An Amazing Evening At Oakhouse Birmingham

 

I scheduled a meeting at Oakhouse Restaurant, a popular eatery just south of metro Birmingham in the beautiful community of Mt. Laurel. 

1️⃣ We shared a "Pork Belly & Grits" appetizer. Succulent maple butter glazed pork belly, with blue cheese crumbles over a creamy bed of smoked gouda grits. Simply divine. 

2️⃣ A glass of red wine for my dinner companion🍷 and I had my tried-and-true Cahaba Blonde draft beer. 🍺

3️⃣ We both had the 14 oz Ribeye Steak. I had mine "Oscar Style" topped with lump crab meat and cream sauce w/ grilled asparagus and a side of scalloped potatoes au gratin.

4️⃣ Finally, with little room left, we shared a decadent slice of bread pudding with a caramel and cream sauce. I highly recommend this heavenly dessert. 

Overall, Oakhouse provided GREAT service in a beautiful atmosphere which made for a beautiful MUCH NEEDED night out and an amazing dining experience. 😉🥰💕

For more information on Oakhouse Restaurant or to make a reservation, 

visit them at https://www.oakhouseeats.com/

Instagram Link: @oakhousebham

Facebook Link: facebook.com/oakhousebham/

Thanks for reading & sharing! 

~The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

Est. 2009 

#RaidBham 

*Please take a moment to visit the website for The Roverchase Foundation. 

Your tax-deductible donations help provide professionally trained service animals to aid people with disabilities. 

This is an Alabama based non-profit organization.

https://www.theroverchasefoundation.org  

The Seasons 52 Rosé All Day, All Summer Menu

Rosé is the drink of summer ― perfectly refreshing when the days are long and temperatures keep rising. Even in 2020, rosé continues to be among the fastest growing wine category. Seasons 52 is celebrating all things rosé with the return of Rosé All Day, All Summer, a curated menu that celebrates the favorite summertime wine, complete with rosé cocktails.

Here are the details:

·         Now through Sept. 14, guests are invited to come in and sip popular labels by-the-glass, such as Vanderpump Rosé and Jansz Brut Rosé, as well as the signature Rosé Lemonade and Rosé Sangria.

·         Pair with Season 52’s new summer menu, highlighting peak season ingredients in dishes like the new street-style Wood-Grilled Corn Wheels and Roasted Corn & Bacon Flatbread, to make the most of the warm weather.

Roasted Corn Flatbread

 

Wood Grilled Corn Wheels 

·   For those looking to partake at home, guests can purchase rosé by the bottle to go, along with the summer dishes. To provide guests with a cocktail option for home, Seasons 52 is sharing the recipe for its wildly popular Honey-Lavender Sangria, featuring Royal Post Rosé, which can be purchased by the bottle.

 

Rosé All Day Summer Array

Seasons 52 is located at 245 Summit Blvd. in Birmingham. For more info, visit Seasons52.com. For more information about what guests can expect dining at Seasons 52, click here.

Honey Lavender Sangria

Honey-Lavender Sangria
Inspired by Rosé All Day, All Summer event at Seasons 52

 

Ingredients:

·         3 oz. Royal Post Rosé

·         1½ oz. honey-lavender syrup

·         1 oz. white cranberry juice

·         ½ oz. lemon juice

·         3 oz. club soda

·         1 lavender sprig

·         1 lemon wedge

 

Procedure:

·         Pour rosé, syrup, juices and club soda over ice and stir.

·         Garnish with lavender sprig and lemon wedge.

 

Tools Needed:

·         Wine glass

 

Makes 1 cocktail.

Thanks for reading & sharing! 
The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

Dine Like A Jet Setter At Customs International Cafe

Known for their international themed menu, Customs Cafe in Hoover, Alabama offers a wide variety of foods from around the globe. Each month they feature food from a different continent. Customers can experience dining at a quint little cafe in Germany or France without the pricey plane ticket.

During the month of June, Customs celebrates the French culture by featuring a variety of French inspired dishes.

We recently tried the Quiche Lorraine: Flaky pie crust filled with eggs, Swiss cheese, bacon bits and spices baked to a creamy, savory perfection. Served with a “tres Francais” carrot salad, fresh grapes and French bread.


This month they are also featuring a crowd pleasing French onion soup, a Monte' Cristo sandwich  and a Roasted Pear Tart for dessert.

Media Night 2018 at Customs allowed us to sample a variety of cuisines along with beverage pairings all in one night. Owners, Chef Craig Cassiday & Teresa White graciously hosted a group of food writers from the metro area. Everyone was greeted with a glass of Prosecco. 

Features of the tasting included: a German first offering (Ein), a Cuban second offering (Dos), an Italian third offering (Tre) & a French fourth offering (Quatre). 

Inspired by Germany, the first tasting was their Old Berlin Beer Cheese Soup, served warm with a side of their signature cheese wafers.

This was paired with a Dresden Spritzer.

Dresden Spritzer

The second item we tried was the Cuban Pork Slider: Moist, smoked pulled pork in Mojo sauce served on a soft yeast roll & paired with a perfectly mixed Classic Mojito cocktail. 

Mojito

Next on the list was the warm & cheesy Italian Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage, paired with a glass of Barbera D'Asti.

Finally, paired with a glass of Baron & Gustier Vouvray, was the incredible  French inspired Roasted Pear Tart: Flavored with almond, pear, apricot, and butter…these individual tarts are addictive so order two! They have a crisp sugar pastry base spread with frangipane and topped with a roasted pear half then sealed with apricot glaze. In other words..... it's darn good! You definitely won't leave one morsel of this tart on the plate. 

Customs Cafe is the 2018 recipient of the Shelby County Small Business of The Year award. Stop by to congratulate them soon. Don't forget to ask for your passport!

Their cafe also doubles as an event venue for receptions, meetings and more!

Customs Cafe
1845 Montgomery Hwy, Hoover, AL 35244 
(205) 987-0176

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

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 

EVENT: The 2018 Magic City Wine Fest

The Birmingham Restaurant Raider

It's that time again! 
The 2018 Magic City Wine Fest is approaching and wine lovers from near & far will convene at The Birmingham Zoo on May 12, 2018. 

Presenting sponsors Jaguar of Birmingham & Land Rover Of Birmingham welcome you to this 2nd annual event benefiting The Birmingham Zoo which will feature wines from across the world. Wines will be provided by International Wines & Craft Beer.

There will be food available for purchase from a variety of Birmingham area restaurants. 
According State law and ABC regulations there will not be “unlimited free samples.” Therefore, the ticket price is your admission to Magic City Wine Fest. Once inside the festival, you will be charged $0.01 for each one ounce serving.  This "Penny a Pour" donation will be collected at each wine table where guests can drop a penny in for each drink.

Entertainment will be provided by jazz legend, Vann Burchfield, a musical Guinness World Record holder. 

This is a rain or shine event. No one under 21 will be allowed. 
The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Ticket categories available will be  as follows:

• GENERAL ADMISSION $49.00
• VIP $69.00
• DESIGNATED DRIVER $20.00

*Fees & taxes will be additional. This event WILL sell out.

 DRINK RESPONSIBLY🍇🍷

 Purchase tickets: http://www.magiccitywinefest.com/Tickets

The Birmingham Zoo
2630 Cahaba Road
Birmingham, AL 35223

REVIEW: The Craft Burger

As their facebook page reads "Simple, fresh ingredients, cooked with craft. No precious over-priced fanciness. Just plain good. AN HONEST BURGER FOR AN HONEST BUCK."

I ventured out with a friend to have lunch at Brava Grill off of Caldwell Mill Road and wouldn't ya know it.... SWITCH-A-RONI! They were not there anymore.
Their meaty replacement had taken over the location with a new spot that specializes in hand crafted burgers & much more.

The Craft Burger is a new, fast-casual, burger joint that keeps it simple. Their menu is not 10 pages long or too complicated. They offer a variety of burgers, "craft dogs", sandwiches, salads, beer, wine & shakes.

The decor didn't really change, except for a few minor differences. However, the concept is a lot different that the previous restaurant.

On my first visit I tried the Turkey Burger: seasoned ground turkey on a bun accompanied by their house made basil mayo, arugula (no tomato for me) and a side of their seasoned fries. This was a pretty good turkey burger. I typically don't order turkey burgers at restaurants because they just never compare to my personal "secret"  recipe. However, I finished every bite of this one. Kudos!

*Click photos to view larger images*

TURKEY BURGER

My friend opted for the buffalo chicken salad: A very generous portion of Romain lettuce, red onion, tomato, fresh sliced cucumber, shredded cheese and a good sized helping of moist , grilled chicken chopped and tossed in buffalo sauce, with a side of ranch dressing.

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

On a separate visit, I decided to try the Craft Burger: ground top sirloin, grilled to moist perfection, on a bun with onion, a slice of American cheese, onion, lettuce and their "secret" craft sauce. Wonder what's in it? 😕

THE CRAFT BURGER

I also had a hand made cookies & cream milkshake. It was a little camera shy so no pix.
However, if you're a shake lover I will let you know that you WILL be impressed with the straws for the milkshakes. FINALLY... a large enough straw.

The staff was great! Friendly and very proud of the menu and all of it's offerings.
I was disappointed that Brava was gone, but I think The Craft Burger is here to stay. They should see a great deal of success here in this busy shopping center.

For more information about The Craft Burger,
visit & "LIKE" their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thecraftburger/
Follow them on twitter at @TheCraftBurger

Thanks for reading & sharing.
Most of all, thank you for supporting these business owners.
Their staff depends on your patronage. I do this for them.

Regards,
The Birmingham Restaurant Raider
"Anonymously Raiding a Restaurant Near You"
#RaidBham 

Don't Drive. Get a LYFT https://www.lyft.com/invite/RAIDBHAM2017 


Phone: (205) 995-0003
Hours: 11-8 Daily
5184 Caldwell Mill Rd

Birmingham, Alabama, AL 35244

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