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The Library => Haley Center Basement => Topic started by: Kaos on April 03, 2016, 10:15:25 PM
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I eat out more than I should. Some places are fantastic. Others are meh. Others suck. So I've decided to start reviewing restaurants for those of you who travel in the same areas in which I find myself.
Yes, it's rude, but when we go places we typically try each other's food (and drinks) so I usually have a point of reference on each serving.
First a couple of suggestions:
The Wash House in Fairhope. Quirky, off-beat and off the beaten path. Food is always good, service is always great. Worth the effort to find it.
Panini Pete's in Fairhope. Good sandwiches, good burgers, interesting atmosphere.
Now the reviews:
Was in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach over the weekend. Got three for you.
Montegos
Opened March 1 at the Wharf where Wings used to be and where something else was before that. Went on a Friday night and there was no crowd at all.
At our table we had two burgers, an order of ahi tuna nachos with fried pickles as the starter. One glass of wine and one of their "signature drinks"
Wine should have been chilled. It was cool and the glass was warm like it had just come out of the washer.
Signature drink was a muddy mix of flavors and simply not great.
Fried pickles were okay. Nothing to write home about. Had better.
Both girls ordered the burgers medium well. One was dripping blood, the other was cooked to near concrete status. Neither were really edible.
The tuna nachos had a weird mixture of sauces that didn't work.
Bill was over $100 and it wasn't worth it at all.
Would not eat there again.
Acme Oyster House
Fairly new, under the bridge across from Lulus.
Saturday night early and we were seated right away. Had we been half an hour later, the wait would have been interminable. People were lined up all over the spacious porch and every table was full.
Orders:
Chargrilled oysters
Ham and cheese po'boy
Oyster rockefeller soup
Raw oysters
Marinated shrimp platter
Oyster shooters
Reisling and Pino Grigio
Chargrilled oysters were really good.
Po'boy was enormous and tasty
Raw oysters were presented well
Soup was good except it lacked oysters (only two in a big bowl)
Marinated shrimp was excellent
Wine was perfectly chilled
Oyster shooters (raw oyster, cocktail sauce and vodka in a shot glass) were interesting, but I don't have any urge to do them again.
Service was attentive, helpful and friendly.
Bill was close to $150 with generous tip.
Not the greatest meal I've ever had, but will definitely go there again.
Cayman Grill
In Orange Beach just down from the Coastal Connection road on 180. Heard good things, and maybe caught this place on a bad day.
Got there at 1:30 on Sunday. Asked to sit outside because they have a huge deck, but no. Nobody's eating outside today. Fine. The hostess takes us to a table pretty far away from the big window and seats us where there's food all over the place. Crumbled up muffin in one seat, smears of something in another, water rings on the table, food scraps all around the chairs. Bear in mind that there were only two other groups in the entire enormous restaurant.
We asked to be reseated and the waitress complied. "Yeah, sit anywhere you want, there's open tables."
We expected a lunch menu and got brunch. Which is fine, but there was no notification anywhere. No signage, no mention when we got there, nothing. We'd looked at the lunch menu online and had an idea of what we were going to get but nope.
So we asked the waitress what she would suggest and she was sort of helpful but not really. Didn't know if the menu was lunch or brunch or what was on it.
She would come to our table and then retire to a corner where four or five other waitresses were lounging around doing nothing.
Orders:
Smoked salmon eggs benedict
Tuna melt
Four cheese pizza
Seafood stir fry
Signature drink
Bloody Mary
Bloody mary was half ass. Two olives on a spear and very little flavor. Clearly a bottled mix and not tasty.
Signature drink was good, lots of coconut flavor.
Tuna melt was very obviously canned tuna, pickle relish and sliced cheese. It was something a fourth grade cooking class might make. Not worth the price
Seafood stir fry had a very very sweet mango-pineapple sort of flavor but they'd dusted in some hot spice. I guess the intent was a contrast in flavors but it didn't work well. The fish pieces all had bones. Shrimp was not cooked well and was rubbery.
Salmon eggs benedict was okay, but the salmon had little flavor. It was steamed instead of smoked.
Pizza didn't work for my pizza connoisseur daughter. She ate one piece and politely boxed the rest up, but tossed it in the first trash can we came to.
Before we ate she tossed a basket of dry muffins on the table and called them "brunch leftovers"
Service was disinterested and apathetic
Food was overpriced even at $80 (including tip)
Won't go back
Interestingly enough I accidentally left my credit card and had to go back and get it. The manager took me aside and asked about my meal. When I told her it was good, she said she really needed an honest opinion if it wasn't because they'd had three different groups walk out and refuse to pay -- including a group of 15 -- complaining that the service was bad and the food worse. So I told her.
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I'm a fan of Acme Oyster House. The one in Sandestin is routinely good, if over priced.
A Panini Pete's just opened in Destin. Can you tell me more about it? The name is silly...rarely do I think, "You know what sounds good? A fucking panini!"
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Add me to the list of fans of AOH. We ate there last year on our trip and I fell in love with the seafood etoufee. The rest of my bunch had either fried shrimp or a Po-Boy and they all loved it as well. I am also a fan of LuLu's though, mainly for their blackened shrimp tacos, so take it for what it's worth.
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I'm a fan of Acme Oyster House. The one in Sandestin is routinely good, if over priced.
A Panini Pete's just opened in Destin. Can you tell me more about it? The name is silly...rarely do I think, "You know what sounds good? A fucking panini!"
Pete is a brother in law to Bob baumhower. I actually met him at a Kiss show in Pensacola. He was on the first row and is about 6-4. I was behind him and not 6-4. He offered to trade so I could see better. Nice guy.
At his stores in Fairhope and mobile everything is fresh made. He does a good job teaming different flavors on the daily specials. I've tried just about everything on the menu and never had a bad dish.
Roast beef panini is great. So is the turkey. Burgers are always cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The one with goat cheese is awesome.
Homemade thin fries. Homemade chips. Depending on the day fruit or pasta salad of couscous.
One of my favorite places for a quick and tasty lunch.
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Pete is a brother in law to Bob baumhower. I actually met him at a Kiss show in Pensacola. He was on the first row and is about 6-4. I was behind him and not 6-4. He offered to trade so I could see better. Nice guy.
At his stores in Fairhope and mobile everything is fresh made. He does a good job teaming different flavors on the daily specials. I've tried just about everything on the menu and never had a bad dish.
Roast beef panini is great. So is the turkey. Burgers are always cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The one with goat cheese is awesome.
Homemade thin fries. Homemade chips. Depending on the day fruit or pasta salad of couscous.
One of my favorite places for a quick and tasty lunch.
Thanks. I'll give it a shot.
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Thanks. I'll give it a shot.
I can't speak for the satellite locations but it's hard to make a bad menu selection at the original Pete's. And from what I understand, he's the real deal. A true chef that's been to a fancy culinary school. That doesn't matter to me but it is a plus, I guess.
French Qtr burger and Pete's Muffaletta are great. Also seared tuna is fantastic. I've never had anything bad there, but I'm not a picky eater for a skinny man.
If you aren't counting Cals, order some beignets for dessert.
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I can't speak for the satellite locations but it's hard to make a bad menu selection at the original Pete's. And from what I understand, he's the real deal. A true chef that's been to a fancy culinary school. That doesn't matter to me but it is a plus, I guess.
French Qtr burger and Pete's Muffaletta are great. Also seared tuna is fantastic. I've never had anything bad there, but I'm not a picky eater for a skinny man.
If you aren't counting Cals, order some beignets for dessert.
He's also been on diners drive ins and dives. Spent several months traveling around with guy after his place was on the show.
Don't like that show or Guy. But if you meet Pete you understand. As a chef, yeah, he's trained. Designed the menu and a lot of the signature dishes for the original Wings before going out on his own.
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Pete is a brother in law to Bob baumhower. I actually met him at a Kiss show in Pensacola. He was on the first row and is about 6-4. I was behind him and not 6-4. He offered to trade so I could see better. Nice guy.
At his stores in Fairhope and mobile everything is fresh made. He does a good job teaming different flavors on the daily specials. I've tried just about everything on the menu and never had a bad dish.
Roast beef panini is great. So is the turkey. Burgers are always cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The one with goat cheese is awesome.
Homemade thin fries. Homemade chips. Depending on the day fruit or pasta salad of couscous.
One of my favorite places for a quick and tasty lunch.
And I hate this fact but I like almost everything I've been to or eaten in regards to baumhower. Not the greatest stuff in the world but very good and solid. I like the places themselves too.
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Can't somebody open a place where you make your own pizzas?
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Can't somebody open a place where you make your own pizzas?
On this note...
How in the fuck do the "take and bake" places stay afloat? If I want to bake my own, I'll pay less at a grocery store. If I'm hungry, I don't want to bake...deliver that shit prepared.
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Can't somebody open a place where you make your own pizzas?
https://youtu.be/3lOG3rD5CrQ
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Can't somebody open a place where you make your own pizzas?
You know, you have to know how to do that. You can't have people shoving their arms into a six-hundred degree oven.
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Not sure if it is still there, but if you liked the baked oysters at Acme, you need to go to Papa Rocco's in Gulf Shores. The Cajun Baked Oysters are the best baked oysters I have ever eaten.
Been probably 1o years since I've been to Gulf Shores
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Can't somebody open a place where you make your own pizzas?
We cannot give the people the right to choose any topping they want!
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Not sure if it is still there, but if you liked the baked oysters at Acme, you need to go to Papa Rocco's in Gulf Shores. The Cajun Baked Oysters are the best baked oysters I have ever eaten.
Been probably 1o years since I've been to Gulf Shores
Rocco's is still there. Celebrating 30 years.
I got the pizza once about six months ago. It gave me the fire ass and i didn't like it.
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Rocco's is still there. Celebrating 30 years.
I got the pizza once about six months ago. It gave me the fire ass and i didn't like it.
Are you certain it was the pizza?
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Echo the sentiments of the Destin counselor on Acme. Pricey but solid. Snagette is not an oyster fan but loves them grilled at the Acme's.
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If you ever get to New Orleans, Drago's has fantastic Grilled oysters as well. You can sit and watch them being grilled if that is your thing
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If you ever get to New Orleans, Drago's has fantastic Grilled oysters as well. You can sit and watch them being grilled if that is your thing
Throw Bourbon House in there as well.
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I found this place in Chicago called Chipotle. Man, it's good. Aside from a little eColi or Nurovirus.
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I found this place in Chicago called Chipotle. Man, it's good. Aside from a little eColi or Nurovirus.
Chipotle: Mexican for "burned out gringo's o-ring"
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I found this place in Chicago called Chipotle. Man, it's good. Aside from a little eColi or Nurovirus.
I hope they serve Blue Bell ice cream for dessert, so later that night I can say "come on ice cream!"
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Speaking of Sheecargo, no trip there is complete for me unless I hit Giordano's Pizza. True deep dish goodness and no way you can muscle through more than two slices.
I'm way more of a deep dish lovah. Tried a couple of NY pizza parlors but the thin sliced just isn't in the same universe to me.
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If you ever get to New Orleans, Drago's has fantastic Grilled oysters as well. You can sit and watch them being grilled if that is your thing
Drago's grilled oysters are the best you will have.
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R Bistro and Pastry
Downtown Fairhope
Surprisingly outstanding little storefront in the middle of downtown Fairhope AL.
Went on a Saturday night on a whim when our first four choices (Sunset Pointe, Pinzone's among them) required an hour wait. Had heard a few good things and we were able to snag two outside tables. Was a little chilly, but not bad.
From the specials menu, we picked
Filet in bourbon glaze with pomme fritas and green beans
Grilled chicken with gouda mashed potatoes
Glazed salmon with parmesan crusted baked tomatoes
Every bit of it was astoundingly good. The filet was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife. Expertly cooked and the glaze -- while a little heavy for my taste -- was delicious. The chicken was as good as any I've ever tried. And the salmon? Tomatoes schmotatoes. It was fantastic.
One of the best overall meals I've had in a long time.
On top of that we shared a caramel cake that was diabetic-coma-inducing good.
It was a touch on the pricey side for the nightly specials (filet was $35), but the regular menu was also available. It had some great looking dishes and wasn't as expensive.
I was pleasantly surprised and definitely recommend giving R's Bistro a shot if you're in the Fairhope area. It puts a lot of the more well-known options to shame.