The 2015 Taste of Uptown Review in Pictures

The 2nd Annual Taste of Uptown food festival was a huge hit! The sold out event managed to attract a massive number of attendees from all over the city and beyond.

As I interacted with the crowd, I discovered there were people who'd come from Montgomery and a few other nearby cities to attend the food festival.

All of the popular Uptown eateries consistently managed to churn out delicious samples to  feed the hungry crowds for 3 hours straight.


Look forward to the 2016 Taste of Uptown. Check out the photos from the event.

See you next year!
Thanks fore reading,

~RR

The crew from WJOX

 

BirminghamMountainRadio.com



The staff from the Sidewalk Film Festival

 

 



Chef Ortega from Texas de Brazil & a festival attendee

EVENT: The 2015 BBQ & Blues Festival

On May 30th, Bob Sykes Barbecue will host the 6th annual BBQ & Blues festival in downtown Bessemer.

This year is sure to be filled with fun for the entire family, great music and most importantly great barbecue.

The music line up for the 2015 event is anticipated to be one of the most impressive in the history of the blues festival. Blues lovers all over the southeast will convene at Bessemer's DeBardeleben park to witness this highly anticipated festival.

 
*Check out highlights from the 2014 Blues & BBQ Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZSCqbLDTRQ



A portion of the proceeds will go to charities like Clay House & The Magic City Blues Society.

Advance tickets are now on sale for the low, low price of $15.00. The tickets will be $20.00 at the gate.

A limited number of VIP tickets are also available. The VIP benefits include: private parking,  covered seating, a delicious Bob Sykes BBQ buffet, spirits provided by Good People Brewing, private restrooms, a bottle of award winning Bob Sykes BBQ sauce & a Bob Sykes BBQ event t-shirt.

Keep in mind that the festival begins at noon so arrive early for the best parking selection.

The very important rules for the festival are:
No coolers
No tents
No pets
Bring comfortable chairs & blankets
Don't forget your sun screen
Come Hungry =)


For more information about the festival or to purchase your discounted advanced tickets, visit
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-bob-sykes-bbq-blues-festival-tickets-15801275039

Like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BobSykesBBQ

Follow Bob Sykes BBQ on Twitter @SykesBBQ

See you at the festival!


Thanks for reading & sharing,
~RR

Review: Hickory Tavern- "The New Kid On The Block"

I'm always excited to learn of a new eatery. Especially a brand spankin' new eatery in the Birmingham area. Hickory Tavern occupies the former location of Zea's Rotisserie restaurant in the Brookwood Village area.

Atmosphere: Contemporary- casual with televisions covering pretty much every wall in the restaurant. There is an impressively huge bar that occupies the entire center floor of the restaurant. The table spacing is so good that I didn't hear too much table talk from the surrounding tables. The restaurant is extremely spacious and designed to accommodate large crowds. The atmosphere was bright, welcoming and extremely comfortable.

The Meal:  My appetizer consisted of a small order of the BBQ chicken Nachos- warm tortilla chips piled high and topped with seasoned grilled chicken, Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, cilantro & queso with a dollop of sour cream on top. My entrée consisted of a Hickory Tavern classic, the Oregon Cedar Salmon- a generous portion of pecan rubbed salmon smoked right on top of a block of Oregon cedar wood accompanied by yellow rice & seasoned broccoli. For dessert...mmmmmm Are you ready?? The Chocolate Mousse Bomb- a round piece of chocolate cake, topped with large scoop of decadent chocolate mousse, covered with chocolate and then just for over kill.... drizzled in chocolate. I also had a strawberry mimosa to drink.

The Service: Although the Hickory Tavern has been open less than a week, the staff seemed to definitely have the customer service concept nailed. My server was amazing. Her menu knowledge was fantastic. She was very attentive, without that annoying "hovering" you tend to get at some places. I was quite impressed.

The Prices: Appetizers range from just over $3 bucks to around $14.00.They have a wide range of salads, burgers & entrees ranging from $9.00 to $29.00. They have an extensive beer & cocktail list including 13 beers from Alabama breweries. They also have a great looking wing selection. With flavors from Plain Jane to Red Dragon, I'm sure these will be a hit with local wing lovers. If you are watching the calorie count, check out the "SKINNY PLATE" menu. *Note: all items with an HT beside them are Hickory Tavern "top picks".

Overall Experience: I absolutely can't wait to return to this spot. The service combined with the menu variety will keep me coming back. Upon my return, I plan to try items from their Food Truck menu: a menu inspired by food trucks & street vendors around the country. They are currently open from 4:00 p.m. until 2:am.

Room for Improvement: Right now, I don't see any issues. If they maintain great customer service and consistency with the quality of food, they are sure to succeed. 

For more information about Hickory Tavern, visit http://www.thehickorytavern.com
Like them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HT.Brookwood
Follow them on Twitter @@TheHickoryTav or call 205-968-1311 for more details.

Check out the menu http://www.thehickorytavern.com/images/files/HickoryTavern-dinner.pdf


Thanks for reading,

~RR