Wednesday, May 24, 2017

The Fig Tree Cafe' " The Total Package"



I'm often asked to describe the best place in town to grab a________________ (fill in the blank)
Most of the time I can narrow down a place that has great seafood, great drinks or great steaks.
Well, I'm excited to tell you guys that a couple of weeks ago I found a place that has great EVERYTHING.

The Fig Tree Cafe, a recently renovated  Birmingham based restaurant in the Cahaba Heights area, has managed to nail everything. Expect the unexpected at Fig Tree. This team strives to create one of the most memorable dining experiences ever. Chef JP Holland, a self taught chef, works effortlessly to ensure patrons nothing but the finest quality when it comes to the farm-to-table dining experience. In order to do that, they go several steps further by being hands on when it comes to how the cattle is raised & what they consume. Their cattle is not fed your average run-of-the mill diet. I won't give away the secret, but I could definitely taste the quality in every bite.
The Fig Tree offers a wide variety of locally produced ingredients in pretty much all of their dishes.

We decided to let the chef recommend  & prepare dishes for us. We started out with an order of insanely delicious crab cakes. OMG! I can still taste them. They were made with "fresh from the dock" succulent crab claw meat. Next we were delighted to try the (Alabama grown) fried green tomatoes, accompanied with the PERFECT version of a remoulade sauce.

Delivered from the custom built bar, our cocktails consisted of two of their signature cocktail specials. One was the the Citradelic Martini containing Titos Vodka, ginger syrup, lemon & basil. Also on the table was the Cucumber Mojito, a mixture of Bacardi rum, cucumber lime mint puree, Agave nectar & soda. Drink mixing definitely is a craft here. Any cocktails that contain fruit contains only the freshest fruits. The cucumber flavor in the mojito was just right. Both drinks were perfect pairings to our main entree's. 👌

My entree consisted of their "fresh-from-the-dock" salmon. This was a large, thick cut of perfectly grilled salmon placed upon a bed of fresh, perfectly grilled veggies. Again, their seafood is NEVER frozen.
My dinner companion had the 12 oz rib eye steak accompanied with delicious truffle fries. Not a combination I expected, but it was a great selection.

In addition to amazing, high quality food & drinks, the cafe offers private dining for  larger groups, an impressive brunch menu, and more!
If you're looking for a great spot for a special occasion or to impress that someone special,
The Fig Tree in Cahaba Heights is the total package.
Reservations are HIGHLY recommended.
The best dates to get into this popular spot are Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays. Otherwise, you just might find yourself on a wait.
Thanks again to Justin, Brandon & Chef Jon for the outstanding hospitality.
For more information about the Fig Tree Cafe, visit their website at http://thebirminghamfigtree.com/

Reservations can be made by calling (205) 249-0312 OR look for them on OpenTable.com  
Get a LYFT to The Fig Tree Cafe https://www.lyft.com/invite/RAIDBHAM2017
Thanks for reading & sharing,

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near you"
#RaidBham

                                                   
                                                     * Click Images to Enlarge*

C/O Intermark Group
C/O Intermark Group


The 12 oz Ribeye (always fresh)
Fried Green Tomatoes w/ Remoulade Sauce


Crab Cakes

Citradelic Martini
The Bubbly Selections


The Salmon


Monday, May 22, 2017

EVENT: The TruckStop Festival May 26-29th



May 26th - May 29th, Birmingham's Original Food Truck Park - TruckStop will launch this Memorial Day Weekend with the inaugural TruckStop Festival!
This is shaping up to be Birmingham's largest most diverse gathering of local food trucks yet!
 4 days of bands, brews, bbq and a crawfish boil too!  There will be all sorts of unique vendors as well. 
This is a family friendly event that will go on for 4 nights.  
Stick around for a night of  junkyard jukejoint style blues! 
$10.00 Admission 
This is a rain or shine event!

613 1st Court North
Birmingham, AL
Visit their Facebook Page at @facebook.com/bhamjukejoint/

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Eat Up! Experience The Taste of Five Points

#TasteOfFivePoints




On Tuesday, May 16th Alagasco in conjunction with Vulcan Park & Museum & the Five Points Alliance  will host a spectacular event that is sure to sell out. The first annual Taste of Five Points is an event to celebrate the 130 year history of the Five Points South community.


Participating vendors include: 5 Point Public House, Alexander Eton, Black Market Bar & Grill, Bottega, Buck Mulligans, Charlemagne Records, Chick-Fil-A, Dave’s Pub, Delta Blues, Dreamland BBQ, Good People Brewing Co., IIIS, Jim-N-Nicks, Little Italy, Ocean, Orbit Salon, Pho Pho, Ranelli’s, Rucker Place / Savoie Catering, Starbucks, Southside Baptist Church, Surin West, T-Bones, The Hotel Highland, The J. Clyde, UPS Store, and Zydeco

Advanced tickets are $30 for an individual and $50 for a couple. These are available for purchase at visitvulcan.com/events. At the gate, single tickets will be $35 and couple tickets will be $55.  
*Each ticket holder will receive a coupon for a complimentary beer from Good People Brewing Company.

In addition to lots of great food, there will be great live music, retailers and much more!
A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the new master plan project underway by
the Five Points Alliance.
For more information about tickets, hours & directions for this event go to  http://visitvulcan.com/


Follow Vulcan on social media
facebook.com/visitvulcan
twitter.com/visitvulcan
instagram.com/visitvulcan
Be sure to use the hashtag #TasteOfFivePoints 

Thanks for reading & Sharing! 
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
#RaidBham

Shhhh.... Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You



Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Tour The Vineyards of the World At The Magic City Wine Fest!



#MagicCityWineFest

Wine lovers unite!!!
On Saturday May 13th at the Birmingham Zoo, Jaguar of Birmingham & Land Rover of Birmingham will present the first annual Magic City Wine Fest.

Come get your FREE souvenir glass (with paid admission) & be a part of the most massive wine tasting event ever to hit the city of Birmingham. Patrons will be taken on a tour of the world's finest wines.

The cost of the event is $45.00 for general admission. A portion of every ticket sale will go to our beautiful Birmingham Zoo!  Once inside of the event, attendees will be charged a "Penny-A-Pour"  $.01 cent donation. Due to Alabama ABC board regulations, unlimited free wine samples is a no-no.

All wines will be provided by International Wines , a family-owned wholesale beverage distributor based in Birmingham, Alabama.

In addition to live music by Clinton Babers & GoodFellas, there will be food available for purchase from a variety of local food vendors. 

Along with Jaguar & Land Rover, the event will be sponsored by a host of great radio stations and a variety of other businesses.  

The Birmingham Zoo is located at  2630 Cahaba Rd Birmingham, AL 35223
Advanced tickets can be purchased by going to http://www.magiccitywinefest.com/Tickets
*Tickets will be $55.00 the day of the event.
This is an event for adults 21 & up. Bring your valid ID.
Use the hashtag #MagicCityWineFest 
 (Please no children) 👶
Enjoy!
Thanks for reading & sharing!
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
#RaidBham 

Inside The Pizitz Food Hall "A Visit With Tropicaleo"


 The Pizitz Food Hall is a multi-tenant food court style establishment right in the heart of the Magic City. Inside you will find something for everyone. Everything from gourmet waffle dishes to Israeli cuisine. You can stick with your tried & true or try something new. There is something inside the Food Hall for you!

Having transitioned from pop-up dinners around the city, one of my favorite local businesses has a highly coveted spot inside of the new Pizitz Food Hall.
I stopped in to visit the winner of  Rev Birmingham's 2016 Big Pitch , Tropicaleo at the REVEAL Kitchen inside of the Food Hall.

Tropicaleo is the only restaurant that features authentic Puerto Rican cuisine at this location. The menu is simple but packed with several delicious options to choose from.

We started out with an order of their house made fried plantain chips. If you like plantains as much as I do, you will absolutely love these.

Next on the list,  their infamous Cuban sandwiches. I tried the Pulled Pork: slow cooked, moist pork tossed in a Sweet Guava BBQ sauce. Mmmmm. Heaven in your mouth. 😋😋
 My dinner companion had the Pollo Cuban sandwich: Chicken breast, hot, melted provolone cheese, topped with their "house sauce". Folks, these sandwiches are everything!

In addition to these amazing sandwiches, we could not resist the urge to try the Mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish with an amazing flavor. This dish comes with a side of fragrant & flavorful Cilantro rice. The flavors of the Mofongo & rice blended perfectly.

For dessert, we each tried the flan topped with fresh strawberries. If you have never had flan, I suggest you put it on your bucket list of foods to try.

Not interested in trying the chicken or pork? You can always opt for one of their popular vegan menu items.

Stop in to Tropicaleo to experience some of the best that Birmingham has to offer.

Keep an eye out for their new Avondale/ Crestwood location coming in July 2017!
They will be located at 4426 4th Avenue South.

For more information on Tropicaleo visit http://www.tropicaleo.com/
On Twitter @tropicaleobham
On Instagram @tropicaleobham/
And Facebook facebook.com/tropicaleobham/

For more information on The Pizitz Food Hall  including hours & location
visit http://www.thepizitz.com/food-hall/

Thanks for reading & following me as I #RaidBham


~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
Shhhh! Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You
@RestaurantRaidr@RestaurantRaidr 
Don't Drive Get a Lyft https://www.lyft.com/invite/RAIDBHAM2017

*click images to enlarge*
Pulled Pork Cuban

Chicken Mofongo w/ Cilantro Rice

 
Plantain chips

Flan (dessert) 











Outdoor seating