Restaurant experiment: Diplomat Deli

Diplomat Deli

1413 Montgomery Highway between Vestavia Parkway and Pizitz Drive

Suite #101

Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

205-979-1515

http://www.diplomatdeli.com

Despite probably having driven by Diplomat Deli a billion times, I’d never noticed it and only decided to check it out since I saw it on RateBeer.com.  This is because Diplomat Deli is known for being a package store in addition to a sandwich shop.  The wine and beer selections are supposedly pretty impressive.  I didn’t examine them thoroughly to say, though it appears that their beer selection is wide and prices are kind.  There are a handful of beers on tap, mostly local options.  No beer before noon on a Sunday though.

Laura and I met up for lunch, and even though it wasn’t 12pm yet, Diplomat was hopping.  You seat yourself, and then a server comes to take your order.  Our server was a young dude, possibly a high school kid.  He was very polite.  It was a bit drafty though.  I chose a seat poorly.

I ordered the Ambassador hot sandwich ($6.95) which included “roast beef, longhorn Colby cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard on onion roll.”  It came out quicker than I had expected.  And it was also smaller than I expected.

Between the ruffled chips and the petite sandwich, I was not full and had to resort to ordering  dessert.  The French silk pie was $3.75 and a better deal, a generous slice.  It’s basically chocolate pudding in a pie crust.  Mmm.  While paying, I asked if the desserts were made on-site.  I was informed that some of them were.  Mine was of questionable origin, but Laura’s lemon icebox pie was made on the premises.  I did like how we were not rushed off the premises after we had finished eating.

In summary, the Diplomat Deli is like a governmental institution, leaving you somewhat unsatisfied.  Once I tried to visit the U.N., and all the tickets had sold out.  This was after I had waited in a long line and had braved the metal detector.  So DD is like the UN in that regard.  Hmm, this analogy didn’t work out as I had hoped, but I was trying to link Diplomat Deli to the United Nations, to be all diplomatic.

Restaurant experiment: Makarios Kabob and Grill

Makarios Kabob and Grill

940 20th Street South at 10th Avenue South

Birmingham, AL 35205

205-731-7414

http://www.makarioskabob.com

I came to Makarios one Friday afternoon with Sara and Carey.  I’ve passed the place a zillion times and was looking forward to trying it out.  I was surprised that it was an actual sit-down place instead of those order-at-the-counter joints.  It was pretty busy, with the patio completely full, but we were seated in booths near the beverage station.  Our waitress was nice and checked on us enough but not too much.

There are a lot of entrees (for more than $10) on the menu as well.  Sara ordered one, and it came with a boatload of food because two sides are involved.  That was a bit too much food for me, so I went with something a little smaller.

I tried Carey’s hommous, and I thought it wasn’t bad.  There are plenty of pitas to go around (perfect for sharing), and they come out in little non-Ziploc baggies.

I ordered the shish kabob sandwich (well, it’s more of a wrap really) which was about $5, and then I added fries for just under $2 more.  The fries were airy and crunchy on the outside, so they were fine with me.  The wrap was okay.  I did like the lamb which had an appealing flavor.  However, the pickle were just weird and didn’t compliment the wrap well.  They kind of reminded me of the pickles on a McDonald’s cheeseburger.  Maybe nix the pickles and add more sauce?  And more lamb?

So all in all, Makarios is fine for a reasonably priced bite around UAB/Five Points, but it’s not divine food from the gods or anything like that.  And my friends will back up this statement, no doubt.

Restaurant experiment: El Barrio

El Barrio

2211 2nd Avenue North between 22nd and 23rd Streets North

Birmingham, AL 35203

205-868-3737

http://elbarriobirmingham.com

Laura suggested this place as a venue for her pre-birthday dinner.  Not being familiar with El Barrio and because I like new things, I readily agreed.  Having lived in Manhattan’s El Barrio, I found it to be all very amusing.  I did a little research and found out that El Barrio is from the team who brought us the delightful Trattoria Centrale.  With this pedigree, I was all the more excited.  Brigitte, if you are reading, the chef is a Kiwi!  Not too many Kiwis in Alabama, that’s for sure.

Anyway, being 7:30 on a Friday night led us to discover that there was a wait for a table.  We plopped down in seats by the bar and soaked up the coolness.  The hostess told us 30 minutes, but it was only around 10 minutes.  Managing expectations?  El Barrio is very beautifully renovated, with a gigantic mural as the showstopper.  Here’s a donkey/burro in a sombrero that glared at me.  The crowd was mixed though mostly 20/30somethings.  And lots of girls in wedges.  Looked like the place to be for date nights.

The two of us both decided on grapefruit margaritas ($6.50) for our beverages.  Yum, thumbs up from me.  Wish it were a tad cheaper though.  Laura wanted Queso Fundido ($4), and I certainly wasn’t going to argue.  Here is a picture of the queso.  To my disappointment, the huge pile of cilantro clippings did not endear me to the dish initially, but the actual taste won me over.  Laura told me to just push the cilantro aside, which is what I did.  The unmistakeable flavor of blue cheese really made the dip sparkle.

As it turns out, we both ordered the platos de tacos ($8.50) which includes your choice of two tacos, black beans, and red rice.  Laura’s two tacos were the barbacoa and pollo, and I elected to try the al pastor and the barbacoa.  The al pastor was described as “chile-marinated pork with charred pineapple salsa” and the barbacoa as “slow cooked beef, charred onions, chipotle, fresh cheese & cilantro.”  Still recovering from the cilantro party foul earlier, I specifically requested no cilantro which they took to heart, even omitting the dusting of cilantro I spotted atop Laura’s rice and beans.  The tortillas were legit, having that spongy texture that handmade tortillas possess.  I started off with the pork tacos which promptly set my lips, gums, and tongue a tingling.   A little too spicy for my tastes, but hey, no lack of flavor there.  The barbacoa was soft and hearty.  Spicy too but not as killer.  The rice and beans were a fine complement to the tacos.  I sipped more margarita to ease the hot pain.

There was a large succulent growing in a sink right outside of the bathrooms.  How neato.

Our waitress was probably the weakest point of the meal.  I don’t recall her really checking up on us, and she also didn’t seem too friendly.  She didn’t offer us dessert, horrors!

Despite her and the cilantro worship, I would definitely come back.  Laura wants to try the sidecar!

Restaurant experiment: Sitar Indian Cuisine

Sitar Indian Cuisine

729 20th Street South at University Boulevard

Birmingham, AL 35233

205-323-6500

http://www.sitarbirmingham.com

I’m not the best at reviewing Indian buffets mostly since I don’t remember what is what and what is the name of what, so this entry will be short and sweet.  Plus, I was here with colleagues so jotting down notes and such would be awkward.

Anyway, I’ve heard a lot of Sitar’s famous lunch buffet (website says they have it seven days a week), and I of course jumped at the chance to go one Friday afternoon.  Sitar apparently is a regional chain; the business card I snagged lists locations in Louisville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Huntsville, and Nashville.  Haha, I just noticed that Birmingham and Chattanooga are the only non-villes in the bunch.

I was worried we wouldn’t be able to be seated, but Sitar has a roomy space, and I was anxious for naught.  We were seated by a television which was broadcasting the weather forecast; a big storm was predicted for later, and folks were on edge.  [Spoiler: it was all overblown.]

I’m looking at the menu on the website, but I’m not sure what this bread was, but a personal standout  for me was this deep-fried and donut-like-but-not-sweet bread.  Mmm, fried bread.  I really liked everything I ate.  As with buffets, I was sad that I only got to eat a little of everything because I wanted to make sure I could try all of the dishes.  There are lots of options, sure to please veggies and non-veggies alike.  Sitar tones down the spice level for the buffet, but the dinner is supposed to be no-holds-barred; order spicy if you’d like.

Yay, dessert!  I delighted in some mango pudding with chunks of pineapple, as well as kheer.  If you like gulab jamun, the balls were up for grabs as well.  I dipped some of my mysterious fried bread into the mango, delish!  Hmm, I find it curious that I can remember the dessert names but nothing else.  That’s the sweet tooth talking!

The server and host were fine…plates cleared promptly, water filled periodically, smiling cashier.  That’s pretty much all you need with a buffet.  Two Birmingham Indian restaurants down, a few more to check out.  Good work, Sitar.

Restaurant experiment: Saw’s BBQ

Saw’s BBQ

1008 Oxmoor Road between Broadway Street and Evergreen Avenue

Homewood, AL 35209

205-879-1937

http://www.sawsbbq.com

The Brother’s friend had stated to him that Saw’s is the best BBQ in Birmingham, and Birmingham being a bastion of BBQ, that’s not a bitty statement to make.  Making sure that it was well before 7pm (this closing time still bothers me), Dave and I made it to Homewood with more than an hour until Saw locks its doors.  Whew.  There isn’t really a parking lot for the restaurant, so if you can’t find street parking, there’s a small lot at the corner of St. Charles Street and Oxmoor that seemed to be legit.

Yes, another order-at-the-counter establishment.  There was a small line at the register which allowed Dave and I to carefully ponder our dinner decision.  We ordered a family special which they had for about $26.  It included pork, buns, pickles, sauce, and two sides of your choice.  We ended up going for the baked beans and the mac and cheese.

The pulled pork was amazing!  Hands down, the best of any pulled pork I’ve eaten in this state.  I love it when the meat isn’t so finely shredded.  So soft and flavor-packed.  Superb!  You have your pick of a couple of sauces.  The one in the styrofoam, I poured over my pork.  There was a bottle of Saw’s own sauce on the table which I found wasn’t my bag since it had too much of a spicy kick for me, but Dave was a fan.  Saw’s also has a white sauce but I didn’t try it this visit.

The beans were droolworthy, though the mac and cheese really didn’t do it for me.  Dave found me crazy for thinking the latter.  Your mileage may vary.

No fried okra, and there is a lot of University of Alabama memorabilia as decorations.  Patrons are encouraged to doodle on the walls though I refrained from writing anything.

Ribs apparently were a big draw, as they were sold out of them by the time we got there, and some folks turned heel and left after they heard this sad news.  Note to self: must try ribs and white sauce next time[s].

Restaurant experiment: Newk’s Express Cafe

Newk’s Express Cafe

612 Montgomery Highway at Laurel Road

Suite 110

Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

205-777-0442

When I see Newk’s, I think Newt’s.  Does anyone else feel the same way?  But I don’t think about Newt Gingrich.  Thank goodness.

So I met Laura at this brand new Newk’s in Vestavia Hills on the early side of a weekday evening.  This was my first Newk’s experience since once we aborted a mission to eat at the one on 280 because parking was not to be found.  Thankfully that was not the issue at this branch.  Laura likes Newk’s a lot, and therefore I was looking forward to this dining experience.

Newk’s is another one of those order-at-the-counter places.  The counter staff appeared to possibly be high school kids.  But what sets Newk’s apart (aside from the take-home plastic cups you receive with a drink order) is the toppings bar.  It is pretty darn amazing.  Croutons, cheese, capers, pickles, you name it.  And slender breadsticks imported from Italy!  I scooped up extra Parm and croutons for my salad.  Huzzah!

I ordered the half sandwich and half salad combo for a little under 8 bucks.  For the sandwich, I picked out the pesto chicken with peppers and goat cheese, toasted, and for the salad, I went with the Caesar because you could only decide from the Caesar or the “Simply” salad, and I hadn’t had a Caesar in a long time.  I just saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes, so now I think of mutant chimpanzees when I type “Caesar.”

I have no complaints about the salad.  It was a quite generous portion, and the dressing tasted as it should for a Caesar.  The sandwich was a little on the smaller side, I must say.  It wish it were enlarged.  The salad’s too big and the sandwich’s too small.  How very Goldilocks.  But the pesto chicken was good.  It was the goat cheese, most definitely.  I probably love anything with goat cheese slapped on it.  Mmm.  No worries, I just stuffed myself with Italian breadsticks as a side dish.

There was really loud music coming from somewhere, where, we couldn’t figure out.  Didn’t seem like it was emanating from the Mexican joint next door.  Mysterious.  And annoying.  If you don’t like kids, Newk’s is not the place for you as there were families galore.  The bathrooms are posh, if that’s your thing.  Looking forward to trying the Newk’s on Richard Arrington sometime in the future.

Restaurant experiment: Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Que

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Que

3278 Cahaba Heights Road at West Green Valley Road

Birmingham, AL 35243

205-967-6004

http://missmyrasbbq.com

The original plan was for Brother and I to eat at Saw’s BBQ, but since it closed at the absurd time of 7PM (really?!?!?), Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Que came to the rescue.  I had found out about it via Yelp’s glowing reviews though I was a smidge skeptical, after the not-so-awesome Bettola.

Miss Myra’s closed at 8PM, so they were cleaning up when we showed up.  This is one of those order at the counter places, but this time you go get your order when it’s called.  Brother ordered a pulled pork sandwich while I went for the chicken sandwich.  We both got a side each of the baked beans.  The side selection was a tad skimpy, with some others being deviled eggs, chips, potato salad, and green beans.  Sad, no fried okra.  That’s how I judge a BBQ place.

Our orders were presented as soon as the monetary transaction was completed.  I am not sure about the exact cost since my order had some payment issues, but it was not significant.  Brother and I sat down.  I admired the fish tank containing two large catfish or suckerfish and a multitude of guppies.  We both were not crazy about the Crimson Tide memorabilia, but what can you do.  The Christmas tree with pig ornaments was cute.

Now, I had noticed some Yelp reviews which made it a point to discuss the white sauce.  After I squirted some on my chicken pieces, I thought, “What’s the big deal?” but then I found myself squeezing the bottle more and more.  And then more and more.  And more.  It was nearly gone.  Well no, I exaggerate.  But an employee noticed our enjoyment of said sauce and commented on it.  He revealed that the sauce was vinegar, mayo, and black pepper.  And maybe something else, but that was basically it.  Hmm, good to know.  The sauce also complemented the beans quite nicely.  What a versatile condiment.  Brother was happy about his pulled pork.  I thought maybe that I should have gotten the pulled pork, but the chicken was fine.  The beans were really excellent with the white sauce.

Thank you, Miss Myra, for being there when Saw’s wasn’t.  I still want to try you, Saw’s.  But be warned that you’ve already gotten a strike against you.  Miss Myra’s close proximity to The Summit cannot be ignored.  Good place to pop in for an authentic BBQ experience.

Restaurant experiment: Chez Fonfon

Chez Fonfon

2007 11^th Avenue South between 20^th Street South and Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard

Birmingham, AL 35205

205-939-3221

http://fonfonbham.com

I was excited to try my first Frank Stitt restaurant after learning that he’s basically the kingpin of Birmingham fine dining.  The Highlands Bar and Grill is on my list, but that necessitates a special occasion.

Although this was certainly a special occasion in itself, as Brother was in town.  We eschewed the pay lot by the restaurant for street parking about a block down.  There was an attendant in the lot but he didn’t give us any guff.  Despite being nearly 1:30 PM (curse you, 280 lunch traffic), the dining room was practically full.  A cordial host seated us at a table towards the back.  The crowd was mixed: older, younger, but more on the professional side.

It was sweet to possess a four person table to ourselves.  Chez Fonfon is one of the most attractive restaurants I’ve been to in Birmingham, with bright windows and wood accents.  And a general historical feeling.  Our waiter was attentive enough though his attentions waned a bit during the end of our meal.  Server fatigue I suppose.

The menus were dated a few days earlier from our dining date.  There was a wide range of items to fit all price points, from sandwiches to fish.  I ordered the Hamburger Fonfon ($13.50) while Brother ordered the Croque Monsieur ($10.75).  Hamburger Fonfon is a misnomer because there is cheese atop the burger, a little something French called Comté.  It turns out that this was the common cheese of the restaurant, as it is also used for the Croque.  It’s somewhat pungent but otherwise not very sharp.  A good melted cheese as it looked right at home laying on the beef.  The patty was quite peppery, black peppery.  And it seemed to be ever pepperier as I ate towards the middle of the circle.  The burger came with lettuce and pickled onions, but no tomato.  Ketchup was served on the side, along with the house Dijon aioli.  That went well with the frites which were crunched to perfection.  Delish.

I couldn’t resist dessert.  Two words: gingerbread cheesecake.  Not having seen a cake such as described before, I was eager to try it.  There was no price on the menu, but it ended up being $7.50 for a fair-sized slice.  The cake came with a cheery gingerbread man.  The cheesecake was incredibly rich and gingerbready.  Freakin’ delicious.  The crust also deserved special note since it contained what I took to be pecans.

Brother and I left Fonfon, satistifed.  Now I really can’t wait to try Bottega and Highlands Bar and Grill.

Restaurant experiment: Another Broken Egg Cafe

Another Broken Egg Cafe

2418 Montevallo Road at Culver Road

Mountain Brook, AL 35223

205-871-7849

http://www.anotherbrokenegg.com

[A] poached egg isn’t a poached egg unless it’s been stolen from the woods in the dead of night!

–Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Birmingham is not a Sunday brunch dining destination, or at least in the vein of NYC.  If you can find a restaurant that’s actually open on Sunday, that’s pretty much the whole scene.  We were going to Rojo but it opened too late because we were hungry and we couldn’t wait.  Laura offered Another Broken Egg Cafe, and that sounded reasonable to both Joni and I.  It’s a chain based out of Louisiana but is concentrated in the southeast.

There’s no private lot, so you’ll either have to deal with the street outside of the restaurant or park in the lot by the Western Supermarket.

No wait at 9AM but when we were leaving around 10AM, throngs of potential eaters were waiting in the vestibule, pouring over menus.

From my seat, I stared at a giant Christmas tree, complete with wrapped presents underneath, which Laura and I decided were likely empty boxes.  The other patrons varied but were mostly families and older people.  One old man at a table nearby asked Joni if she were from New England from her accent.  Um, okay.  Random.  I adored the sconces with images of cracked eggs, and Joni was charmed by the stoneware mugs featuring the cafe’s logo.  You could also buy these for $18 if you so desired.  Our waitress was soft-spoken and quietly and stealthily appeared at my side, initially almost spookily.  She was very attentive; I don’t think Joni’s mug was ever devoid of coffee.

The giant menu will have something you’ll dig.  My heart was torn between my steadfast familiar companion eggs Benedict and the flashy, charming bananas Foster.  Hmm, it seems as though I’m partial to dishes with the format: [food] [Person's name].  Very interesting.  The PDF of the menu isn’t working on the website, but there were lots of different options for Benedicts, and the bananas Foster came in waffle, pancake, and French toast forms.  Most entrees were around $10-13.  Asking for decision advice from Laura, she stated that the Foster might be too sugary, and since I love eggs B so much, I should just go for them.  Selection selected!  I also tried a generous glass of the freshly-squeezed orange juice (~$4), yum.  And there were a couple of dishes incorporating lobster(!!!), can’t say I’ve seen that before for brunch.

I did like the eggs Benedict and ate every last bite.  Nice Hollandaise.  I just wished temperature-wise, they were a little warmer, but that often seems to be the case with this particular dish.  The home fries appear quite unassuming, but they were actually little cubes of delightfulness.  Not incredibly deep flavors, but just maybe light seasoning, some garlic salt?  Anyway, we all agreed they were positive things.

Another Broken Egg Cafe is a very solid brunch option in Mountain Brook.  No hungover hipsters here, but good food.  Go early.

Restaurant experiment: Urban Cookhouse

Urban Cookhouse

250 Summit Boulevard

Suite 102

Birmingham, AL 35243

205-969-6700

http://urbancookhouse.com

Urban Cookhouse may not be extremely edgy (as the name might’ve suggested) but it sure is a crowd-pleaser.  I haven’t been to the original location in Homewood so I can’t compare the two, but this brand-new Summit location welcomed us with open arms after an afternoon of holiday shopping at the mammoth Summit.

The style of the place is order at the counter, have food delivered to you.  I’m telling you, this is a very popular theme in Birmingham dining.  Joni asked about the popular menu items, and the cashier rattled off a couple of choices.  I was in the occasional salad mood and ordered the Local Mix salad ($7.25) which contained “applewood bacon, corn, hard-boiled egg, red onion, cheddar and our honey mustard vinaigrette.”  The salad-eater has the option of adding meats at an extra charge, but I declined.

Laura and Joni both ended up ordering the Chipotle Braised Pork plate which was “served with hot cheddar pasta, marinated slaw and two slices of white bread” though the ladies requested a substitution of the bread with the orange rolls.  Though I did not try their mac and cheese, er, “hot cheddar pasta,” they heartily endorsed the side and made me wish I had some of that.  The slaw was okay but the pork was popular.

My salad was a thing of beauty, mostly because it contained a generous amount of bacon and cheese.  How can you go wrong with that?  You also cannot go wrong with serving lettuce that is not iceberg.  Palatable dressing…too bad I didn’t remove the roll and eat it first since the bottom was covered in a vinaigrette layer.  Whoops.  I chomped on my salad happily.

My chief constructive criticism is that Urban Cookhouse needs to serve more orange rolls on the side!  One was not enough!  We actually ended up ordering another side of the orange rolls.  Mmm, so scrumptious when hot.  They have just the right amount of sweetness and orange taste.  And they just peel apart so easily…yum to the infinity.  Apparently the rolls are popular items since you can buy a tray and bake them at home.  Ah, Millie Ray’s orange rolls.  I’d marry them so I could divorce them and then marry them again.

Right outside of the establishment, as we were leaving, a man and woman asked us how the food was.  It appeared as though they were debating about if they should try the Cookhouse.  After we highly recommended the place, we ran into them later elsewhere in the Summit, and they were officially converts.  Too bad Urban Cookhouse didn’t give us a commission for those diners.