Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Bellini’s Ristorante – Birmingham, AL

I am always looking for new Italian restaurants. I was told that I had to try Bellini’s Ristorante for their take on Italian food.

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When I went in I felt like I was transformed to a family home with a large wine collection. Built into the walls were wonderful wine racks that I wish I had at home.

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The wait staff was extremely friendly and very attentive. I had to start off with a traditional Bellini since it is the namesake of the restaurant. They used fresh peach puree that was noticeable as soon as I took a sip.

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I started off with their homemade soup of the day – Italian wedding soup. The broth was tastey with one large homemade meatball rather than smaller ones. It paired well with the homemade bread they served.

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The appetizer that was a must try was the meatball arancini. I have tried many different versions of arancinis, however, this was like nothing I have ever had before.

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This arancini is a meatball covered in a pesto risotto, then coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried. It was delicious. The meat was moist and light and the risotto was cooked perfectly.

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For my main course I got the Ricotta Gnocchi.

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I was expecting traditional gnocchi but this was completely different. They made a homemade gnocchi but then stuffed it with ricotta cheese. It was a like a gnocchi ravioli for a simpler description. It was severed with a sausage Bolognese sauce that was also delicious. It was like an Italian chili and I could have eaten an entire bowl.

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If you are hungry for Italian but want something that has a unique twist then check out Bellini’s: http://www.ourbellinis.com/

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Enjoy!

T

Gray’s – Franklin, TN

Located on Main Street in downtown Franklin you will see a neon sign that says Gray’s. Thanks to a wonderful bar staff I got a history lesson on the building. It has over 120 years of history. Backs in the 1920s Gray’s was a pharmacy that served the local community. Prior to that in the late 1890s the building was actually a furniture store. And now in the 21st century it is a two-story restaurant.

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I sat upstairs at the bar and was able to look out the windows to the main street below. The bartenders were true mixologists, creating all the cocktails with fresh ingredients. I tried the Fox Hollow which contained Ginger Syrup, lemon juice, bitter, and apple butter. It was the apple butter that intrigued me. I have never seen this ingredient outside of a breakfast menu. This was the most interesting cocktail I ever had. It had a strong apple flavor clearly coming from the apple butter. This drink was served cold, but I could see this actually served hot in a mug, like a cider, in the winter.

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I was a little hungry and wanted to try the bacon wrapped figs. I do not see figs on a menu very often and certainly not wrapped in bacon; what doesn’t taste better with bacon! They came out sizzling on a cast iron dish. They smelled so good but I had to wait till they cooled down a little. When I finally got to try them I was astonished at how sweet the figs were. Somehow when they cooked them the sweetness was enhanced and it blended perfectly with the goat cheese what was stuffed inside. The bacon surrounding the figs was crispy and salty. The combination of salty and sweet flavors created the perfect pair. These bacon wrapped figs were so good that I ended up eating them all and not sharing.

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I was just at Gray’s for a short visit but they have a full menu that I want to go back and try. Check them out at: www.graysonmain.com

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Enjoy!

T

 

Caffe Nonna – Nashville, TN

Tucked away in a neighborhood outside of Nashville is a little Italian restaurant called Caffe Nonna. Parking could be problematic since they only have a few spots in front. Be prepared to look for some street parking.

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I went for lunch and luckily I got there early enough that I did not have to wait for a table. They are small inside so there could be a wait on the weekends.

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To start, I shared an appetizer of Mediterranean cheese sticks. These intrigued me because they were not typical fried cheese sticks that you would find at a bar. These were feta and pesto wrapped in phyllo dough and served with tomatoes, olives, capers, and lots of garlic. The dough added crunch but all the flavor came from the saltiness of the feta and the herby flavor from the pesto. I am glad I shared them because they were filling.

I love soups so I had to try theirs. I got a small cup of their homemade white bean soup. It had Swiss chard, pesto, and parmesan cheese in it. The Swiss chard was the flavor that I thought popped out in the soup and it paired nicely with the creaminess of the beans.

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Although I was getting full I ended up ordering their chicken salad sandwich. They use huge chunks of fresh chicken mixed with grapes and walnuts and just a hint of fresh basil. The walnuts added a nice crunch to each bite while the grapes contributed the perfect amount of sweetness to the salad. It came on a big hoagie roll but this salad could have easily been enjoyed without the bread.

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If you are in the neighborhood check out Caffe Nonna at: http://www.caffenonna.com/

Enjoy!

T

Union Oyster House – Boston, MA

If you are walking the Freedom Trail in Boston at some point you will pass Union Oyster House. It is a national Historic Landmark and is America’s oldest restaurant. The building it’s located in dates back to before the Revolutionary War. As soon as I walked in I could feel the history. Just knowing that this countries Four Fathers walked these rooms gave me chills.

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I wanted to sit at the famous oyster bar but every seat was full and the wait was long. Since I was hungry from my walk, I just sat at one of the booths.

I looked over their menu and my eyes fell upon their grilled oysters. Needless to say I was completely shocked to see oysters prepared this way in the North East; I thought grilled oysters was just a southern thing. I knew I had to try these and see how they prepared theirs compared to the chargrilled oysters from New Orleans and across the south.

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The oysters did not have a huge smoky flavor from the grill. What made them taste different was they used a lot more cheese and added spinach to them. They were cooked well done so there was not a lot of juice left in the shell. I was glad to see that they were different from what I am use to.

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If you are heading to Boston, Union Oyster House needs to be on your To-Do list. Read all about their history and the history of Boston on their website: www.unionoysterhouse.com

Enjoy!

T

 

The Walrus and the Carpenter – Seattle, WA

There are many areas of Seattle that are being revived with bars, restaurants, and local shops. The Walrus and the Carpenter, located in the Ballard area of town, is one of those rejuvenations. When I walked up to the old brick building – which still has Marine Hardware painted on it – I questioned if I was in the right place.

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Then I saw the bright sign for the restaurant. When I entered the building it was a long walk down a long hallway to get to the back of the building. This is where the restaurant is located.

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The restaurant is not big inside but that creates an intimate atmosphere to me. There is a beautiful chandelier that caught my attention as soon as I walked in. It appeared to be drift wood configured to look like coral.

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The kitchen is open so no matter where you sit you can see all the action.

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As I would expect, they had an extensive menu filled with fresh oysters and fish. The oysters were the headliner, with varieties from Washington and British Columbia.

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When you order here, you ordered for the table since every dish is meant to be shared. We started with the halibut ceviche, which was fantastic! We ended up ordering 3 of them for the table. It went quickly so I was not able to snap a picture. The fish itself was so light and tender. I have never had raw fish that melted in my mouth as nicely as this halibut did.

Kale is one of those superfoods that is full of vitamins that is a great accompaniment to a meal so that is why we decided to order the kale raab. The way they sautéed it and sprinkled bacon on top made it taste better than any regular leafy kale I have ever eaten.

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Fried oysters were also a must try. They used large meaty oysters that were coated in a cornmeal batter. The cornmeal added an interesting flavor to the oyster without being overpowering. It was a perfect complement. For being fried oysters, the chef did a great job of not allowing them to become too greasy.

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If you want a great meal, hop in an Uber and head to The Walrus and the Carpenter. Check out their menu at http://www.thewalrusbar.com/ because it changes daily.

Enjoy!

T

Bro’s Cajun Cuisine – Nashville, TN

While having dinner at another restaurant I met a nice couple who was originally from New Orleans. They told me about a place in Nashville that serves authentic Cajun food that reminds them of home. It’s called Bro’s Cajun Cuisine. I knew that the next time I was hungry for something with a little extra spice I would have to check them out.

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The restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall place that you might actually pass without realizing it. They are very small on the inside but have lots of outdoor seating which tells me that they get busy. I hit them right before the lunch rush because I was able to find a seat inside.

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They had daily lunch specials set up just like a meat and 3 place. While the specials sounded good, I had to try their homemade jambalaya.

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I got a huge bowl that was filled with sausage and veggies. The rice came on the side but I put it directly into my bowl to make it a little thicker. The jambalaya had a nice kick to it – not too spicy but still made my nose run. The sausage was extremely tender. I bet it would taste awesome just on its own, grilled up.

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As I ate, I watched the restaurant fill up and the order line grow out the door. My suspicions were true – this place is a hot spot for lunch. If you are craving a taste of New Orleans then check out Bros Cajun Cuisine at www.broscajuncuisinenashville.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Drussel’s Pub – St. Louis, MO

Located in the Central West End of St. Louis sits Drussel’s Pub, since 1980. You really can’t miss it with the bright red door. When I walked in I gravitated to their beautiful wooden bar. My seat at the bar allowed me to see into the kitchen and all the chefs hard at work.

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I was there in between lunch and dinner so the menu was limited, which was fine since I was just looking for a quick snack and something to drink. Since I like Belgium Lambics I was excited to try a new brand; this one was ironically called St. Louis. It had a great tart cherry flavor.

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For snacking I tried the homemade potato chips. The kitchen cooks them to order so when they came out they were nice and hot. They were crispy with just a little salty taste. They reminded me of the chips that my dad use to make.

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I was looking over their dinner menu to see what I would be missing out on. I noticed that they had poutine listed. Their version uses sweet potato fries, pork belly, and cheese curds then covered with pork jus. It really sounded delicious and will be the main reason that I have to come back.

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Check them out at: http://www.dresselspublichouse.com/

Enjoy!

T

Laurel – Shenzhen, China

The second city in China that I got to visit on my family trip was Shenzhen. I had previously written about Frankie’s – the American pub that gave me a little taste of home. In this post I am writing about a very traditional Chinese meal we had at Laurel. The restaurant is located in the giant shopping mall where we spent most of the day.

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The meal started off with an appetizer – some pickled seaweed and chicken feet. The seaweed was salty and a little chewy. However, I cannot tell you about the chicken feet because I could not bring myself to try them.

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We got a sweet and sour pork that came with pineapple and green/red peppers. It was an awesome sweet/tangy combination. The sauce was wonderful.

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I got a bowl of minced beef soup. It was like a cross between an egg drop soup and a hot and sour soup you would find in the states. It too was really flavorful.

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The next dish we tried was an onion pancake. It was almost like a tortilla that had scallions mixed in. It was unique and different.

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The scallops were large and came with a plate full of fresh vegetables. This dish was simplistic and did not have a sauce. The only flavor you got was from the garlic it was cooked in.

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Dumplings were a must at dinner. They were extremely fresh and the filling was nice and tender.

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For dessert, I had a coconut pudding with sweet beans. It may look funny but it was a great ending to the dinner. The sweetness helped balance out all the salty flavors that we had.

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Enjoy!

T

 

Jumbo – Hong Kong, China

As I have written about previously, I was very fortunate to get to go to China with my family. One of the cities we got to visit was Hong Kong. It is such a vibrant city that has so much going on. Once you get over the fact that they drive of the other side of the road, it feels a lot like New York City.

There is a famous restaurant that we had to try while we were there called Jumbos. Jumbos is a floating restaurant that has been around since 1976. It looks like a Chinese Imperial Palace that you see in history books.

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In order to get to the restaurant you actually have to take a ferry.

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Jumbos is known for fresh seafood. You can actually walk their fish tanks and pick out the fish you would like them to cook for you. Since I do not like to see my food alive before I eat it, I decided to let the chef pick out my fish.

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We ordered a bunch of dishes for the table to share. They just came out when they were ready which was fun. I actually found myself trying to keep track of everything that we ordered.

We had shrimp chow main. The shrimp was in a great sauce over crunchy noodles. The greens on the side were bok-choy.

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We ordered a seabass with a great garlic sauce. The whole fish comes out – head attached. This was a little freaky to me, but I went with it for the experience.

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The scallops were fresh and huge. They melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite.

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We ordered a fried rice for the table that was perfect. We also tried fried tofu that was simple but tasted wonderful with all the different sauces from the other dishes on the table.

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It was a really fun dinner and definitely something I would recommend to anyone visiting Hong Kong. You can visit the English version of their website at: www.jumbokingdom.com/eng/main.php

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Enjoy!

T

 

Post Office Pies – Birmingham, AL

The Avondale area of Birmingham is a growing hot spot with breweries, clubs and great restaurants. Post Office Pies is one of these hot spots.

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Not only do they make fresh, homemade pizza in their wood fire oven, they make homemade sausage, meatballs, and mozzarella cheese!

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I started with the meatballs while waiting for the pizza to come out. The meat was extremely tender and moist. I could taste all the fresh seasonings and cheese in each bite.

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There are so many pizzas to choose from on the menu. I went for the “Swine Pie”, which was covered in their homemade pork sausage, pepperoni, bacon, and then topped with mozzarella and fresh basil. I could tell that all the ingredients were fresh simply by the taste. The pork sausage should be an item by itself on the menu – that’s how good it is.  The pizza dough is sweet and cooked perfectly with that added crunch from the oven.

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The pizza was much bigger than I expected which worked out well because I knew I had lunch for the next day. It’s a fun place to go and they are open late which is always a good things for a Saturday night.

See their menu at: http://www.postofficepies.com/

Enjoy!

T