Restaurant Review

I know this is for recipes, but couldn't resist posting a review for a restaurant at which I had lunch the other day in Alabama.

Called the "Bright Star" (motto: Confusing and perplexing menu choices since 1907), it is purportedly the oldest restaurant in Bessemer, Alabama.

Picture this: Three Yankees enter the restaurant and are seated by the maitre'd. They are then given menus in which the only identifiable item is coleslaw.

One of the Yankees is a vegetarian trying to find an item on the menu that is devoid of (a) bacon; (b) bacon bits; (c) wrapped in bacon; or (d) tossed with bacon.

At the waiter's suggestion, he tries the Grilled Vegetable Plate (hidden on the back of the menu in the lower left hand corner in 8-pitch letters) which gives him a choice of four vegetables, all of which are unidentifiable except the aforementioned coleslaw and pickled beets.

So, for the remaining vegetables he selects field peas with snaps and grilled Greek brown potatoes.

Not sure what field peas are, but it turns out they are black-eyed peas. Snaps are apparently green beans. Grilled Greek brown potatoes are something resembling a brownish baseball that has been sauteed in spices and some undefineable lubricant (probably bacon fat). Served with cornbread.

In any event, the verdict is "Yum!" I highly recommend this place to anyone near Birmingham!

Jury is still out from another Yankee in our party who tried something called grilled snapper throats. He drew the line at grouper, though.

Bon apetit.
x;-)






Comments

  • 3 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • Sounds like to me you were offered superior accommodation and neighborliness and now that you're home, you poke fun at them. You could always have ordered up some of those famous MMMs, microwave motel meals, you introduced us to on an earlier thread. If you don't know what snap beans and field peas are, I worry about you.
  • Food in the south is a spiritual experience, whether it's french-influenced or down-home. One of the great things about the south. It's wonderful, but you have to sort of get into the overall atmosphere.

    Off topic a bit, but Parabeagle, have you had the joy of dining at Eleni's Estiatorio in Portland? It's hard to describe how good it is. We were there right after Thanksgiving, I'll never forget it. Seems to be in a strange part of town, but since it was constantly raining, I wasn't sure where I was exactly.
  • Never had the pleasure, Irene - but I will now that you've mentioned it. As for being in a strange part of town, most parts of Portland are strange (except where I live, of course).
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