Where to eat in Mobile, Alabama... and Kalamazoo too!

Today, December 14, 2008, my husband and I stopped by Thai Cuisine on Drake. I have been craving Thai food for some time now, so when I spotted the sign, I knew what was for lunch.I am spoiled when it comes to Thai food. Back home in Mobile, I had the pleasure of frequenting the 4th best Thai restaurant in the United States, Bankok Thai Cuisne (see review below) so I was a bit skeptical about trying out someone else's fare. I was pleasantly suprised. Even though it paled in comparison, it did a good job for opening just a few days ago. We started off with a Thai tea and coffee. I found them to be good, but a little on the weak side. We also opted for an appetizer. We went with the combo. I was shocked at the size of it. The platter came with two HUGE pieces of fried tofu, fried muan goong (fried minced prawns), crab rangoon, a beef and a chicken satay as well as three sauces (peanut, sweet chili, and cucumber relish). I was a little confused as to why they were serving rangoon in a Thai restaurant, but they were good anyhow. Tony and I both agreed that the fried prawns were the tastiest. The $13 price tag suited this large platter. We could have easily dined off of just this dish. As for our main courses, I chose my staple of shrimp tom kha. It was awesome. It tasted just like my favorite back home. The shrimp were large and fresh. The soup was sweet, sour, fragrant, and just plain beautiful. I strongly recommend it. It was also priced just right at $6. Tony strayed from his usual masaman curry and went for the pa nang curry. I did not taste it, but he raved that it was wonderful. It was full of red and green peppers, bits of tofu and a rich red sauce. On my next visit I plan on trying the homemade coconut ice cream. I was just too stuffed on this visit. All in all I found Thai Cuisine to be a satisfactory Thai restaurant. They still have a few kinks to work out and I would love to see a more expansive menu (no Mee Krob!!). I will definitely visit this place again and recommend it to anyone else in the WMU area that is in need of a break from burgers and pizza.

I've been to Burdicks on two other occasions and the food has been great, but not tonight. The ambiance is nice. Its like an upscale sports bar. The servers are some of the nicest I've seen in this area, but for some reason they missed the mark tonight. I ordered the apple cheddar chicken which was decribed as a chicken breast breaded in sourdough bread crumbs and cheddar served over Fuji apples in an apple cider cream sauce. Sounds fantastic. I'm sure it would have been if that was what I got. It was nothing like its description. What I got was some slivers of cold chicken breast and apples topped with a ton of bread crumbs and no cheese. The bread crumbs were not even toasted. For the first time in my life, I sent a dish back. My husband had to send his veggie lasagna back as well. It was ice cold. This may have been a one time occurance, but it definitely was bad enough to turn me off to the restaurant. I know from experience dining out with my picky father taht a manager usually comes by in a situation like this. Maybe he was off (doubt it) because we did not get a peep out of him/her. I do have to admit that the server acted very professional in this whole disaster. She was the only bright spot in an other wise dark nigt. It would have been better, but even my replacement dish of macaroni and cheese was bad. It tasted like it was days old. If you have ever reheated macaroni and cheese, you know its not as good as the first time around. I gave up and settled with it. I felt bad for the clearly overworked server. I will not be returning here any time soon.

I am shocked and appalled. What was I thinking? I can't believe I have never been to Bilotti's Italian Cafe. This trip took place last Friday after reluctantly agreeing to get up at the crack of dawn and ride to the dentist with my father. Needless to say I was a real grump. While in the waiting room, counting the seconds, my dad found an article about the aforementioned. He asked me if I had eaten there. After saying no, he smirked and let out a strange chuckle. You see, he considers me a "food snob" and found it funny that I never went to Bilotti's, since it is about as established as a Mobile restaurant can be. I guess I should get to the actual experience before you get bored and start Myspacing it up. He recommended we eat there. I immediately said yes because my dad always pays and always lets me get whatever I want. We arrived around 11:30 and immediately became nervous -- we were the only people there. We were told to sit where we like and chose a booth, but only after much bickering about proper lighting versus a view of the LCD screen. You see, the LCD screen intrigued me. It was huge and only displayed a still scene involving camels and snow. Other than that, it had the typical Mobile decor. Old photographs and original flooring that sent my dad into a tizzy because "It looks old". I explained that I thought it was for the sake of authenticity. He then pointed to the camels. I drop the subject. By this time our server arrived and saved me from impending doom. We placed our order and before we knew it our drinks and salads were on the table. As a Southerner, I can tell you that sweet tea can make or break a place and I began to worry as the tea was easily forgettable. The salad made up for the faux pas. It was essentially a Greek salad with Italian dressing. You see, if I had my way, I would eat a Greek salad every day. It didn't have any bells and whistles; it was just good. The kitchen staff showed perfect timing and were sending out our appetizers as soon as the fork hit the bottom of the salad bowl. We ordered a sampler and a plate of stuffed mushrooms. Both dishes came out hot. The mushrooms were like lava and I ended up burning my mouth a bit, so we hit the sampler. The platter had two each of the following: fried mozzarella, stuffed mushrooms, bruscetta, and pastry-wrapped sausage. The fried mozzarella seemed to be homemade. I was amazed. To top it off, it was drizzled with warm honey. The taste was life changing. Everything else on the platter was equally tasty. The stuffed mushrooms had a hint of honey as well, which created a nice sweet-sour-spicy flavor. I went lighter than usual with the entree and got a bowl of seafood bisque. It was no competition for Spot of Tea's bisque, but it was edible. The bowl was full of crawfish and shrimp and was served at a good temperature. I find it so hard to get soup that is served at a decent temperature. As for dad, he ordered seafood manicotti. We became concerned when it came out in a broiling dish, and with good reason. It was so hot that it was boiling under the cheese topping! Dad tried to eat it anyway and was rewarded with a burned tongue. After allowing it to cool a bit, I had a taste and was pleasantly surprised to see there was no red sauce (have I mentioned that I hate red sauce?). Instead, it just left the seafood and cheese to do the talking. Not only did they talk, they sang. Beautifully at that. Although we had thoroughly stuffed ourselves by this time, we ordered a pizza too. I tried to talk dad out of it but he insisted. We got it to go but he couldn't resist helping himself before we left the table. He said it was perfect. I didn't argue. Instead I just tried to figure out a good way to take a nap in his pickup truck. I had food exhaustion. All in all, it was better late than never for Bilotti's and I am pleased to have met its acquaintance before moving to the frigid North. Thank you for a great meal and you will be missed.

When it comes to getting Tony out of the house, if the activity doesn't involve coffee, its over before it began. This means of course, that we have been to our share of coffee shops and our favorite so far is the downtown location of Serda's Coffee Company. We arrived shortly after the downtown lunch hustle to find a parking spot right in front of the place. This was a great treat, as crossing any street in Mobile can be quite dangerous. The first thing I noticed was that the cafe was immaculate. I am a stickler for cleanliness when food or beverage consumption is on the to-do list. Neither of us were in the mood for coffee(gasp!) so I opted for the artisan gelato and Tony went for a beer. The gelato was a wonderful treat after being subjected to Mobile's temperamental weather for the most part of the day. I ordered a double scoop- Profiterole and Marscapone. Of course I could have ordered many other combinations. They had 24 to choose from. They ranged from simple vanilla custard and butter pecan to creme Inglês and pineapple upside-down cake. As for Tony, he opted for a bottle of Harpoon beer. I noticed that it was five months expired, which would have turned me off, but he drank it anyway. He said it was still delicious. I took his word for it. But back to my gelato: it was fabulous. Sure, living in Mobile rarely subjects me to the Italian treat but it was definitely better than any ice cream I have ever eaten. As a connoisseur of the frozen stuff that is a complement. After I finished my gelato, I found myself in need of thirst quenching. I ordered and fountain drink and to my surprise they had freshly brewed blackberry sage tea alongside the usual Southern beverage choices, Coca-Cola and sweet tea. This tea was a wonderful surprise. Even better, it was free trade. The tea was a perfect balance of sweet blackberry and savory sage. It made me feel refreshed and satisfied. At one point of our visit, the general manager actually stopped by to make sure we were enjoying our experience. This made the whole trip a 9 out of 10 in my book (I deducted a point for the out of date beer). On your next visit to the downtown area, whether its to visit the Exploreum or to pay a parking ticket, stop by Serda's Coffee Company on Royal Street and give them a try.

This past weekend, I traveled to Baldwin County to attend a conference. Tony was to speak at it so I went along for moral support, and for the free hotel room at Orange Beach. The conference went smoothly and I left more confused than when I arrived (Did I mention it was a Philosophy conference?). On our way home, all we wanted was a break from the bad weather and what could be better than a cheerful restaurant with good food. We started in Orange Beach and worked our way past Gulf Shores. Nothing caught our fancy. We nearly gave up hope until a bright yellow building caught our eye. The name of the place was even better, The Giggling Grouper. It was too good to be true. The name alone put us in a better mood. Upon entering, I noticed they had a health rating of 99, and as a former restaurant supervisor I knew that kind of score was hard to come by. We were promptly seated and our drink orders were taken. We took a look around and felt like we were in a Disney movie. There were cheerful pictures of smiling turtles, playful seahorses, and of course the giggling grouper. Our server was very nice and had a great sense of humor. I had almost forgotten what good service was after so many years dining in chain restaurants with underpaid disgruntled employees. I ordered a shrimp poboy with coleslaw and Tony got the crawfish poboy with fries. Our food arrived to the table rather quickly and it was piping hot, The first thing I noticed on plate was the slaw. It was the strangest coleslaw I ever saw. It was more like a tossed salad with heavy mayo. There were huge chunks of cabbage, onion, and tomatoes, Tomatoes. It still tasted like slaw, but I was put off by the tomatoes. As for the sandwich, it was fantastic. The batter was light, flaky, and well seasoned. The shrimp were firm, yet tender. It was served on some crusty French bread with a spicy roumalade on the side. All in all it was simple and tasty. It was one of the best poboys I have ever eaten, and I've had quite a few. As for Tony's crawfish poboy, it was just as good as mine but I thought they went a little light on the meat. I understand that prepared crawfish meat is a little pricey but that sandwich was bordering skimpy. The sandwiches with one side were ten dollars each (not too bad). From now on, when I'm in that neck of the woods, I now know where to go for a tasty lunch that won't empty the wallet. The Giggling Grouper.

I recently had the pleasure of stopping by this eatery to celebrate my best friend's birthday. My husband recommended it because he works for a law office directly behind the establishment and passed by it daily. When we arrived, I thought "Oh no, another snooty restaurant downtown" but to my surprise the servers were very friendly. We made it there in time for tapas, or tiny dishes. The selection is relatively small, but they make up for that with the quality. We ordered four plates to share, which was not much for a meal for three people, but a great appetizer. The first dish was tuna tataki. The tuna was seared perfectly and had no fishy smell or taste. It was sliced thin and served with a spicy mango relish. I was in heaven. The tuna, mango and spices blended perfectly. Second was chicken skewers, which were also good but lacked the depth of the aforementioned tuna. Thirdly, we enjoyed a fantastic plate of crab cakes, a personal favorite. I am very picky when it comes to this treat and I was not let down. The cakes were silver dollar sized and very flavorful. The real star of this dish had to be the spicy roumalade type sauce that was applied ever so delicately to each cake. It was fiery, but was not washed out like many hot sauces. Finally, my husband's choice, ostrich tenderloin. I was no a big fan, as I found it a bit too gamy, but he insisted it was one of the best things he has ever eaten. I took his word for it. He savored this delicacy with a bottle of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, which paired perfectly with the tenderloin. All in all, this experience was superb. My husband enjoyed it so much, he picked up a duck panini for lunch the next day, which he said was the second best thing he has ever eaten. For the three of us, four tapas plates, three non-alcoholic drinks, and one beer, plus tip we spent about 60 dollars. It is well worth it if you are looking for place to spend a relatively quiet evening with good food, good service, and most importantly, good friends.

I am a frequent of Bangkok Thai Cuisine. The food is always terrific. I usually opt for the pineapple red curry and of course spring rolls. The sauce served with the spring rolls is the best around. My husband usually gets a yellow curry, which doesn't suit my tastes, but he insists it is the best he's ever had. My only complaint about this establishment is that sometimes the service is not so great. I know that on more than one occasion, we have had to wait over twenty minutes just for someone to take a drink order. I just try to remember that Bankok Thai is worth the wait.

Its a muggy day in Mobile and my brother came to visit. Even though I prefer lighter lunch options when it feels like an oven outside (or maybe more so like a steamer), my baby bro rarely visits and he's a BBQ addict. Since I live nearby in Hillsdale, I recommended The Brick Pit. I have not dined there, but all of my friends rant and rave about it. Upon entering the converted house turned restaurant, the smell of smokey barbecue draws you in like a pie on a windowsill in some old cartoon. As we floated to the order window, we noticed the walls were covered in graffiti. It made us feel at home (my bedroom at my dad's house was decorated in the same manner). We both ordered pulled pork. He chose spicy, and I chose regular. The meat was moist and tender and the sauce was tangy but ever so sweet, just the way I like my sauce. Baby brother said his was just right as well. The plate was served with a big thick slice of white bread aka Texas Toast, and a choice of two of four sides. I opted for the BBQ beans and cole slaw and he went for the beans and chips (Golden Flake of course). The beans were smokey and just a little sweet. We agreed they were just like mom's. Now, that's a complement. The cole slaw was just a little too acidic for my taste, so I left it unfinished. I am very choosy about cole slaw and it wasn't up to par. It was no big deal, because we were there for the barbecue, not slaw. We washed it all down with two big glasses of sweet tea. It was icey cold and very refreshing. We were tempted to go for some of their famous banana pudding, but were too stuffed to even attempt this feat. All in all it was a quick and satisfying lunch. We were in and out in less than thirty minutes. Our bill for two pulled pork plates and two sweet teas totaled 22 dollars even. Not a bad deal. The Brick Pit definitely lived up to its title as "The best damn BBQ in Alabama".

Anyone that knows me also knows that when asked for dining recommendations, Doughboy Pizza is usually at the top of the list. The quality of the food is extremely high and there is plenty to choose from. After a four month hiatus, I returned to my West Mobile Mecca. I was very happy to see they added booths because the previous pub tables were, more or less uncomfortable. Other than that, the atmosphere was unchanged. The server was very nice and quickly took our drink orders and was very patient while I ordered my Doughboy Special. What is a Doughboy Special? I'm glad you asked. Its your choice of eight toppings from a very complete list. My pizza included the following: fresh mozzarella, artichokes, feta, conecuh sausage, calimari, mushrooms, eggplant, and olives. Tony ordered the lasagna. When our food arrived, we were both blown away with the appearance of both dishes. My pizza was piled HIGH with toppings and looked almost too good to eat. Tony's lasagna looked like what I would expect my grandmother to make, if she were Italian. We were very excited when we saw our dishes. It was beyond our expectations, which were high from the beginning. I don't know what they did, but the food actually tasted better. It never tasted bad, or even mediocre. It has always been outstanding, but on this occasion it was extraordinary. We both had plenty left over for late night snacking, too. That's a plus. I would go into more detail, but I have an early morning ahead of me and need my rest. I will come back and elaborate soon because when something is this good, it deserves all it can get.

Ah, Al's. This fine Mobile establishment became my best friend when I first moved to the "big city" from Turnerville. If you are on a tight budget, you can't go wrong. Of course, you must have a hot dog while visiting. They are hot and served on a warmed bun with any topping that would be pleasing paired with processed and extruded meat. Its really hard to go wrong with a hot dog, but its all about the service there. I have yet to come across any nasty attitudes that are so common in too many Mobile eateries and be prepared to hold a conversation if you dine there on a slow day. Of course, they offer "other fine food" such as sausages, nachos, snow cones, gyro, and strawberry shortcake. I've tried it all and it all and I have no complaints. I have to warn you though. If you are looking for more upscale food... well you should not even enter. All Al's does is simple, filling food with no frills (which keep the prices low). So, the next time you want to take a trip back to those wholesome foods of your childhood, stop by Al's and say hello.