Nino's Italian Restaurant "The End of An Era"

My first experience dining at Nino's Italian Restaurant several years ago was incredibly memorable. Mostly for 2 reasons; the overwhelming smell of garlic and Walter Caron. 

After being in business for 10 years, the famous local eatery has decided to close it's doors. As an Italian food lover, it's been one of the most amazing food adventures I've had during my decade of writing as the Restaurant Raider. Everything from "greet to eat" is / was always a pleasant experience there. 

During my recent visit, I reflected on the review I did on Nino's back in 2011. To walk in and not see Walter definitely gave me an empty feeling. His personality was HUGE and he filled the walls of the restaurant with a great big burst of life. His passing several months ago definitely left a void in the restaurant's atmosphere and I'm sure in the Caron family. 

Side Salad

We stopped by this week to get one last experience at Nino's prior to the official closing date of August 31, 2019. It was beautiful to witness a packed house full of people eager to have one last dinner at this community landmark.

Cheese Bread Appetizer

What we had: We started out with a couple of side salads with house made creamy Italian dressing, topped with shredded cheese. No meal is complete without a shared order of their famous warm cheese bread with a side of their delicious, authentic marinara sauce.

Garlic Bread

It was hard to pick my last meal, but I ended up with the Chicken Parmigiana: breaded chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and melted Mozzarella cheese. My dinner mate had a huge serving of their Gnocchi with chicken topped with an incredible pesto sauce.

Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti w/ Marinara Sauce

Nino's was and will forever be one of those places that had the total package: the menu, the atmosphere and the personalities that make up a great dining experience.

Gnocci w/ Chicken topped with Pesto Sauce

Thanks to the Nino's family for the great service over the years and as they say in Italy,

 

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You" 

Est. 2009

http://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/

Exploring The City With Birmingham Taste Tours

Launched in September 2018, Birmingham Taste Tours founder Annie Reynolds brings the food tourism trend to The Magic City.

The food tourism trend has begun in the metro Birmingham area. 

Walking food tours have been a source of entertainment and education for locals

and tourists alike for years in other cities. Previously voted one of  Zagat’s 30 Top Food Cities , Birmingham was the only one not utilizing walking food tours as an economic stimulator and (let’s face it) a really fun way to eat the city. Birmingham Taste Tours currently offers a walking food tours.  
The Downtown Tour: a 3 hour guided walking, food, drink, and historical tour of the Downtown neighborhood. Customers will sample 4 to 5 eclectic tastings from our most authentic, locally owned restaurants.

They will hear about Birmingham's  culinary history and culture and the people who helped shape it.

The Downtown Brunch Tour: On the Saturday brunch tour you will visit at least 3 restaurants and our local food hall to sample many traditional southern brunch items. You’ll be given the opportunity to indulge in classic brunch cocktails as well.   

The tour will consist of a discuss about the ongoing revitalization of Birmingham and specific new developments that are currently underway. Learn about Downtown’s history and its expected growth in the coming years.

This 3-hour tour will take you within a 1.5-mile walk of some of the popular streets of Downtown, where you will find locally owned shops and weekend neighborhood markets as well. The goal is to leave the food tour participants with the impression that Downtown is no longer just a weekday destination.

 It's Nice To Have You In Pepper Place Tour:

Enjoy this newly appointed Entertainment District and bustling Farmer’s Market on this 2 1/2 hr walking tour. Guests will enter several local eateries and sample both food and beverage tastings along the way. You will also hear from local farmers and artisans at the market and be able to purchase directly from the vendors. $10 worth of market tokens will be included in your tour ticket to use as you wish. You will hear the history of Pepper Place, taste what it has to offer, and see the neighborhood’s new and exciting growth!

The goal is for the tourist to feel comfortable adventuring throughout the city while getting a taste of local cuisine. Quite simply, it is a way for a tourist to become a local in 3 hrs.

Locals will hear fun stories of Birmingham they may not have heard before and have the opportunity to eat at several of their favorite restaurants in one day.

At Birmingham Taste Tours, guests get more than just a meal. They get a memory.

For more information about tours, please visit their website at

www.bhamtastetours.com and also look for them on Instagram, Facebook and

Twitter.

If your restaurant/business would like more information about becoming a partner, shoot an email to info@bhamtastetours.com.

Thanks for reading & sharing! 

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

Est.2009

"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"

Food Excellence 101 at Jefferson State's Bistro ProVare

Incredible chefs often begin their careers standing on a stool next to their grannies & gramps or mom & dad. If you had the opportunity to watch your parents or grand parents make their famous recipes, consider yourself fortunate. In may other cases, becoming a chef starts with a 5- star top rated culinary school. Jefferson State's Culinary & Hospitality program is exactly that. 
Accompanied by two friends, I recently made a visit to the campus bistro  to check out this semesters lunch assignments to see if they made the grade. 

Atmosphere: The Shelby campus bistro seats roughly 40 people and also has a slightly curved counter with bistro chairs. There is an open kitchen and also a brick oven on site. It definitely has the feel of a contemporary cafe. The tables are set with an upscale place setting. 

The Meal(s): A variety basket of breads including triangular Parmesan crisps was delivered to curb our hunger. We each tried a different dish from the appetizer menu. I tried the Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls with a dipping sauce hinted with Asian flavors. These light & crispy spring rolls were incredible. One lunch mate had the Vegetable Soup. This scratch made soup was made up of cabbage, tomatoes, beans, peppers and topped with delicious cornbread crumbles. Our other lunch mate had the traditional Cesar salad: Romaine lettuce, house made croutons, shredded Parmesan with a creamy Caesar dressing.

Our entree's consisted of the Slow Cooked Jerk Pork: A succulent, hearty pork dish atop red beans and rice & cilantro slaw. This was a very good Caribbean dish. I finished every morsel.

 My other lunch mates had the Pan Seared Scallops: Large, perfectly cooked scallops accompanied by fingerling potatoes, fried Brussels sprouts and creamed leeks.

 The other entree' we tried was the Steak Tacos: Delicious, cuts of perfectly seasoned steak in a soft pita shell, topped with citrus slaw, jack cheese and avocado aioli with a heaping helping of french fried potatoes.  Another amazing dish! Overall, everything was absolutely perfect.

Overall Experience: This was a great experience. The student chefs did a phenomenal job with everything from presentation to the meal prep & plating. We will definitely be visiting again!

*The menu changes often*

For more information or to make a reservation this semester at Jefferson State's Bistro ProVare, visit their website at http://www.jeffersonstate.edu/programs/culinary-and-hospitality/bistro-pro-vare/

Bistro ProVare at Jeff State

4600 Valleydale Road
Birmingham, Alabama 35242

(205) 983-5214

Thanks for reading & sharing! 

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"

Est.2009

 

Comfort Food At Jo Jo's On Broadway

I'm willing to bet that we definitely have MORE chilly weather coming to the Birmingham area. One day it's spring... one day it's winter. You just never know. One thing that IS consistent is the reputation for Jo Jo's On Broadway. 
The last several years have been good to this establishment. From the Homewood locals, to the metro Birminghamians, everyone I've mentioned Jo Jo's to had nothing but positive things to say. We took the time to head over for dinner recently and this is the 411. 


Atmosphere: Entirely not what I expected. I was expecting an uptight, snooty environment and they were just the opposite. We are greeted with genuine smiles and warmth. It's not a huge space, but just the right size so that patrons don't feel like just a "table number". 

Staff: Amazing! An attentive staff is a winner in my book. Our server, Lauren was on point during the entire visit. 

What we had: I had the Jo Jo Burger: A fresh ground Black Angus patty cooked to order w/ Jo Jo sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickle, & red onion on a butter brioche bun. I added a side of fries. The burger was cooked medium and was very flavorful and pleasing. The fried were incredibly well seasoned. 
My dinner mate had a generous helping of their homemade chili with a hot-off- the- griddle grilled cheese sandwich. Just the right meal for a chilly night. 

Overall Experience: This was a great stop for us. The service and the food combined with location were all great. I look forward to the next visit

For more information about Jo Jo's on Broadway or to find out about their "daily specials" visit their website at http://jojosonbroadway.com/

Jo Jo's On Broadway
903 Broadway Suite 105 
Homewood AL 35209
(205) 877-8058 


Thanks for reading & sharing! 
The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
Est. 2009 
https://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"

Review: Saltgrass Steak House 280

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good steak, but an even greater steak is better. Highway 280 in Birmingham has some of the best steak restaurants in the area. I feel it's my duty to try them all because of course, the people want to know all about them. 
I ventured over to the new Saltgrass Steak House in Birmingham. I typically don't do steak for lunch, but I had a craving after several of my twitter followers recommended this spot. 

Atmosphere: Saltgrass has the feel of an "out west" steak house. They have definitely erased every reminder of The Tilted Kilt, which previously occupied this location. There is Texas themed decor throughout the building. They have lots of booth seating and a cool bar set up. It's a spacious restaurant and definitely a great place for date nights or family dinners. 

Staff: The staff was friendly. My server Joel was eager to provide great service and was very knowledgeable about the Saltgrass menu options. Everyone I came in contact with was great. No complaints.

What I had: To start off, each table is delivered a warm, delicious loaf of their famous beer bread. It was really good, so I only ate half in order not to fill up. I followed up with a traditional garden salad with balsamic dressing.  For the main course, I had the Gulf Coast Steak & Shrimp with a side of sauteed Brussels sprouts . I opted for the 6 oz steak (medium) with grilled shrimp.  This is the kind of steak where sauce is not needed. The flavor was very good. They don't skimp on the shrimp! The Brussels sprouts were A-MA-ZING! ( I don't know why I rejected these as a kid). 
I also decided to have huge a slice of their amazing cheesecake to go. 
(sorry, no pics) 
 

*click photos for larger (mouth watering) view

Overall Experience: Overall, I feel that Saltgrass is a great addition to the Birmingham area and I am hopeful that they will definitely attract steak lovers from all across the region. I saw several other things on the menu that I'm anxious to try so a return visit is definitely on the books. The staff was super! 

For more information on Saltgrass Steak House Birmingham, visit their website at https://www.saltgrass.com/

Saltgrass Steak House - Birmingham
14 Perimeter Park S.
(205) 967-1181

Be sure to sign up for their emails for updates and deals. 

*Ask your server about AAA and AARP discounts.


Thanks so much for reading & sharing! 

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
Est. 2009
http://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/

Celebrating 10 years as a trailblazing Dining Experience Examiner