Restaurant experiment: Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking

Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking

1917 Hoover Court, in the Hoover Court Town Center

Birmingham, AL 35226

205-824-8283

http://www.mrchenschinesecooking.com/

A reputable source suggested I check out Mr. Chen’s, and since I happened to be in Hoover anyway, I thought, why not?  Laura was also game for checking out Mr. Chen’s.  She too had been told of its virtues.  Plus, Laura had to go to Publix after, and Publix was in the next shopping center over.  It was a done deal.

Mr. Chen’s is located in a strip mall, next to Green Valley Drug Company.  It seems to get a steady stream of to-go orders.  The ladies working the tables are quite nice and attentive.  Laura and I had to decide for awhile what we wanted to eat, and eventually we elected to have an appetizer to start off the evening.  The steamed dumplings ($4.95) were quite pleasing.  I actually wanted soup dumplings but got confused and ordered the wrong thing but that was okay.

The menu actually surprised me.  For Birmingham, Mr. Chen’s offered some adventurous fare such as pork ears, pork intestines, and pork feet.  Bubble tea was also on the menu if you like tapioca balls in your milky tea.  The menu features dozens of items, so you’re very highly likely to find something you’ll enjoy.  And at reasonable prices too!

After much consideration, I went with the shrimp stir fry rice noodles ($7.95).  Good portion size, not stingy with the shrimp, not bland.  It gets my seal of approval!  It took me a while to eat it all up, but that was partially due to me yakking away to Laura, er, trying to savor every chopstick-full.

At the end of the meal, a grizzled older woman patron lit up a cigarette and started puffing away IN THE RESTAURANT.  WTF?  Thank goodness the management gave her a talking-to, began airing out the space, and we were soon leaving.  Disgusting.

This was probably my first Chinese food experience in Birmingham, and I’m glad I can safely recommend Mr. Chen’s to those who want a taste of China and Taiwan in ol’ Birmingham.

Restaurant experiment: Grindhouse Killer Burgers

Grindhouse Killer Burgers

1842 Piedmont Avenue NE at Wimbledon Road NE

Atlanta, GA 30324

404-254-2273

http://www.grindhouseburgers.com/

I have to admit that the memory of eating at this joint isn’t entirely clear since I’ve slacked and too much time has gone by.  Oh well.

I do remember the parking lot.  It’s very small and confusing since you can enter on one side and travel in your vehicle to the other side, but if you enter on the other side, you can’t drive over to the first side.  Try to go at off-peak times since I don’t know what else to do when that lot is full.  Shades of the Yeah! Burger parking lot for sure.

I was trying to determine if Grindhouse Killer Burgers has anything to do with the Quentin Tarantino movie.  It doesn’t appear to, but it seems like it could have been straight outta the movie.  The props/decor are reminiscent of the southwest U.S.  Just like that movie!  If you never saw it, you aren’t missing much.

Dave and I as usual took forever to decide.  We planted ourselves in front of the big giant menu to consider our options.  Grindhouse has more of a Tex-Mex slant, as the menu is dotted with chili, pico de gallo, and burger names like “Apache Style” and “Gringo Style.”  The cheesy poofs tempted me sorely.  Fried pimento cheese blobs?  Yes yes.  Not this time, but maybe in the future?

Dave and I waited in the line, as there is a sign telling you to enter the queue here, or somesuch.  Mad props to the cashier girl who turned to us to take our order, effectively giving the smackdown to some folks who did not listen to the line sign and tried to cut in front of us.  Zing!

I decided to build my own burger, adding bleu cheese ($0.50)  to a $6 double (1/4 lb. each).  Freebie toppings I selected included lettuce, tomato, raw onion, and pickle.  The “fresh toasted potato bun” was noteworthy in its sturdiness and hearty taste.  The menu says toasted, but I didn’t recall the bun being crispy.  No wimpy buns here.  The main star of this burger show was the beef.  The beef tasted like “dry aged chuck and brisket.”  Just pure beef.  The default temp is medium, and I seem to recall that my patties were around that range.  Certainly not rare or well done.

We shared some crinkle cut fries ($1.99).  I normally don’t really care much for crinkle cut, but these actually weren’t too bad, better than I expected.

Grindhouse is a totally solid contender in the Atlanta burger squad.  I see that it doesn’t get quite as much love on Yelp, but it’s still fine by me.  If you want ground up meat in burger form, this is the house for you!

Restaurant experiment: Ledet

Ledet

3082 Briarcliff Road NE at Clairmont Road NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

404-320-0210

http://www.ledetethiopianrestaurant.com/

It’s always exciting for me to knock off another Ethiopian restaurant in Atlanta.  Hmm, that made me sound like a bank robber.  Anyway, this time it was Ledet, and Dave and I ended up going with a big group.  Ledet is located in the same shopping center area as Meskerem and Desta.  Our group took over the entire middle of the restaurant.  As with most Ethiopian places, the service is not the speediest, and the food takes its sweet time coming out, but that seems to be par for the course with Ethiopian, but on the upside, the servers were friendly and the food was tasty.

The servers thoughtfully placed carafes of water on the table so that we could serve ourselves.  The carafes were in an attractive tea cozy-like contraption that looked to be make out of a staw-like rope.  The people at our table nearest to Dave and me ended up having all of our entrees on one platter of injera which may not have been the smartest thought due to overcrowding on the plate.  But I guess Ethiopian has that communal quality so it was all good.

Dave and I got our usual order of kitfo, tibs, and veggie combo.  Here are the awaze lamb tibs ($10.99) and veggies ($11.50), squeezed onto this here plate with the orders of three other people.  What comes to mind remarking about Ledet’s fare is that it’s a bit spicier than the other Ethiopian establishments I’ve tried.  Not the best thing for me personally, but the spicy lovers were on Cloud 9.  Note for the future: get one plate per person ordering!

Here’s the regular kitfo ($10.50) which came out on its own.  We ordered medium, still not up to trying rare.  We stopped the waitress from dumping it onto the already crowded main plate.  It was pretty good.

I felt a tiny twinge of large group remorse since I’m sure our table was loud to the other patrons, but oh well.  I at least wasn’t being loud myself, so I didn’t feel too obnoxious.

Splitting a bill with others is a headache.  And add a Scoutmob offer to the mix…avoid avoid avoid!  Thank goodness our waitress was good humored about the payment.

Ledet might not be in my top 3 ATL Ethiopian joints, but it was still fine, and it seemed like the others all enjoyed their food too.  Hooray!

Restaurant experiment: Five Bar

Five Bar

744 29th Street South at Clairmont Avenue South

Birmingham, AL 35233

205-868-3841

http://five-bar.com

It was Laura’s birthday, hooray!  Well, a few days earlier, but close enough.  Birthday celebration at any rate.  It was mutually decided that we should go to Five Bar, or I’ll just call it Five.  Laura had been before, but Dave and I had never patronized the place.  There was an outdoor patio space, but we sat inside, towards the back.  Five is very attractive inside, with chandeliers, artwork on the walls, and frames handing from the ceiling.  A trendy spot, no doubt.  Oh yes, if you’re wondering about parking, you’ll have to street it unless you want to valet it (which I never want to do if I can help it).

If you don’t know what Five is, their thing is that there are five of each item: five appetizers, five entrees, five cocktails, five wines, five beers.  Sometimes fewer choices can be a positive thing, especially since I can often be overwhelmed by too many choices.  So I embraced this concept.

Our server was a very laid-back, chill kinda gal with a good attitude.  I wish our drinks had come out earlier, but I can’t fault her for that.  Since it was before 6 PM, we were able to order nibbles and drinks from the happy hour menu.  For happy hour, the house cocktails were $5 (marked down from ~$9-10), and there was an appetizer for $5 (queso with shrimp).

I went with the Prosé which consisted of Calcu rose wine, peach schnapps, St. Germain elderflower, and champagne.  It was the girliest concoction on the list.  Of course I had to get that.  The drink came with a single rose petal!  Can’t get any more feminine.  The queso dip rocked.  Yeah!

All three of us decided to order the cheeseburger ($13).  The other entrees seemed a tad pricey.  I picked it because it was the cheapest option and also because I am crazy about cheeseburgers.  I’m sure Laura and Dave shared the same ideas.  The cheeseburger came with Five spread and hand-cut fries, according to the menu.  Entrees are accompanied by a salad.

I seem to recall that I ordered my burger medium well, and it came out more on the well side.  Oh well.  The Five spread was fine, some cheese-onion concoction.  Nothing too wacky.  I was very relieved since I was able to have my raw onions on my burger.  Homemade-seeming pickles were a nice touch.  I thought they were cucumbers at first (they were on the salad), so I didn’t put them on my cheeseburger.  No worries.  The fries were of the shoestring variety which I love.  Maybe a tad too much salt, but whatever.  The salad was high class.  Goat cheese?  Dried fruit?  Way above iceberg and carrot shreds.

Amusingly, there is only one dessert option (bread pudding).  Where are the four others?

Thanks Five, you were the perfect place to celebrate Laura’s birth!

Pro tip: Ladies night every Tuesday!

Restaurant experiment: Mix

Mix

1819 5th Avenue North at 19th Street North

Birmingham, AL 35203

205-323-4110

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MIX/157497564298817

Mix is a bit of an anomaly.  It doesn’t have a website (well, a Facebook page only), and it’s only open Monday through Friday, just from 10-3 PM.  I’m 99% sure I would have never patronized the place except I ended up here for a work-related event, as it was highly recommended by a person in my party.

It was odd being downtown during the middle of a workday since all of the folks in business causal clothes were out and about.  I wonder if the building housing Mix used to be a bank.  It looks kind of like an old bank.  Also, the feel of Mix reminded me of a museum cafe.  Maybe it was all the white and modernity.

Mix is from the chef behind Cafe Dupont [Chris Dupont], which I have never dined at but I have heard about as it’s one of Birmingham’s fine dining destinations.  Also, all the bread is made in-house.  I did not eat any bread, though I was sure to patronize the pastry case.  Hey, free lunch, go all out!  I was encourage to do so actually.  The homemade pop tarts were tempting; however I ended up getting a red velvet brownie thing.  Sweets seemed to be around $2-4.

So you order at the counter, pick out your dessert, fill up your beverage, and then sit down and wait for your lunch to be brought to you.  There were no tables available upstairs, so we ended up at the end of a communal wooden table downstairs.  It’s a kind of a rarity to see duck dishes in Birmingham, much less during lunch.  Mix had two waterfowl options on that particular day, and being the duck lover than I am, I couldn’t pass up having any duck for lunch.

I ended up with the duck fries instead of the duck pizza.  It was about $10.  When the runner came out and inquired as to who had the “poutine,” I was thrown for a loop temporarily because the menu did not refer to the dish as poutine, and this isn’t Quebec.  I quickly came to my senses and told the guy that was my food.  He was new on the job and stumbled a tad with some entree names but no one was concerned.

An oozy gooey mess of fries and cheese and duck was presented before me, and I ate heartily and cheerfully.  I did concede that the gravy was somewhat on the salty side but that seemed trivial since the cheese and duck made up for that.  I was stuffed for obvious reasons.  Heavy.  And I was really stuffed because I couldn’t eat my dessert which is unlike me.  I had to save it for later.  It was good but not as memorable as the poutine.  Because seriously, where the heck can you get poutine in Birmingham, much less Alabama?  Mix!

Best work lunch in a while!

Restaurant experiment: Bagel Palace

Bagel Palace

2869 North Druid Hill Road NE at Lavista Road

Atlanta, GA 30329

404-315-9016

http://www.bagelpalaceatl.com/

Dave and I decided to try Bagel Palace, as we were nostalgic for New York deli experiences.  As it turns out, there are plenty of bagel joints in Atlanta, maybe for all the New York transplants.  Bagel Palace is tucked away in the mammoth Toco Hills Shopping Center, kind of between Kroger and Publix, on a little island with a couple of other stores.

It was later in the day on a weekend, so the place wasn’t very crowded.  There were some people picking up stuff to go but no one sitting at the tables.  A girl said we could seat ourselves, and the waiter who was supposed to serve us took his sweet time to come over.  Dave later said that the girl had given the guy a talking-to about his dilly-dallying.  Guess they’re a little more prompt usually.

The menu is huge.  It took me a very long time to decide what I wanted.  Bagels?  Sandwiches?  Pancakes?  No Eggs Benedict so I couldn’t order that.  I ended up with the pastrami sandwich on rye ($8.65), and Dave went with the Reuben.  I couldn’t resist and added a side of fried okra to the order, not very New York, but I am a fried okra fiend.

The food came out promptly.  Immediately I thought to myself, “This sandwich isn’t as huge as the one at Katz’s,” but looks can be deceiving, as I anticipated that I wouldn’t be full, but the amount present was actually just right.  Good pastrami.  I am by no means a pastrami expert but I liked what I consumed.   The fried okra was hot and not too battery.  Nicely done.

I thought about trying a King of Pops popsicle, but they looked like they had melted and then were refrozen so I steered clear.  Instead, Dave and I got an everything bagel with green onions to go and a couple of sweet baked treats (hamantashen and Linzer tarts) as well.  Yum!  Bagel Palace is not Manhattan, but I knew that the second I was able to find a parking space right in front of the establishment, ha!

Restaurant experiment: Silvertron Cafe

Silvertron Cafe

3813 Clairmont Avenue between 39th Street South and 39th Place South

Birmingham, AL 35222

205-591-3707

http://www.silvertroncafe.us/

The Silvertron Cafe is the sort of casual place that would please a wide range of people since it offers sandwiches, burgers, pastas, Tex-Mex items, desserts, and drinks.  It’s got an appealing atmosphere, casual and neighborhoody.

Laura, Dave, and I ended up here since we were at Avondale Brewing Company and wanted food, and there was no joint open to serve us food in Avondale.  Sadness.  So we hopped into the vehicle and headed over here since it isn’t too far.

The Cafe wasn’t too busy, and I spotted a couple of families eating.  There was one mega table set up for what looked like a massive birthday dinner, but we left before that was in full swing.  Our server reminded me of Taylor Swift but Laura didn’t think so.  Every time I comment that someone looks like a famous person, no one ever agrees with me.  I don’t get it.  I guess I’m just right, and they’re just wrong and blind.

I ordered the Trio of Mini Burgers ($9.50).  The burgerettes included a cheeseburger one, a mushroom & Swiss one, and a black & blue.  The menu stated that the burgers were cooked medium, but I can recall that one of the them was on the well done side.  The rolls were “soft yeast rolls” that were delightful and sturdy, with just a touch of sweetness.  My side was the garlic mashed potatoes.  They were rather pleasing.  Yeah, the burgers weren’t the best in the world, but they were satisfying and hit the spot.

Looking forward to brunch here sometime in the future.  Silvertron’s got five Benedicts on the menu, sold!

Restaurant experiment: Slice

Slice

725 29th Street South between 7th Alley North and 7th Alley South

Birmingham, AL 35223

205-715-9300

http://www.slicebirmingham.com/

Laura suggested we go to Slice one Friday evening, and I was totally game, seeing as though a friend had mentioned to me that Slice was a tasty option.  We went on the early side which was wise because as we were leaving, the place was packed out and there were tons of folks waiting.  Good that wasn’t us.

I’m not really sure about the parking situation…it’s not the best in Lakeside in general.  It appeared as though valet was an option, but I parked on the street because I don’t like valet, and I saw the street space before the valet anyway.  Slice might have its own lot.

Seating-wise, there was a roomy outdoor space as well, but the two of us elected to sit inside.  I must say that I do dig old houses/establishments that have been converted into modern businesses.  Just recently, I paid a visit to Avondale Brewing Company for the first time, and I really adored that building.

This slightly raggedly-looking employee seated us at probably the crappiest table in the old house that is Slice.  So yeah, this table was a wee two top, in the middle of an area that was right next to the bar where patrons were sitting and where the staff order their drinks.  It was not appealing to me.  And there was an empty table in the same section that was next to the window.  Argh!  I was 99% about to request a different table but didn’t.  “Rise above,” I told myself.  I decided to put it behind me and focus on the meal and having a dandy time.

Our waiter was a low talker like in that Seinfeld episode.  I couldn’t hear him very well.  I think he was going on about beers, but I couldn’t hear anything which all worked out for the best because I didn’t want any beer.  Yes, I should mention that Slice is all about the Alabama beers; they even had a cool art print of Vulcan holding up a bottle of beer.  Beermingham, indeed.

Both Laura and I opted to begin our meals with salads, the spinach salad to be more precise ($6 for a side).  This bacon-fied side came with good old bacon, caramelized onion, some slices of mushrooms, a bit of hardboiled egg, and bacon vinaigrette.  My only wish was for more bacon.  Thumbs up to the salad.

It took some time for Laura and I to mutually decide on a pie.  Not that we had radically different preferences, but there were several pizzas that tempted us.  Eventually we settled on the Basic Pesto ($17) because it featured Alabama goat cheese.  Goat cheese always elevates your edibles to a higher level.  And how can you go wrong with house Italian sausage, red onions, and roasted peppers?  The answer is that you cannot.  We both adored this pie and wished that the pizza were larger so that we could eat more slices.

Laura and I were in agreement that Slice was heaps better than the disappointment known as Bettola.  We were quite satisfied.  Capping off the dinner, we headed to Steel City Pops for dessert.  Gingerbread popsicle…oh yeah!

Restaurant experiment: Cafe 640

Cafe 640

640 North Highland Avenue between North Avenue and Blue Ridge Avenue NE

Atlanta, GA 30306

404-724-0711

http://cafe640.com/

Two facts led me to suggest Cafe 640 as a brunch destination:

1. They serve eggs Benedict.
2. A Scoutmob deal was available (up to $10 off).
3. Bonus: It’s not too far away.

Dave and I headed over to Cafe 640 one pleasant Saturday early afternoon.  There’s a parking lot for patrons of the restaurant just north of the establishment and the adjacent Highland Inn.  We lucked out and slipped into a space, definitely a tight lot.  There was no wait at the restaurant; we had our pick of seating spaces: patio, enclosed patio between first patio and inside, and inside.  We elected to sit inside which maybe was the least populated.  The man who greeted us was warmly welcoming, so color us dismayed when our server was not.  He could have taken a cue from practically all the other employees in the joint.  I hate it when you get stuck with the Aloof Waiter (trademark Dave) and everyone else seems to have nice, friendly servers.  Sigh.

For drinks, I went with a freshly squeezed grapefruit juice ($3.25 for a small glass which wasn’t too small), and Dave opted for a bloody Mary which was on the costly side ($8) but worth raving about.  You can’t go wrong with freshly squeezed citrus, really.  Mmm.

Dave ordered the Buttermilk Biscuit ($9.50), but the Aloof Waiter misheard him and gave him the Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits ($12).  Luckily for Aloof Waiter, Dave loved the chicken and biscuits.

I at least got what I ordered, the Eggs Benedict which the menu described as having “Applewood smoked ham, English muffin, and hollandaise.  You were able to select for your side: either grits or potatoes.  I went with cheesy grits ($1) extra which I wish were not extra, but they were damn delicious.  So yeah, get the cheesy grits.

Cafe 640 sure does love chives, as evidenced by the picture above.  Maybe not the most stellar hollandaise sauce in the Milky Way Galaxy, but very pleasing.  Even though I mentioned the Scoutmob deal while ordering, Aloof Waiter neglected to put the discount onto the bill, but a quick mention got him to fix it without any fuss.  Saving money and eggs Benedict, what could be better?!?!

Restaurant experiment: Mugshots Grill and Bar

Mugshots Grill & Bar

1919 Kentucky Avenue, Suite 101 by the Rave Theater

Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

205-824-9030

http://mugshotsgrillandbar.com/

I’d been wanting to try Mugshots Grill and Bar since someone told me about their peanut butter burger this summer.  Intrigued, I put Mugshots on the list since I do love me some burgers and all.

Eventually, the time to try Mugshots had finally come.  It was a Friday night, and Dave and I were famished; burgers seemed be the cure.  It was a nippy night.  The place was quite crowded, so we were stuck at a two top right by the door.  Lovely.  I kept my coat on and coped as best I could…wish they could have turned up the heat a little to compensate.  The patrons were a mix of families enjoying a meal together and young adults cutting loose after the end of the work week.

I opened up the menu.  It’s typical bar/grill/what you’d expect in the Applebee’s vein (wings, pasta, sandwiches).  They do have some more unique burgers, like a 1000 island one and a 1.5 pounder.  There were no questions in my mind about what I was getting.  The peanut butter burger, natch.  Its official name is “Anthony’s Peanut Butter Burger.”  For $8.59, this half-pound of seasoned beef on a sourdough bun can be yours.

Our server girl didn’t ask how we wanted the burgers prepared.  We weren’t sure if that was her mistake or if you don’t have a choice about the doneness of the patty.  I also don’t think I was asked about if I wanted smooth or crunchy peanut butter as the menu says you have the choice, but luckily I got smooth which is what I wanted anyway.  I decided to go for the extra bacon to jazz it up a little.

Here’s the burger with the beer battered fries.  I’m no expert on beer battered fries.  Dave was critical of them, but I was fine with them.  Nice and seasoned, though a little too chubby for my tastes.  The burger’s bun was quite sturdy and thick, almost a little sweet.  A refreshing change from the usual.

As odd as it was, the peanut butter and the beef patty actually went well together.  Who would have thought?  Mugshots apparently.  Peanut butter and bacon are all right in my book as well.  Part of the appeal was definitely the fact that you are consuming something wacky and uncommon.  The downside was that the meat was very well done which didn’t help matters.

I would eat the peanut butter burger again!  Probably not the city’s best burger, but a fun one, no doubt.