Thursday, September 25, 2014

Food Lovers, Start Your Engines!


Hello Friends!

I am SO excited!!

The next few weeks will be FILLED with some amazing events all over the city. So mark your calendars.
Here goes......... *Click photos to enlarge*

Breakin' Bread with Birmingham's Originals
Where can you have unlimited... yes....unlimited samplings from approximately 45 of Birmingham's most popular restaurants? At the annual Breakin' Bread Festival! Come get a taste of all of the fabulous dishes that will be prepared by some of the city's most talented chefs. This annual fundraising event will take place on Sunday October 5th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Railroad Park downtown Birmingham. This event is open to everyone.
There will be a beer garden, music, a petting zoo
and the "No-Snobbery Wine Tasting".
This event will benefit select charities such as Camp Smile-A-Mile
For extended details, FAQ & a full listing of participating independent restaurants,
The Cahaba River Fry Down


                                      *** As of Sept 28th, this event will be rescheduled***

Click to enlarge


Seafood is probably my biggest weakness, so I will definitely be looking forward to this event. Come witness the show-down between professional and amateur chefs as they compete to determine who will be crowned the Fry-Down champion. The  2014 Fry-Down is a benefit hosted by the Cahaba River Society. It will take place at Trussville Springs along the banks of the Cahaba. Included in the panel of well-known judges will be none other than George Sarris of the Fish Market on Southside. The fundraising event will take place from noon until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday 9/28/14.

"The Fry-Down combines several goals: to bring people closer to the river, build more support for Cahaba conservation, explore the relationship between water quality, habitat, and drinking water, and build new partnerships to sustain our work to ensure our Cahaba River’s healthy future. But, more importantly to have fun in and along the river, and enjoy delicious offerings by our corporate and community fish fry teams."

For more info, visit http://www.frydown.com/


The Taste of Pelham

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If that wasn't enough there is MORE excitement!

The Taste of Pelham is a fund raiser benefitting the Pelham Library building fund. There will be a variety of restaurants, caterers, awesome live music and MORE! Come out to try unlimited (There goes that word again) samplings of a variety of foods and desserts prepared just for YOU! Again, this is all for a good cause. I have a soft spot for good causes.
Wanna see a taste? Take a look at last years Taste of Pelham event click here2013 Taste of Pelham
This event will take place on October 5th at 6:00 p.m. at the Pelham Civic Complex. For more information on this tasty fundraising event,
please visit http://www.pelhamlibraryguild.com/Default.asp?ID=288&pg=The+Taste+of+Pelham

We will all go jogging later. =)

Please support these organizations in their efforts to raise awareness and raise money.
*If you can't attend, please consider making a donation.



Thanks for your readership.

~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

***********Corporate Sponsors & Teams Needed*********

 




Dear Readers,
 
I am reaching out to you today regarding a wonderful & unique sponsorship opportunity for your organization.

On October 10, 2014, the Children's Harbor of Alabama organization will host the annual
Pig Iron BBQ Challenge at the Hoover Met featuring BBQ teams from all over the city of Birmingham. This event will attract dozens of sponsors from the Birmingham area. 

Last year, the Pig Iron Challenge drew over 10,000 attendees and the participation of many well known sponsors from our area.

Children's Harbor invites you to be a sponsor or competing team at this years event. If you are a restaurant owner  that does not specialize in barbecue, please consider a sponsorship anyway. The organizers gladly welcome a variety of other foods to be present at the event.

Sponsorship benefits include the ability for you to distribute promotional materials at your booth that may be used to drive traffic to your establishment. You can even partner with another business to split the sponsorship fee.

There is STILL plenty of time to participate. So bankers, insurance guys & gals, restaurateurs, teams &  business owners of ALL categories are always welcome to sign on as sponsors of this awesome event. See you at the Pig Iron!

http://childrensharbor.com/

Please contact Mr. Jim Ray today for more information by emailing  jim.ray@childrensal.org

*Feel free to share this on social media and pass on to anyone that may be interested.

Sincerely,
The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

Friday, September 19, 2014

Experience Casual Elegance at Cedar's Grille

The recent development of the Chace Lake area has brought a number of delightful things to the Hoover area. From a range of beautiful new houses, retail shops and most importantly new eateries.
My discovery of Cedar's Grille was purely an accident resulting from a detour from the Highway 31 rush hour madness. Cedar's offers a wide range of authentic Mediterranean dishes, a great atmosphere and casual elegance.

Atmosphere: This restaurant is very spacious. The aroma is indescribable. You'd have to smell it for yourself in order to understand. The authenticity of the décor added a nice, elegant feel to the experience. Music is very important to the dining experience.Cedar's did not disappoint in that area. The outdoor seating is the perfect place for a sunset dinner.

The meal: Started off with an amazing appetizer called Sambuska-triangular pastries filled with seasoned ground meat and vegetables. The entrée was a mixed grill dish- this is a combination platter consisting of a side of hummus and pita bread, 2 lamb chops, a chicken kabob, a veggie kabob and a serving of kafta all on a bed of aromatic "pasini" rice. Enough for 2 people with modest appetites or one person with one big appetite. My drink was a delicious, hefty sized Vitamin C smoothie- a blend of peaches banana's and orange juice. Cedar's also offers a wide variety of health drinks and virgin cocktails.

The Staff: The service was friendly. Was able to withstand my infamous questions about the cuisine and ingredients. I love a good menu knowledge test.

Prices: The mixed grill dinner was $21.00, the Sambuska appetizer was $7.95

Overall experience: This is a restaurant that I would definitely visit again. The atmosphere combined with the food and service was extremely pleasing. This is an awesome place for a family meal or a date night.

*Cedar's also offers a lunch menu and a Sunday brunch.

For more information about Cedar's Grill at Chace Lake, visit their website at http://www.cedarschaselake.com/

*To view updated version of this site visit http://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/

SAMBUSKA
VITAMIN C SMOOTHIE

MIXED GRILL DINNER