birmingham, AL 35205
Birmingham -- Chuck's Fish
I wouldn't call Chuck's Fish a "sushi place" any more than I'd call Surin a "sushi place." It's a seafood restaurant that has sushi.
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Chuck's Fish
508 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Good People Brewing Company: Birmingham Alabama
Good People beer is available at a ton of bars and restaurants around town, although I'm not sure what the supply looks like at the moment since they just completed their move and I think started brewing again today. You can see the list here: http://www.goodpeoplebrewing.com/spots
I can't wait until Malone gets the canning line installed and running.
Birmingham Do Di Yo's
The moussaka was definitely a bad choice here. I ordered it the first time I went and felt exactly the same way about it.
