Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Casa Fiesta – Fultondale, AL

I was recently in the Fultondale, Alabama area around lunchtime. There is this Mexican restaurant called Casa Fiesta that always has a line to get in. I decided to finally check them out.

I was greeted as soon as I walked in. The staff was extremely friendly and very attentive. They had some unique décor around the restaurant, including a fish tank right at the front door.

  

My favorite decoration was the Mayan calendar that was metal and made into a wall lamp.

They had many great option to choose from on the menu. I wish I was there for happy hour because they have $3 margaritas! The waiter greeted the table with chips and salsa. Their chips were great because they were thin, which is what I prefer. Their salsa was slightly spicy and the tomatoes and green chilies were pureed very fine. Eating this became pretty addicting and if I was not careful I would fill up on the chips and salsa and not have room for lunch.

Since I was there for lunch I went for something off of the lunch menu. Usually the portions are a little smaller. But that was not the case here; the portions were still huge. I got the beef burrito and it was stuffed with flavorful ground beef. They were very generous with the amount of meat they used. The sauce that was poured on top tasted a lot like their salsa. The only disappointing thing was that there was no cheese on the inside of the burrito.

The burrito came with the traditional Mexican sides of refried beans and rice. The rice had a ton of flavor and it had lima beans mixed in. I have never had that before. The refried beans were extremely creamy. I enjoyed eating these with the extra tortilla chips that were at the table.

There are lots of Mexican restaurants around Birmingham. The hard part is narrowing them down to the best ones. If you are in the Fultondale area, then Casa Fiesta should be on your list. They also have two other locations around town.

Check out their menu at http://www.casafiestamexican.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

Fancy’s on 5th – Birmingham, AL

The Avondale area of Birmingham is booming. It is one of the hot spots every weekend. Fancy’s on 5th was the place to be on the evening I visited.

They have called Avondale home for a year and a half. It is an amazing old building with brick walls and reclaimed wood everywhere. They have a beautiful reclaimed wood sign that bares their name on the wall.

I noticed there were several octopus decorations around the restaurant, including the bathrooms. I asked my bartender Megan what that was all about. It turns out that the octopus is the mascot of the restaurant named “Octavius”. There us a neon purple one above the bar and one hanging from the ceiling above a big corner table.

  

It was a mad house inside the evening I was there because the Travel Channel was there filming for an upcoming show. My bartender was participating in the filming. She was not 100% sure which show it was going to be on but she thought it was Food Paradise.

It was so interesting watching them do the filming. They started out filming outside with a plate of food.

    

Then they moved inside by the bar with another plate of food.

  

Finally one of the crew members attached a Go-Pro camera to a plate and walked it around the restaurant filming everyone inside.

It was a wild experience and so much fun to get to see it all up close and personal.

Now I did not just go to Fancy’s to sit and watch the filming. I was there to enjoy some great food and cocktails. While I decided what food to order I got a cocktail called the Peachy Pig. This was a bourbon based drink with white peach puree, bacon syrup, Peychaud, and orange bitters. In order to get the orange bitters in the drink the bartender lite the orange rind with a lighter until there was a pop and then dropped it in the drink. Apparently by doing this technique it is supposed to enhance the flavor. I could taste mostly the bourbon in this cocktail. The peach puree added only a slight sweetness. I thought the bacon syrup would come through but I really did not taste any of it.

To start with food, the scallops were highly recommended to me by some other guests. They were large in size and were pan seared. They sat on top of a corn maque choux.

The sear was perfect on the scallops, which were tender and sweet. The corn mixture made it even sweeter. It was like a creamed corn.

By this point it was time for another cocktail. Megan was really great at creating unique elaborate drinks so I let her chose a drink for me. She prepared for me the Boulevardier. This is a whiskey based cocktail made with sweet vermouth, Campari, and orange bitters. The orange bitters were added the exact same way to this drink as the previous. I was actually able to capture this on camera this time.

  

She served it in that classic looking 1960s champagne glass. This was a strong drink. It was a good thing I had some food on my stomach, otherwise I would have been in trouble.

  

The next food item on my list was the Mexican street corn. It was a whole corn on the cob that was on a stick.

The corn had been grilled and was covered with red peppers and cheese. The cheese made it a little salty but the corn was extremely sweet. It was amazing.

Since it was served on a stick it was pretty easy to eat and not very messy.

The final drink of the evening that Megan made me was the Sazerac. This drink originated in New Orleans. It started off with the glass being sprayed with Absinthe. Then it was a mixture of whiskey and Peychauds bitters.

  

This drink was even stronger than the last. It was the Absinthe that gave the drink some bite after each sip. I am glad I tried the drink but I do not think I could handle it again.

I had a blast at Fancy’s. The food and drinks were great. The staff was extremely friendly. I am looking forward to seeing them on the Travel Channel. Check them out at http://www.fancyson5th.com/

Enjoy!

T

Cahaba Brewery – Birmingham, AL

Craft breweries have been popping up in cities all over the United States. Birmingham, Alabama is no exception. This visit I headed to Cahaba Brewery. One of the main reasons I enjoy Cahaba is because they are always getting a variety of Birmingham food trucks. The night I was there Tropicaleo was there with Puerto Rican dishes. I have written about that experience in a previous post (check it out here).

My favorite beer at Cahaba is the Kiwi Kolsch. It is one of their lighter beers that is not super hoppy. It has a faint sweetness.

It paired perfectly with the sandwich I got from Tropicaleo.

Cahaba Brewery is a really fun place to just hang out with friends. It is also a great place parents can go with little kids. There is lots of space for them to run around and play.

I felt like a kid as soon as I saw the skee-ball machines. I played skee-ball every summer on the boardwalk as a kid in Ocean City, Maryland.

The great thing about these is I did not have to search my wallet for quarters, they were all free. It was so much fun, I could have played the machines all night.

   

    

In addition to skee-ball, they have tons of arcade games and board games. You can drink beer and have game night in one spot.

Cahaba also offers brewery tours. I have not done that yet but heard it is really interesting. If you are looking for a fun night out visit Cahaba Brewery. To find out what’s on tap or what food trucks are showing up visit the website at http://www.cahababrewing.com/or follow them on Twitter @cahababrewing

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Tropicaleo – Birmingham, AL

Birmingham has a robust craft brewery scene. These breweries always attract great food trucks on site so that customers can enjoy some unique dishes along with their beer. I was visiting Cahaba Brewery one evening and they were hosting Tropicaleo. They are actually a pop up restaurant that specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine.

The smell from their grill was wonderful when I walked up. It was the first thing that greeted me as I walked up to the brewery. They had several dishes that they were serving up that were written on their chalkboard.

They were also sampling their Toastones (fried plantain chips). This was the best move on their part, as soon as I tasted them I knew I needed to order a side of them. They were nicely fried and kept the great flavor of the plantain. Sometimes plantain chips can be overwhelmed with the taste of the frying oil. These were perfect and still had their sweet taste. These were pretty addicting.

I also ordered the pulled pork sandwich. They used huge chunks of fresh pork that was cooked in a sweet guava bbq sauce. It was served on fresh Morovis bread. Morovis bread is extremely sweet. It felt like a dessert. If you like all things sweet then this sandwich is the right choice.

I enjoyed it and it surprisingly paired well with the beer I was drinking.

Even while writing about this sandwich I kept coming back to the bread. I love all kinds of bread and this is my favorite. It was awesome to eat on its own but I kept imaging this bread as French toast. The natural sweetness of the bread just makes it a natural choice. If the folks at Tropicaleo are reading this blog post – Morovis bread French toast PLEASE! I would line up for that.

Tropicaleo brings a little piece of Puerto Rico right to Birmingham. You can check out their website at http://www.tropicaleo.com/or follow them on Twitter @tropicaleobham to see where they will be popping up next.

Enjoy!

T

 

 

The Keg – Irving, TX

Texas is famous for a few food specialties, Tex-Mex, BBQ, and steak. On a recent visit to the Dallas/Fort Worth area I was hungry for a steak dinner. I made a stop at The Keg in Irving for a bite to eat.

The hostess staff was very welcoming when I walked through the door. The interior of the restaurant was warm and inviting. They have a beautiful stone fireplace that probably looks even better lite when it is not 100 degrees outside.

  

The menu was filled with lots of options for starters and steaks. I started off with the baked brie. The melted gooey cheese came with a basil pesto spread and a red pepper jelly, plus fresh made crostini.

The pesto added a little salty element but it was not my favorite. The pepper jelly was a combination of sweet and spicy. I spread that on the buttery bread and then topped it with the cheese. I thought this was the best way to eat it.

The calamari was another great starter. It had a great herb accented breading that was lightly fried. It came with two dipping sauces, a ginger garlic and a Greek feta. I did not try the Greek feta sauce. The ginger garlic sauce was amazing. It was sweet and had a little heat.

The Keg is known for their prime rib. Though that was tempting, I went with the bacon wrapped filet mignon. They have two sizes but I went with the smaller 7oz. The bacon was not very crispy; it was kind of chewy so I left that on the plate. The filet was cooked to a perfect medium – warm on the outside and pink in the center. It was covered in The Keg’s special seasoning. It had a great pepper flavor and slightly spicy without being salty.

It came with a side of fresh green beans and red peppers. I was also able to select another side. I went for the twice baked potato; it had been years since I have had on of these. It was creamy with chunks of bacon and chives mixed in. There was a hint of sour cream whipped in the potato. They put it all inside the potato skin and then baked until the top was crispy.

I could not pass up a chance to try some desserts. The table got two so we could each have a taste. The Billy Miner Pie was a mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust that was drizzled with hot fudge and caramel sauce and sprinkled with sliced almonds.

The ice cream was light and fluffy. It melted quickly in my mouth and on the plate. The chocolate crust tasted like chopped up Oreo cookies. I could have eaten just that chocolate crust as a dessert. The hot fudge and caramel added extra sweetness and the almonds simply added crunch.

The other dessert was the Margarita Key Lime Pie. I could not wait to try this because they make it from scratch with fresh key limes. It had a graham cracker crust and raspberry coulis (sauce) drizzled on the plate. The key lime was tart but extremely smooth. It was so fresh because of the texture of the filling. It was amazing.

If you are wanting a great steak dinner while visiting the Dallas area then check out The Keg. They also have a few other locations across the country. See for yourself at www.kegsteakhouse.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Jean Philippe Patisserie – Las Vegas, NV

With all the travel I do, sometimes I get a sweet tooth. While staying at the Aria Hotel and Casino I noticed they have a pastry shop called Jean Philippe Patisserie that is open 24/7. I decided to check them out on two different occasions.

This shop is run by award winning executive chef Jean-Philippe Maury. Once I started walking around I realized they had more to offer than just French pastries.

 

They have a large selection of chocolates, gelatos, crepes, and sandwiches. You can eat them there in the shop or get them to go.

 

The first visit I decided to get my dessert to go. I figured that after a long day of work I could relax in my room and enjoy their fresh made Napoleon. The puff pastry dough used in the Napoleon layers was very flakey. The vanilla cream was like a sweet pudding. It was generously proportioned out between each layer of dough. There was a fondant icing decoration on top. It was sweet, creamy, and melted in my mouth. It was the best fondant that I have ever had. This was the perfect treat to end my day.

On another night I decided to make a second visit. This time I ate in the café area. I went for a crepe. They have savory and sweet options. The fruity raspberry crepe sounded like it would hit the spot. They make each crepe to order. I was fun to watch them make it right in front of me.

 

 

The crepe was cooked perfectly – almost paper thin and crispy on one side. The sweet raspberry jam melted nicely into the crepe itself.

The crepe batter was semi-sweet so it was great that it was sprinkled with powdered sugar. I enjoyed each bite and it was not overly filling.

There are so many dessert options at Jean Philippe Patisserie that it would take several visits to try everything. I am adding them to my re-visit list. If you have a sweet tooth you should check them out. And remember they are open 24/7.

Check them out at www.aria.com

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Julian Serrano Tapas – Las Vegas, NV

The origin of tapas comes from Spain. The idea of small bites or small plates of food was all created for a king that was sick and could not eat much food. Thanks to his unfortunate illness we can now find tapas restaurants all over the country. Tapas is always fun to enjoy with a group of people. It is a great opportunity to try different culinary creations.

Award winning Chef Julian Serrano has a Spanish tapas restaurant inside the Aria Hotel and Casino. It is appropriately called Julian Serrano Tapas.

The décor of the restaurant is beautiful. There are colorful columns, mosaics on the wall, and a bar area that is decorated with filled glass apothecary jars.

  

  

To make sure I stuck with the Spanish origin of my meal, I ordered a drink that also originated in Spain, the sangria. I chose the sparkling sangria. It blended vino blanco, orange juice, peach brandy, and spumante. Surprising to me, this sangria was not overly sweet, even with the use of spumante that is very sweet. It had a slight sour taste. What was the most enjoyable was the chopped up fresh strawberries and red raspberries that were in the drink. They were extremely sweet.

Dish number one was the Pan Manchego. It was a fresh baguette with fresh crushed tomatoes spread across it. Then it was topped with a slice of aged Manchego cheese.  The tomatoes were extremely sweet and complemented the slight smoky flavor of the cheese. The entire taste made me think about a summer afternoon and picking fresh tomatoes from the garden. The dish was the perfect starter.

The second small plate was called Tender and Crab. It was a prime tenderloin topped with roasted peppers and sprinkled with Dungeness crab meat. The tenderloin was the star of the dish; it was tremendously tender and cooked to a perfect medium. The flavor of the meat shined through, the crab meat only added texture.

The third bite was the Bang-Bang Shrimp. The blue foot shrimp sat in top of little gem lettuce wedges spread with avocado. The shrimp were breaded and fried. They had a huge heat kick at the end of the bite. That’s where the bang-bang came from. The creaminess from the avocado calmed down the heat. After all the shrimp were gone I was able to eat the lettuce wedge with the avocado just like a salad.

I only got to try a few of Chef Serrano’s tapas dishes. The menu was filled with so many other choices that sounded delicious. I would definitely go back to try them all. If you are feeling adventurous and want to share some great food with friends, check out Julian Serrano Tapas at www.aria.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Border Grill – Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas always amazes me, not because of the glitz and glamour. What amazes me is how many celebrity chefs have restaurants up and down the strip. I was excited to try Border Grill, which is owned by Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. These chefs have been on Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales and Bravo’s Top Chef Masters.

Located inside Mandalay Bay, Border Grill is a modern take on Mexican food.

I started off with one of my favorite cocktails. The Suprema Sangria was a blend of red wine, melon piloncillo, a splash of orange, lime, and pineapple juices. According to the menu it was supposed to come with a cinnamon stick, however mine did not. There was still a hint of spice in the sangria even without the stick. It was a unique tasting sangria. It paired well with the chips and salsa that the waitress brought to the table.

There were several things on the menu that sounded delicious. I went for the Yucatan pork. It was Achiote pork that was roasted in banana leaves and topped with cilantro, radish, and pickled onions.

The pork was extremely tender and pulled apart with my fork. The way it was prepared kept the pork tremendously juicy. The pork was both spicy and salty. It was like Mexican pulled pork barbeque. I tried the pickled onions that were on top. They were extremely tart. I ended up not eating them with the pork. The pork was perfect on its own and the onions took away from the savory flavor.

If you want a unique twist on Mexican food then check out Border Grill. Visit their website at http://www.bordergrill.com/

  

Enjoy!

T

BarMasa – Las Vegas, NV

The Aria hotel is home to the award winning Chef Masa Takagama’s upscale Japanese restaurant BarMasa. They receive fresh seafood straight from Japan daily. They are slightly more expensive than a typical sushi place, but their unique ingredients make it worth the additional money.

The décor of the restaurant was a unique design. There are interesting lights dangling from the ceiling.

  

I started with the miso soup. It had nice pieces of tofu along with Mitsuba, which is Japanese parsley. Instead of sliced mushrooms like other miso soups, they use Nameko, which are small mushrooms from Japan. I enjoyed these bite size mushrooms. They were moist compared to typical mushrooms that are spongy. The Mitsuba did not add a whole lot of flavor. It reminded me of spinach with its texture. The broth had a light salty taste.

I did not want a fancy sushi roll for dinner. I went with the simple tuna roll with avocado. The outside of the roll was sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds for crunch and a nutty accent. The tuna was amazing. I knew it was going to be super fresh based on the dark pink color of the tuna itself. It was like butter when I took a bite, not just because it melted in my mouth but because it had a creamy texture. The avocado pieces added even more creaminess. This was one of the best tuna rolls I have ever had.

If you are visiting Las Vegas and you want a sushi dinner to tell your friends about then make reservations for BarMasa. Even if you are not into sushi, you can sit at one of their Hibachi tables to enjoy some fresh chicken or beef.

Check out their menu at www.aria.com

Enjoy!

T