Monday, December 11, 2017

Visit the new home of Tropicaleo Puerto Rican Kitchen

FINALLY! One of Birmingham's favorite pop-up kitchens has a permanent home.

I was recently invited to view the new location of Tropicaleo, an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant located in the Avondale community. They use as many locally sourced ingredients as possible in their recipes. Many of their beverage choices, brews, soda's & coffee's are from local vendors as well.

For quite sometime, the amazing food creations of Tropicaleo has been featured around town with their pop-up kitchen at many breweries and outdoor markets as they showcased their authentic cuisine. They now have a place to call home and everyone is invited for the Puerto Rican experience.

*Click photos for larger images*

I started out with an order of their infamous Plantain Chips w/ vegan mayo. This is a great appetizer. I'm not the biggest mayo fan, but it's an excellent compliment to the plantains. (pictured below)

Next I was treated with a serving of bruschetta topped with locally sourced goat cheese & a drizzle of house made vinaigrette. Loved it!!! Hopefully this will become a part of the permanent menu.

The 3rd item consisted of a delicious serving of Puerto Rican alcapurrias or (fritters).
These are pretty solid. Definitely loved the flavor. A must have.

Then there was a "different" kind of fritter. These are made of fried corn grits and might I add they are truly delicious!!

Next up was an entree of beans & rice accompanied by succulent fried pork. This my friends is definitely a "stick- to- your ribs" dish. Put a couple of spoon fulls of their rice on top of the beans and it's heaven in your mouth!

But Wait! There's more!

Even though I was STUFFED from all of the tasting, no Tropicaleo meal experience is complete without a deliciously sweet piece of their authentic flan for dessert.This is some of the best in Birmingham.

Having been previously featured in a previous write up on The Birmingham Restaurant Raider, the team at Tropicaleo, continues to impress with each visit.They even have hand made Vejigante masks as their featured wall art.

If you are looking for a unique experience, great food and a welcoming environment, stop by Tropicaleo! They offer drink specials, a fantastic weekend brunch and stellar catering! Look for them at your local food festivals as well.

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tropicaleobham/

Twitter: @tropicaleobham

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tropicaleobham/

Tropicaleo
4426 4th Ave S
Birmingham AL 35222
(205) 643-5956

Tweet photos of your experience using the tag #RaidBham
Thanks for reading & sharing!

Monday, August 15, 2016

FEATURE: "Travel In To Tropicaleo"

Hey! How'd you like to visit Puerto Rico? In case you don't quite have the cash to run out to book a flight, just stop in to the Crestwood Tavern now through August 31st to experience one of the
FINEST Puerto Rican / Caribbean menu's in the city of Birmingham. I, along with several other local food, beverage and lifestyle "influencers" were guests of the owners of Tropicaleo at a recent exclusive tasting event.

Gabriel & Isabel Marerro have taken the city's food culture by storm. Not only are they bringing authentic island flavor to Birmingham, but they are doing it with incredible passion. Tropicaleo offers gluten free & vegan options without sacrificing flavor and quality.

It was a pleasure to find out that they are helping the local economy by using local sources including:
Urban Food Project
Continental Bakery
D'Agostino's Sausage Empire
Wholesome Soda Company
And Wabi Tea Co

Hurry! You can visit Tropicaleo at their temporary location at Crestwood Tavern through the end of August. The permanent location will be located in Avondale near the 4400 block. They are looking to make the transition sometime in November.

They are also participating in Birmingham Restaurant Week 2016! Check out their amazing food at a special price while you can.
http://www.bhamrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/Tropicaleo

Gabriel & Isabel along with Chef Orlando, spent time speaking with our group about the preparation of each dish. We had an amazing afternoon tasting all of the wonderful dishes prepared by the staff.

If you would like more information about Tropicaleo or take advantage of their outstanding catering service, please visit https://www.facebook.com/tropicaleobham/

Look out for the team at local upcoming food festivals as well.

As usual, THANK YOU for reading and sharing these experiences as I #RaidBham

~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding A Restaurant Near You"