Taste Of The Magic City 2017

M-POWER Ministries is proud to announce the seventh annual Taste of the Magic City presented by Brookwood Baptist Health and ProAssurance, to be held Thursday, Oct. 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. at MAKEbhm, located at 4000 3^rd Ave. S. The culinary event invites Birmingham residents to taste some of the best fare the Magic City food scene has to offer while giving back to the community. Taste of the Magic City will support the efforts of M-POWER Ministries, a nonprofit located in Avondale helping people find paths out of poverty by providing education and health services to Jefferson County residents.

Taste of the Magic City 2017 presented by Brookwood Baptist Health and ProAssurance

 Thursday, Oct. 26 from 5 to 8 p.m.

 MAKEbhm – 4000 3^rd Ave. S., Birmingham, AL 35222

 $35
Purchase tickets at https://tasteofthemagiccity.instagift.com/.

Taste of the Magic City will feature unlimited bites from culinary experts and restaurants from the Birmingham area such as B&A Warehouse, Bare Naked Noodles, Big Spoon Creamery, Black Sheep Kitchen, Cantina Tortilla Grill, Chicken Salad Chick, East 59 Café, Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes, Jim 'N Nick's, JoJo’s on Broadway, Little Savannah, Miami Fusion Café, Moss Rock Tacos & Tequila, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Olivia’s Transit Café, Roots & Revelry, Saigon Noodle House, Serendipity Café, Taco Morro Loco, Taj India, The Abbey, The Bright Star, Tre Luna Catering, Tropicaleo, Vecchia Pizzeria & Mercato, Waffle Works and Yo Mama’s. Attendees will enjoy live music from Jason Bailey and Joe Breckenridge, beverage tastings and an auction. The event’s venue, MAKEbhm, is a community space filled with local artisans. 

M-POWER Ministries is a faith-based non-profit formed in 1997 through a coalition of volunteers, donors, and churches to provide services to individuals and families in need. Over time, the organization has turned its focus to addressing poverty through education and health services.

For more information about the organization visit their website at

http://www.mpowerministries.org/

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

A Taste Of Louisiana 2017

Hey Birmingham! I am SEAUX excited about this event!!

Get ready for the 2017 Taste of Louisiana Food Festival & Cook Off.
Come out & join the fun as restaurants & cook teams from all over join together to cook up many of your favorites.
If you like gumbo, ettoufee & red beans n' rice along with other Loo-si-anna style favorites, this is the event for you. This year's Presenting Sponsor is Cajun Steamer Bar & Grill.  The proceeds will go to benefit the Sid Strong Foundation for pediatric cancer research & also to fund scholarships for several deserving local students.

Attendees will have the opportunity to taste unlimited samples of several authentic Louisiana recipes prepared by professional and amateur "Cookin' Crews".

There will be Zydeco dancing, a children's area and lots of other activities to enjoy.

Avoid the lines & buy your tickets to this event today! Visit http://www.lsubirmingham.org/

 Save the date: Saturday 10/28/17

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

100 Ben Chapman Drive
Hoover, AL 35244  

Admission

Tickets: $15.00

Free for kids 12 and under

Tag your photos using the hash tag #ATOL17

                                            PRESENTING SPONSOR                                            

To learn about sponsoring this event,  please visit http://www.lsubirmingham.org/
Can't make it to the event? Donate to the Sid Strong Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research
http://sidstrongfound.org/

Thanks for reading & sharing,
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You" 

 *Disclaimer* Although I'm promoting this event, this does not mean that The Birmingham Restaurant Raider is in any way shape or form happy about LSU beating Auburn this past weekend, I'm still bummed about that 😢

NEW EATERY: Ooka Chinese & Japanese Restaurant

If you have not figured it out by now, I LOVE trying new places.
The recent opening of Ooka Chinese & Japanese Restaurant on Valleydale was a pleasant addition to the area. As their website states, Ooka offers a wide array of authentic Japanese and Chinese Food, such as Hibachi Chicken, Shrimp Tempura, Szechuan Beef, Chicken Udon, Seafood Delight.

Are they any good? My inquiring taste buds wanted to know.

Atmosphere: I loved the atmosphere inside of the restaurant. The decor was derived from a contemporary concept. It has an uptown feel perfect for a date nite or intimate conversation with a few close friends. There is table & booth seating. The only thing I wasn't fond of was the dim lighting. I personally prefer a brighter atmosphere during lunch. The lighting would be perfect for the dinner crowd.

The Meal: For lunch, I started out with the traditional Miso soup. Then I selected one of the items from the Hibachi menu. The Chicken Hibachi lunch featured a mound of warm chicken & vegetables including mushrooms, broccoli, onions & zucchini along with a healthy portion of their fried rice. This dish also comes with a serving of two sauces for dipping. One, a ginger dressing and the other a creamy house-made sauce, with flavors especially blended for chicken.

The Service: Awesome staff. I was greeted with a welcoming smile and my server was MORE than accommodating. As long as my water glass is never empty, I'm happy.

Overall Experience: I definitely plan to return to Ooka. If their food & service remain consistent, I'd definitely say that this place is here to stay.
I'd love to try their sushi & a few selections from the Asian Fusion menu on my next visit.
They also offer take-out. 

*Ask your server for a punch card. You get a free meal after your 9th lunch!

Thanks for reading & sharing,
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"
 #RaidBham

Ooka
2005 Valleydale Rd Suite #6
Birmingham, AL 35244
(205) 518-5590 

If you received this write up via email, click here to view the colorful site! http://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/

Pop-Up Dinner At Rojo Birmingham 11/6/17

Chef Zach Meloy of Atlanta’s Better Half, the brick-and-mortar concept that grew from the beloved PushStart Kitchen, is hitting the road and heading to Birmingham to host a rousing pop-up at Rojo Birmingham  on November 6. Rojo, located in the Highland area of Birmingham, is renowned for its Latin and American cuisine and has been praised locals and celebrities alike, notably by Bob Dylan.

Chef Meloy spent a few years in Birmingham while attending college at Samford and discovered his interest in a culinary career during this time while he also worked under Frank Stitt at Bottega. Meloy is looking forward to returning to his old city to bring a taste of what Better Half has to offer and showcase his Latin-Southern “mash up” cuisine.

The evening will begin with a cocktail reception featuring select Better Half cocktails and canapes at 7:00 p.m. Following the cocktail reception, guests will sit down at 7:30 p.m. to enjoy a three course pre-fixe menu with wine pairings. Candies and cordials will follow to close the evening.

Menu

Cocktails + Canapes

Grilled Fennel Wedge Salad, Feta Buttermilk Dressing, Bitter Orange

Celery Root Hashbrown, Smoked Trout, Egg Yolk, Celery Root Salad, Trout Roe

Grilled 48-hour Beef Rib, French Onion Flan, Roasted Oyster Mushroom, "Funyuns"

Whipped White Cheddar Baklava, Burned Honey, Chipotle Pecan Garrapiñada

Three Apple Tart, Apple-Smoked Marshmallow

Candy + Cordial

Tickets for the pop-up are $100 per diner and include tax and gratuity. A portion of the ticket sales for the evening will go to benefit the Alabama Environmental Council.  The organization is celebrating its 50th year and is one of the oldest environmental group in Alabama.   Tickets can be purchased on Brown Paper Tickets. Rojo is located at 2921 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205

Thanks for reading & sharing,

~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

RECAP: 2017 Breakin' Bread Food Festival...

                                                   

If you missed this years Breakin' Bread Fest, you missed out on a beautiful day of fun & great food.
I most certainly encourage you to make it out next year. 

Thanks to Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham Originals  and all of the wonderful sponsors who came together to raise awareness and funds for Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s Woodlawn High School Urban Farm project. 

 

Subscribe to this page for updates on upcoming food festivals and other exciting reviews and more! 
For more information on Birmingham Originals visit  http://www.birminghamoriginals.org/


Here are the fun & exciting photos from the event. 
Enjoy! See you next year. 
#RaidBham

(*click images for larger view)