Folks have been telling me to try Archibald’s Bar-B-Q since I moved to Alabama three years ago. I haven’t made it down to Tuscaloosa often and never got around to it, but last Saturday Emily Vann and I took a little road trip to Archibald’s and PieLab and oh man, it was worthwhile.
The problem was that I couldn’t get a straight read on the original location, whether it was still in operation, and whether it was open on Saturdays. Some locations appeared shuttered and news reports were scattered at best. Phone numbers associated with Archibald’s rang endlessly, or were disconnected, so things weren’t shaping up as I’d hoped.With every ounce of my adventurousness, I went analog and just decided ask someone once we got to Northport.
Finding Archibald's: The beginning. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
The people who own the Northport Five and Dime, a little shop filled with a surprising diversity of things, were kind enough to draw this map:
Finding Archibald's: The hand-drawn map. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
The route description, like the map, left a bit to be desired, but Emily and I raced back to her Prius and headed toward the overpass.
Finding Archibald's: Landmark-The Overpass. Photo by Emily Vann
After the overpass we looked for Old Bridge Avenue. A conversation sparked as to whether the man in the Five and Dime was referring to “Old Bridge Avenue” or something he thought of affectionately as the old “bridge avenue.” It was the latter, so we turned around and headed back toward Bridge Ave.
Finding Archibald's: Turning around. Photo by Emily Vann.
Finding Archibald's: Landmark - Bridge Avenue. Photo by Emily Vann
From there it wasn’t long until we hit Martin Luther King Boulevard and the “big Zion Church.”
Finding Archibald's: Landmark - the big Zion church. Photo by Emily Vann
Finding Archibald's: Victory! Photo by Daniel Schumacher.
Sweet, sweet tender ribs. Emily and I had nearly driven passed the smallish building. Heartened by lingering grey hickory smoke and we entered. Archibald’s interior is easily a third the size of Saw’s in Edgewood or Full Moon in Southside. Tiny. Diners can choose between smokey, close quarters at the bar, or persistent black flies at nearby picnic tables. We chose the latter, as the tables offered some protection from the inevitable barbecue sauce and grease splatters.
Finding Archibald's: Rib Sandwich. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
In theory and in reality, the rib sandwich, like the pork chop sandwich, just doesn’t seem to make any sense. There are bones! Big bones. Thankfully, I was able to set aside logic and rip into the three tender, tangy ribs. As a writer who found himself on Alabama’s burgers and barbecue beat, I can say these are the finest ribs I have ever eaten.
Finding Archibald's: Sticky rib fingers. Photo by Daniel Schumacher.
Finding Archibald's: Empty Plate. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
And a rusty Mustang finishes off the decor.
Finding Archibald's: Ambiance is a rusty Mustang. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
I wish I’d gotten a pulled pork sandwich while I was there. Please comment if you have tried one.
The Details:
ARCHIBALD’S BAR-B-Q 1211 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Northport, AL 35476
(205) 345-6861
Thomas Creek Brewery: Up the Creek. Courtesy photo, Thomas Creek Brewery
Earlier this month Greenville, South Carolina’s Thomas Creek Brewery, inked a deal with Pinnacle Imports to bring their beers to the Birmingham market.
I found some this afternoon at the Highland Beverage Store while searching for good quintessentially German beers for our October issue (please leave suggestions below). So far, the HBS stocks three Thomas Creek’s beers–Up the Creek Extreme IPA, Pump House Porter and Deep Water Doppelbock Lager–and the shop plans to receive the Stillwater Vanilla Cream Ale and two other varieties within the week. Additionally, Up the Creek Extreme IPA is slated for their comparatively extensive draft list.
Up the Creek Extreme IPA is chilling in my fridge right now and I’ll hopefully write about it shortly.
Thomas Creek: Stillwater Vanilla Cream Ale. Courtesy photo, Thomas Creek Brewery
Thomas Creek: Deep Water Dopplebock. Courtesy photo, Thomas Creek Brewery
Oscars at the Museum: Grilled Pimento Cheese. Photo by Elizabeth Lenarcic.
Print edition readers probably noticed this month’s interview with Chef Lorrin Rames. He’s an accomplished chef who’s cooked his way across the Western United States to the newly reopenedBirmingham Museum of Art cafe, now known as Oscars at the Museum. The cafe wasn’t open to the public before that issue went to press, so here are some images from my first (delicious) meal.
Oscars at the Museum: Carne Asada Flatbread. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
My friend Liz and I arrived at the table greeted by a small plate of pickled vegetables and a dollop of homemade pimento cheese. We snacked on it while waiting for our order of Grilled Carne Asada Flatbread, which was wonderfully spiced, tender and filling (it could have served as an entree in its own right).
Oscars at the Museum: Rembrandt Burger. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Burgers were still on my mind, seeing how I was in the midst of finishing my part of the July Best Burgers in Birmingham story, so I thought I’d see how the Rembrandt (above) stacked up while Liz tried the grilled pimento cheese sandwich (top). The burger was good but the vanilla-spiced sweet potato fries stole the show. It’s hard to make a fully-cooked-but-not-mushy sweet ‘tater fry, and Rames has got it down. (Confession: I finished the fries the next afternoon and I can tell you they reheat well too.)
Oscars at the Museum: Banana Pudding. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
After all we’d heard about the Mason jar banana pudding, we figured we’d be in remiss if we left without some. It’s worthwhile.
Homewood Gourmet owners Chris and Laura Zapalowski. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
You may have noticed some fresh new faces at the Homewood Gourmet tent slinging breakfast burritos at the Pepper Place Market this summer. This past May, Homewood Gourmet owner Franklin Biggs decided to sell his restaurant to Hot and Hot Fish Club alums Chris and Laura Zapalowski.
The Zapalowskis confirmed to me in an interview last week that while they are working on interior renovations that they hope to finish by Labor Day, they will take great care in evolving the menu.
“We love the style of the restaurant and it has such a great following. We don’t want to change someone’s favorite dish, but there are a few areas where we can create new items or tweak one to our taste,” says Laura.
Drawing on his experience at Hot and Hot, Chef Zapalowski was used to serving food that was 90 percent locally grown and procured and is working to incorporate more of that into the Homewood Gourmet menu. At this point, locally sourced Evans Meats products have been incorporated into the restaurant and catering menus.
“The long term goal is to evolve the menu in that fashion [that includes more local items] if we can figure out how to make it work financially. We are patient,” says Chris.
The Details
Homewood Gourmet
1919 28th Avenue South
Homewood, AL 35209-2600
(205) 871-1620
Last week Dan went to the Summit and spoke with Chuy’s General Manager Brett Batsel about how the new Mexican restaurant produces fresh flour and corn tortillas. It might add a few minutes to the order, but Batsel says it’s worth the wait for minutes-old tortillas.
Details:
Chuy’s
(205) 977-4224
216 Summit Blvd. Suite 135
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun. to Thurs.
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat.
Brick & Tin: Before and After. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
After what seemed like a quick build-out, Mauricio Papapietro’s Brick & Tin sandwich shop is now open in downtown Birmingham. (Construction Photos.) The restaurant’s stunning interior, with its polished cement floor, original brick walls and tin tile ceiling, provides an excellent backdrop for Mauricio’s delicious menu. In a few words, freshly baked bread is revelatory and the items we tried were spot-on. Build in extra time if you’re planning to go for a business lunch because at the end of their first week, the order and delivery processes were still quite slow. Let me tell you these sandwiches (and deviled eggs) are worth the wait.
Brick & Tin: The Line (with owner Mauricio Papapietro, right). Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Brick & Tin: Devilled Eggs. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Brick & Tin: Bologna Sandwich with Tomato Soup. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Brick & Tin: Catalan Sandwich. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Brick & Tin: Field Pea Salad. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Mamanoes Grocery Shop Exterior. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
A few weeks ago, Mamanoes Grocery Shop (pronounced “mama-knows”) opened in the former Gypsy Market space on Second Avenue North. It fills many of the same niches Gypsey served, but owner Antonio Boyd plans to expand on the grocery shop concept by adding a light food menu.
When asked about the timeframe or menu details, Boyd defers, “Maybe one month, maybe two. I won’t stand for mediocrity, so I’ll build the grocery side while I tinker with different recipes. Someone’s first impression might be their last impression, so I want to get it right.”
Selection of Mamanoes produce. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Boyd originally was in talks with Mr. P’s Deli to stock Mamanoes with butchered meats, but those plans were scrapped due to packaging concerns from the JeffCo Department of Health. Now he is working with local distributor Evans Meats to bring their products to the downtown market. The store currently stocks cuts including ribeye steaks, thick-cut pork chops and buffalo meat.
Mamanoes Dining Area. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
The shop currently offers free WiFI access in the newly renovated upstairs dining area. In addition to the meat section, Mamanoes was granted an on-premises/off-premises wine and beer license and will be building their selection of high gravity beer, regular beer and wine in the coming months. Boyd plans to hold tastings every Thursday, which will include but won’t be limited to beer and wine.
Selection of Mamanoes June 2010 beers. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
“I want to reach out to everybody and make them feel welcome; not everyone drinks so I’ll have all sorts of tastings,” says Boyd.
Green Zebra Tomato, sliced. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
Crisp, acidic Green Zebra tomatoes are some of my favorite early hybrids and I was so excited to see them at Pepper Place Saturday Market this weekend. This is not to say that I’m not excited about the other early and mid-season ‘maters I’ve seen popping up over the last few weeks.
Whole Green Zebra Tomato. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
The folks at Snow’s Bend Farm were kind enough to tell me that they expect these stripey green beauties to last another month or so. Green Zebras are firm, acidic, and tend to grow to the size of a small peach (or a normal-sized plum). Since they were hybridized in the early 1980s, they are not an heirloom.
Green Zebra Tomato with Knife. Photo by Daniel Schumacher.
Bettola Chef/Owner James Lewis in his new restaurant space. Photo by Daniel Schumacher
“It’s not just a butcher shop, [my new restaurant is] all about pork and different meats and it’s about people seeing these items in their raw form and then serving them in different ways,” says Bettola’s chef/owner James Lewis about his new project in Pepper Place’s Martin Biscuit Building.
Lewis plans to open his new Northern Italian restaurant, yet unnamed, this August. It is located next to Bettola in the former Zoes Kitchen corporate space and will focus on whole-hog butchery, inventive cocktails, and flexible serving sizes. Artisanal Italian butcher Dario Cecchini instructed Lewis on butchery and artisanal Italian curing methods and inspired him to begin this project. He says Atlanta’s Holeman & Finch Public House and Donald Link’s Cochon in New Orleans have comparable philosophies. More… »
Being a busy working mom of 3 kids is quite the challenge. Even though my career is in food, the dinnertime rush seems to be a little chaotic. People ask me all the time for ideas and tips on how I keep it together and continue to serve my children healthy, easy meals. See below for a really simple recipe for Caesar Shrimp Kebobs using tip #3.
Here are some of my top 15 favorite tips on how to get dinner on the table fast:
1. I like to purchase chicken cutlets or thinly sliced boneless pork loin chops because they cook much quicker.
2. I get my kids involved in making dinner and helping out.
3. I like to purchase already peeled and deveined shrimp or frozen shrimp that has been peeled and deveined.
4. I love to cook with shelled edamame beans.
5. I use rotisserie chicken a ton when recipes call for chopped, cooked chicken.
6. I love to grill a lot. It’s quick and easy. If I can’t get outside, I love my grill pan over the stove.
7. I used ready-made pizza crusts alot and purchase lots of fresh vegetables, good tomato sauce, pesto and fresh herbs for toppings.
8. Panini makers and slow cookers are a life saver.
9. I like to prep while my kids are at school so my nights aren’t so crazy (of course, in summer, that’s not so easy).
10. I use precut carrots and bagged, washed greens.
11. I make very organized grocery lists.
12. When I grill salmon, steak or chicken, I grill extra for a main-dish salad the next night.
13. When I purchase hamburger (beef or turkey meat), I buy extra to also make a meatloaf for another night.
14. I use a lot of fresh herbs and fresh lemon and lime juice and zest to bring out fresh flavors in my recipes.
15. I get my kids to set the table so when dinner is ready, I’m not scrambling. And I always, have a good idea of what is for dessert.
Shrimp Caesar Skewers
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
11/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup light Caesar salad dressing
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 cups French bread, cubed into 1-inch pieces
1 (10-ounce) container grape or cherry tomatoes
3/4 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
Shredded romaine lettuce, grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preparation:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Drizzle shrimp with Caesar dressing and sprinkle evenly with lemon pepper, tossing well. Let stand at least 15 minutes or refrigerate and marinate up to 8 hours. Thread shrimp, bread cubes, tomatoes and asparagus evenly on each of 6 skewers.
3. Cook shrimp skewers on a lightly greased grill rack or grill pan over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn opaque. Serve skewers over romaine lettuce and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
