The Birmingham Restaurant Raider: Mountain Brook

Monday, May 7, 2018

From Manic To Merry at Vino Gallery Bar

Monday's have gone from "manic" to merry at Birmingham's Vino Gallery Bar.
Located in the popular English Village section of Mountain Brook, Vino has become one of Birmingham's popular spots for wine, food and ambience.

As a Birmingham Original, their unique patio design attracts a wide variety of people reaching far beyond Birmingham.

I recently had the pleasure of an exclusive visit to check out their infamous #MerryMonday menu. Special thanks to Alison Moncreif & the staff at Vino for accommodating me & my guest.

Every Monday, Vino owner Al Rabiee and his staff offer a slew of Merry Monday specials to help guests kick off their week.

*Click to enlarge photos*

We sampled a variety of Merry Monday libations consisting of

Maschio Prosecco
Chilton County Strawberry Martini
Barone Fini Pinot Grigio

The prices are unbelievably reasonable. Appetizers start at just $5!!! Martini's & select wines will run between $5 & 7 dollars per glass.

All of the tasting samples were high in quality. One favorite was the Chilton County Strawberry Martini.

To go along with these refreshing spirits, we were delivered a spectacular sampler of a few of the Merry Monday appetizers.

Bang Bang Cauliflower with Scallions, Roasted Sesame Seeds & Sweet Red Chili Sauce (insanely good)
Grilled Artichoke Salmon Bites with Thin Fries & Labneh
Fried Grouper Bites
Fresh Alabama Gulf Oysters

These appetizers are AMAZING! They are all available at special pricing at Vino on each & every Merry Monday.

The good news is, this is not a "happy hour" folks. These Merry Monday prices last all evening long.

Last but not least, were were surprised with a tasting of their exclusive
Vino Apple Fritters a' La Mode from their desert menu. If you are looking to sweeten the ending of your meal, this is a great choice.

Vino Gallery Bar has outstanding service, an amazing menu and with these prices, you absolutely can't go wrong.
We were so impressed with their outrageously good Bang Bang Cauliflower, we ordered a batch to take with us.

Check them out this and every single Monday starting at 4:00 p.m.
Vino Gallery Bar
1930 Cahaba Road
Mountain Brook, AL 35223

Visit their website at vinobirmingham.com/menu/
Follow their up to the minute updates on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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

Friday, September 18, 2015

Another Broken Egg Cafe - "Not Just Any Old Hum-Drum Breakfast"

I get tons of inquiries about the availability of a good brunch menu in Birmingham. As the recommendations come in to me, they go out to you. For several weeks, I've received a lot of recommendations to try a happening place in Mountain Brook called Another Broken Egg Cafe. Certainly if multiple people are encouraging me to try a place, there definitely must be something there.

Atmosphere:
Another Broken Egg offers outdoor, table and bar seating. The foyer had a small crowd of people waiting to be seated. We were given a 25 minute wait, but were seated after only a few minutes. Normally, my expectations are heightened when I have to wait to eat. The atmosphere was busy, but organized. I'm always happy to see a full house. The decor is definitely in sync with the overall theme of the restaurant. Their signature chicken logo was strategically (and artistically) placed throughout the restaurant.

The Meal:
Over the course of two separate visits, my assistant and I tried the biscuit beignets-southern style biscuit balls topped with powdered sugar with a side of honey marmalade, delicious baked bacon( I could taste the difference between baked & fried), cheese grits, city grits (OMG!!)- City grits, are made with Gouda cheese and topped with chopped green onion stems,diced tomatoes and crumbles of bacon. We also tried the seasoned country potatoes & the Mediterranean potatoes-roasted potatoes. The Mediterranean potatoes are topped with feta cheese crumbles and grilled onions. We tried their traditional buttermilk pancakes,scrambled eggs with cheese, turkey sausage links, a buttermilk biscuit and fresh orange juice. WHEW! Makes you almost wish you had been there, huh? Just wait until you see their menu.

The Staff:
Our service was extremely good. We didn't have to wait for refills or attention. Our servers during both visits were attentive, informative and accommodating. A restaurant with great food and sucky service is not worth a return, but that was not the case at Another Broken Egg Cafe.

The Prices:
The prices were not too over the top. Especially for the generous portions we received. The price for shareable appetizers starts at $3.29. Items from the "Healthy Side" menu are priced at $4.99 & up. A generous sized pancake will run you about $4.99. They also have a great variety of salads, sandwiches, beverages, coffees, specialty dished & more!! There are so many awesome things listed on the menu. Too many to mention here! However, the link to the menu complete with prices is included in this post. There are also several gluten free and vegetarian options.

Room for improvement:
No major complaints, however, I didn't see a children's menu. I think that would be an awesome revenue booster especially with the weekend crowds.

Overall Experience: Loved it! The portions, service & overall flavor of everything were impressive.

For more information on Another Broken Egg Cafe, please visit their website at http://www.anotherbrokenegg.com/location/mountain-brook

Follow them on Twitter @BrokenEggMB

Thanks for reading!
~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

Follow me @RestaurantRaidr