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/
 

Fried Green Tomatoes- Southern Traditional Cooking

When I visit my family up north, there are a few things that you absolutely can't find. Sweet tea is one of them and a good Krispy Kreme doughnut shop. Each time I visit, I frequently get the question "Where can we find good food when we come down south?" Many places come to mind and Fried Green Tomato's is one of them. Infamous for their southern style dishes, they have a tendency to attract lots of locals who were born and raised in the south & visitors who just want to experience southern flavored food.

I recently stopped by with a friend for lunch and were were not surprised at how truly good they are. 

Atmosphere: Fried Green Tomato's is modest in size. Upon entry, there is a dessert display that sits right inside the door full of amazing sweets such as Oreo pie, their famous chocolate chess pie and other sweet treats. I'd say cover your eyes if you don't want to be tempted.Their fast casual set up allows you to order and pay first then seat yourself at one of their tables. Beverage refills such as tea & lemonade are self serve. 

Staff: The staff was pretty friendly. We had no issues there. The only time we encountered someone was at the time our orders were placed. 

What We had: I had their buttermilk fried chicken breast. This large chicken portion was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I also had the friend green tomatoes. Their tomatoes are battered in their signature Whistle Stop Cafe fried green tomato batter which is sold in stores. I also had a side of turnip greens with a large portion of traditional cornbread. The turnip greens were good in flavor, but this side dish was terribly over cooked in my opinion. Next time I will definitely opt for a different side dish. To top it all off, I had a slice of Oreo pie to go. (it didn't make the photos, but was amazing) 
My lunch mate had nearly the same thing with a buttermilk fried leg quarter which she raved about, accompanied with greens, fried green tomatoes w/ mac & cheese. 

Prices: Both lunches without dessert rounded out to be just over $10 each. Desserts are priced at around $2.99. Not too bad for lunch. 

Overall experience: Fried Green Tomatoes is definitely a place that we will return to. Their traditional cooking combined with their service and atmosphere make for an awesome place to have lunch or dinner. 

For more information please visit their website at http://eatfgt.com/ 

Place an on-line pick up or delivery order via WaitrApp at https://waitrapp.com/restaurants/al/hoover/fried-green-tomatos/2277

Follow them on Facebook :Fried-Green-Tomatos 
Twitter @friedgreents
Instagram @fried_green_tomatos/

Fried Green Tomato's
1615 Montgomery Hwy
Suite 132
Hoover, AL 35216 

Also visit their other restaurant 
The Whistle Stop Cafe 
1906 1st Ave N, Irondale, AL 35210
 

Thanks for reading & sharing! 
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"  
Est.2009

Celebrate Caribbean Month At Customs International Cafe

Months after they were awarded the 2018 Shelby County Small Business Of The Year, Customs Cafe is celebrating Caribbean Food month all during the month of August. 

We've obtained a pre-released copy of their menu featuring items designed by their guest chef for the month of August, Tamara Saunders. 

MENU

Rasta Pasta – 12.50

Creamy Pasta with Jerk Chicken. If you love creamy,spicy, and decadent, then this pasta is for you. Rasta Pasta is a pasta dish with jerk chicken, that has been sauteed with bell peppers, then tossed in a spicy, creamy sauce. Served with plantains and Caribbean Corn.

Jamaican Beef Patty 6.95

Make it a combo – add chips & a fountain drink – 8.95

Don’t let the name fool you. It’s a delicious meat turnover. Flavorful ground beef stuffed into an amazing buttery dough, then baked. Very popular in Jamaica.

Plantains 4.00

Enjoy our plantain slices as a side order or appetizer.

Rum & Raisin Cake with Ice Cream – 6.95

This tropical treat is also enjoyed in the Southern U.S. during the Holidays. Made with Bacardi Rum and a sprinkling of raisins this delicious, mini-bundt cake is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ginger Lemonade – 3.00

A Taste of Jamaica makes this lemonade with the perfect amount of Ginger served cold over ice. 

Bacardi Ginger Lemonade – 6.00

Enjoy a refreshing cocktail. We add Bacardi Rum to Ginger Lemonade and serve it ice cold.

Their Caribbean Music Night  is August 10th 4 pm - 10 pm and will feature a few different items.Traditional items such as Jerk Chicken, Pork, or Fish with cabbage and plantains will be available. Additional menu items: Curry Goat, and Oxtails. Featured beverage: Bacardi Ginger Lemonade.

Customs Cafe is located at 1845 Montgomery Hwy, Suite 207, Hoover, AL  35244 (in the Hobby Lobby Shopping Ctr.)

(205) 987-0176

www.customscafe.com,    

Facebook – customscafe , Twitter@customscafe, Instagram @customscafe

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

"Around The World in A Day At Customs Cafe"

 I'm always excited to try a new restaurant. Having only been open a short time at this location, The Customs Cafe in Hoover is already causing a buzz among people in the area.
Their unique concept is one that will definitely be a great attraction for international cuisine lovers.
After having been located inside of the Hoover library for several years, they decided that it was time to move out into the spotlight. They recently opened a new location on Montgomery Highway.
The Customs Cafe menu features "Home-style Foods From Around The World". This month, they are featuring Cuban cuisine.

Thanks to Kay Carlton for the recommendation! 

Atmosphere: This fast-casual cafe is very nice. There is booth & table seating available. Even though the cafe is so nice it appears that they would have a hostess, orders are placed at the register prior to being seated. I challenge you to resist the delicious desserts just staring at you from inside the bakery display.Our table seats were very comfortable. 

The Meal: I opted for the 1/2 salad, 1/2 sandwich from the "Build Your Own Combo" menu.

 The gourmet chicken salad sandwich was filled with their original chicken salad made with two types of dressing, celery, pecans and spices accompanied by a pickle spear. The 1/2 Frances garden salad is a garden salad with organic mixed greens, shredded cheddar, cucumbers and croutons. 

My lunch companion had a hearty bowl of their featured Cuban black bean soup with Custom Cafe's cheese wafers. She also had the Polish stuffed cabbage casserole. Inside this dish you will find a  cabbage leaf stuffed with ground beef, light bell peppers, tomatoes, "secret spices" & rice rolled tight, topped with a flavor packed tomato sauce. This dish was accompanied by a generous helping of red skinned mashed potatoes and a warm roll. This is not a spicy dish (opinion).

After all of this deliciousness, we shared a HUGE slice of their key lime cake. This was a great ending to an amazing meal. 

 

The Staff: Everyone was friendly from the front of the house to the kitchen staff / chefs who brought out our meals. You can't get much better than this. 

 

The Overall Experience:  I cannot wait to go back. Their service and food combined with their atmosphere makes them a winner in my book. 

For more information on Customs Cafe or for catering, please visit their website at 

http://www.customscafe.com/

They are located at 1845 Montgomery Highway 35244

 

Also check out https://www.facebook.com/CustomsCafe

Thanks for following and sharing! 

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

#RaidBham

"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You" 

@RestaurantRaidr

Half gourmet chicken sandwich,  half salad

The Polish Stuffed Casserole w/ mashed potatoes

Key Lime Cake

The Cuban Black Bean Soup w/ cheese wafers