Mellow Mushroom Takes a Trip Through Time for Way Back Wednesdays

You may have heard of #throwbackthursday, but Mellow Mushroom is introducing "Way Back Wednesdays".  Every Wednesday, starting now – September 2, Mellow Mushroom will offer the Way Back Wednesday meal package for only $19.74 – in honor of the year Mellow Mushroom was founded.

The Way Back Wednesday package includes one small cheese pizza, one small pepperoni pizza, and choice of pretzel bites or a regular Caesar salad.  The offer is good for online orders only and can be placed at order.mellowmushroom.com.

“The Way Back Wednesdays meal package is a nod to the brand’s evolution,” said Anne Mejia, Vice President Brand Development.  “At 46 years, Mellow Mushroom is going strong.”

1974 was the year Mellow Mushroom first opened for business.  Since then, the brand has expanded to 21 states and 178 locations.  Each Mellow Mushroom restaurant is unique, incorporating custom artwork from local artists, and often celebrating the brand’s history. 

Visitors to the brand’s web site are often delighted by the Do Not Touch button, taking guests on a trip through time to the restaurant’s first website built in 2001.  Games, cartoons and other original website features are available for longtime Mellow fans to relive, and new guests to discover. 

Birmingham locations include: 

920 Inverness Corners

Birmingham AL 35242

Phone: (205) 981-9914

 

1200 20th Street South, Suite 100

Birmingham AL 35205

Phone: (205) 212-9420

 

For more information about Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers and to view the full menu of munchies, salads, pizzas, calzones, hoagies and more, go to MellowMushroom.com, follow on Instagram @MellowMushroom, like on Facebook at Facebook.com/MellowMushroom, or follow on Twitter @MellowMushroom.

About Mellow Mushroom

Mellow Mushroom was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974 and today operates in 21 states under the name Home-Grown Industries of Georgia. Each Mellow Mushroom is locally owned and operated.  For over 40 years, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers has been serving up fresh, stone-baked pizzas to order in an eclectic, art-filled, and family friendly environment. 

SoHo Standard "Superior Cuisine. Superior Class"

The expansion of the SoHo area is never ending. Upgrades, openings and restructuring are apparent whenever you visit the area. We recently visited the new SoHo Standard Kitchen & Bar and were pleasantly surprised by the menu, the concept and all they had to offer. 


Atmosphere: SoHo Standard is a contemporary/casual little spot with an upscale flair. The clientele seemed to be a slightly "white tablecloth" crowd for lack of a better term. There are ample amounts of tables including bistro tables. There is a well-stocked bar inside with a wide selection of spirits to suit just about every taste. This is a very quaint atmosphere. There is also a very spacious outdoor area with bar stools and outdoor string lights, perfect for a spring night of socializing.  

The Staff: Our server was outstanding. He was patient with us as we studied the menu. Everything sounded REALLY good. He was friendly and very accommodating. All of the staff members around us appeared to be personable.

The DIP

What we had: All of their menu items are described as one word. We had the "DIP" appetizer: a melted mozzarella and goat cheese blended dip, with smoked tomatoes and pistachio pesto. There were also cloves of garlic blended in to this warm, cheesy concoction.  It's served with bread for dipping. Next time I get this dish I'm getting everyone their own. Definitely don't want to share this next time, LOL! The first entree' was the "CRAB": Gulf crab cakes on a mound of creamed collards and shrimp maque choux. 

The CRAB

This dish was bursting with flavor. The crab cakes are definitely a winner. Entree' number two: The "STEAK": Cuts of filet, cooked (medium) of course, accompanied by gnocchi mac & cheese, verde, and instead of the okra, I got a serving of their perfectly cooked and seasoned collards. Cutting into this filet was like cutting into butter. The tenderness was magnificent. One of the best meals I've ever had. 

THE STEAK

Overall: SoHo Standard can easily turn into one of those places that I'd highly recommend to out-of-towners, clients and couples looking for a perfect date night spot. Enjoyed it!! 

For more information about SoHo Standard, please visit  http://standard.sohosocial.bar/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sohostandardhomewood/
Reservations: https://resy.com/cities/hmw/soho-standard

Thanks for reading & sharing! 
The Birmingham Restaurant Raider™
Est.2009 
@RestaurantRaidr

Tre Luna "Contemporary Dining At It's Best"

Travel down Stadium Trace Parkway and you'll run into a "new-ish" retail plaza called Brock's Gap in the Hoover area. One of the highlights of the area is the Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen. I've heard fantastic things about it so I decided to sneak in with a co-conspirator & raid the place. 

Atmosphere: The environment here is quite appealing. The lighting was perfect for this Italian themed eatery. The space is definitely adequate enough to handle a large hungry crowds without making each table feel crowded. The noise level was not bad even with the moderate crowd on this particular night. They also have an incredible outdoor area that is well lit with overhead string lights, bistro tables and a wide open area to accommodate parties, meetings or social groups. 

The Staff: After having arrived at our reservation time, we were greeted by the friendly hostess and quickly seated. Our server, Jessica, greeted our table with enthusiasm. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and convinced us to have their daily specials. 

Beef Carpaccio

What we had: We started out with a shareable appetizer, the Beef Carpaccio: paper thin sliced beef, topped with capers, horseradish sauce and shaved Parmesan reggiano. My dinner mate opted for the "Fish Of The Day" feature which was a perfectly grilled grouper. This fish was accompanied by a serving of roasted potatoes & romanesco broccoli. If you've never had romanesco before, it's pretty much what happens if a stalk of broccoli and a stalk of cauliflower got married and had baby vegetables. It was crisp, delicious and all topped with a light butter sauce. (click images for larger view)
 

Grilled Grouper

My entree consisted of another daily special, which was the "Squid Ink Seafood Pasta": a generous bed of perfectly cooked pasta dyed with squid ink, topped and surrounded by roasted cherry tomato halves, jumbo shrimp, jumbo scallops and calamari. The flavor of this dish was amazing. The serving size was pretty large so at least half of it went home. I also had a half dozen Bombolini (Italian donuts) for dessert. These came with chocolate & whiskey caramel dipping sauces.

Squid Ink Seafood Pasta

Bombolini

Overall: Tre Luna got it right. The atmosphere combined with the food & service puts them on my list of favorite places. 

Fore more information or to view the menu, please visit https://www.trelunabarandkitchen.com/

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider©
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You" 
Est.2009
http://birminghamrestaurantraider.blogspot.com/
 

Blaze Pizza: Serving At The Speed Of Light

Birmingham's south side is growing faster than you can imagine. With several medical facility & business expansions happening, restaurant growth is at an all time high.
Blaze Pizza is one of the new kids on the block. The restaurant is  located on the corner of Richard Arrington Blvd & 7th Avenue South near UAB hospital, on the street level of The Waites, a mixed use residential & retail development. 

The restaurant's "Fast Fire'd" custom built pizza concept is definitely a hit with the busy locals in the area. In a society where everyone wants good food fast, Blaze Pizza is happy to accommodate. With an oven flaming at 535 degrees, pizzas are hot & ready to eat in 180 seconds.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is bright with a moderate amount of seating. There is table seating and large booths in the rear of the restaurant. Actually they are large enough to probably seat 6 to 8 people. The menu boards are clearly visible right above the assembly line. 

Staff: The staff at the Birmingham location is filled with rock stars. Every customer that walked in was treated like a welcomed friend. The customer service standards here appear to be extremely high. I overheard as the concept was explained to all first time guests. The more you know, the more you go! Everyone was amazing!

What I had: The assembly line is filled with tons of fresh pizza toppings. More than my eyes could handle.

I opted for one of the pre-designed Signature pizzas. My delicious Green Stripe Pizza was hand crafted using fresh dough, topped with garlic, mozzarella cheese, chunks of chicken, red peppers, arugula with a drizzle of pesto. I decided to modify mine a little by adding green bell peppers, onions and olives... and extra cheese.

My side salad consisted of the Tomato & Mozzarella salad: wild baby arugula, romaine, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, red peppers and balsamic dressing.

 For dessert, I tried the S'mores Pie. Mmmmm just hot, gooey sweetness all smushed together!  You get the idea. 

To wash it all down, I had a cup of ice cold blood orange lemonade. 

Additionally they serve beer & wine and have countless other pizza combinations. 
For more information about Blaze Pizza, visit BlazePizza.com   

Visit them between the hours of 10:30 a.m. & 10 p.m.
707 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd South
Birmingham, AL 35233
(205) 378-3888
 Follow them on social media @BlazePizza 

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