Mezza Luna!!!

Mezza Luna...Mediterranean Italian Cuisine

Mezza Luna (Click for map)
2724 Carl T. Jones Drive SE
Huntsville, AL 35801

So a friend of mine who knows I am on my local foodie quest, recommended Mezza Luna to me and I am SO glad she did! This trendy restaurant is so vibrant and fresh, but laid back enough to have a quiet lunch, which is what we did!

This is a Mediterranean Italian restaurant which to me meant it brought dishes and flavors from Italy that are closest to the Mediterranean Sea...makes sense to me!

Their website says...

At Mezza Luna, a true trattoria atmosphere will preside where the patio provides Huntsville’s most popular and lovely outdoor dining and room for an overflowing crowd. Casual, but with no compromise in quality or presentation, the seasonal menu offers fresh gulf seafood, naturally raised meats and locally grown organic poultry, lettuces, and vegetables. The wood-fired brick oven crisps the flatbreads and pizzas perfectly, gives the roasts and braises their signature hickory seasoning. Fresh seafood, meat and game are all cooked over a huge wood-fired grill, resplendent with the soul-satisfying essences of Tuscany, Andalusia, Sicily and North Africa.

I was kinda close! ;-)

A couple of colleagues and I started our meal with a "chip and onion dip" appetizer that was really good! The chips were freshly made in the restaurant and the dip was creamy and delicious! For our meals, we all ordered pizza. The same pizzas! All three of us! Ha! Well, you can never have too much of a good thing! Next time I will have to venture out into a more hearty entree!

I must say that I am very happy that Mezza Luna is here in Huntsville because it offers a very nice slice of variety here! You should check them out!

Ol' Heidelburg!!!

German? Ja!!!

Ol' Heidelburg (Click for map!)
6125 University Drive
Huntsville, AL 35806

German...in Alabama? Why, yes indeed! For many who may not know, there are many German-Americans in Huntsville, Alabama. In the 1950's many German rocket scientists were awarded US citizenship to help with the engineering and building of missles and rockets here in Rocket City, USA better known as Huntsville, AL! I am pretty sure that a restaurant or two with wonderful offerings from the German culture would still be around today to tempt a sweet African-American lady like myself *blink, blink*

Well, a very handsome dude and I ventured off into Ol' Heidelburg, which is in a shopping plaza on one of the busiest streets in Huntsville. Needless to say, there was lots of traffic and we were ready to head in for a nice meal!

The decor was, of course, German inspired and our hostess and waitress was wearing traditional German dirndl. It was like stepping into Oktoberfest! I loved it! My companion ordered a very dark German beer and I was introduced into wonderful German cuisine!

Our meal started off with salad. House salad with homemade bleu cheese dressing for me, cucumber salad for him as well as a very tasty potato and leek soup that was absolutely heavenly! A bread basket full of warm, dark bread was brought to us as we waited for our main courses. I ordered the Hungarian Schnitzel which is sauteed chicken with mushrooms, onions, red & green peppers in a hunters sauce with a side of German style potato salad and he ordered the Schweinebraten which is roasted pork loin prepared in a natural gravy, served with potato dumplings or Spatzle and red cabbage.

I was NOT ready! *faint*

Everything was quite divine and enough to feed a small village! (yay doggie bag!)
I was told to start off easy and go with the chicken because, hey, you really can't go wrong with chicken! But I think next time I will venture off into sausage land...or perhaps pork or veal...hummm, decisions, decisions....

Anyway, the cost was a bit higher than I expected with entrees starting at $15. I have been spoiled with less costly meals around town! However, I think that for an authentic German experience, it was well worth every penny! And did I mention they had maaaaybe 20+ different desserts?

You are not ready. LOL!

Well, I give this tasty adventure two thumbs up! I hope to visit again very soon!

Thanks for reading...and of course, enjoy the pics!

LeeAnn's Fun, Food & Great Spirits!

Ok, so this week's adventure took me to LeeAnn's in Huntsville!
*peek at the link for more pics of LeeAnn's...the atmosphere is SO nice!!!*

LeeAnn's (click for map)
415 Church Street NW
Huntsville, AL 35801

Ok, so I meet a bud down at LeeAnn's for a late lunch. No crowds and not busy at all. Cool! LeeAnn's is a very nice place with southern food cuisine and great appetizers and sandwiches...a "meat and three" kind of place, which usually translates into good eats! I didn't indulge in the "Great Spirits", but the selection looked amazing! I hear they have a happy hour...

So we sit and order the daily special for Tuesday...Smoked Pork Butt! Ok, ok, ok...so what is a pork butt? A pork butt is a cut of meat from the shoulder of the pig that contains a little more fat than other parts of the pig which makes it good for smoking or bar-b-que in an "low and slow" method (low heat, slow cooking)!

Ok, so we both ordered the daily special which was Pork Butt (which came with traditional bbq sauce and the infamous north Alabama white bbq sauce!) and a choice of 2 sides. For my 2 sides, I ordered fried green tomatoes and sweet potato fries! Mmmmmm!!! Doesn't that make you wanna smack your Momma? I just knew I was in for a treat, and indeed I was! The plate was HUGE! And it included a soft drink and a corn muffin...all for (wait for it...) $8.00!!! YAHOOOOO!

I would like to go back soon for appetizers or just for the atmosphere. It was a very nice place and I am so glad I ventured here! There ARE great local joints here in Huntsville!!! YAY! I am so happy and encouraged!


Here is a horrible picture of my meal...I need a better camera! :)


Support your local establishments!!!

Thanks for reading :)

In the Spirit of Labor Day!

Hey There!

Being that Labor Day marks the end of the Cookout/Bar-B-Que/Grilling season...I thought I would share my latest local BBQ Restaurant adventure!

Thomas Pit Bar-B-Que(click for map)
7929 Highway 72 W
Madison, AL 35758-9562
(256) 837-4900

I really love this place! It's good and smoky bar-b-que from an actual pit that is in a separate building out back! You can dine in, but the preference is to pull up in line which can sometimes go back about 15 cars! So, you wait as the hickory smell fills your vehicle and you almost go crazy because the ribs are literally calling for you! *smile*

Thomas Pit has a basic Alabama BBQ menu. Smoked Chicken (which is especially good with the white BBQ sauce! "White BBQ Sauce" is an original North Alabama thing!), Pulled Pork, Smoked Beef, Ribs, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Bread, Chips, Sauce as well as icebox pies for dessert. Well, on this adventure, I opted for something easy...the Rib Sandwich and Potato Salad.

"Rib Sandwich?" you say? Well, of course we know you cannot eat a sandwich of ribs because the bones could pose a challenge, but the rib sandwich is a great way to get a nice amount of ribs on two slices of toasted texas toast! And the potato salad is absolutely the best "restaurant" potato salad that I have ever tasted. It is not pre-packaged! It is made on site and I really want to believe that it has some of their vinegar based slaw stirred into it...but either way, it is amazing! Thomas Pit is definitely one of my favorite local restaurants and I, for one, am so happy that it still stands after so many years!

So, whenever you are in Madison, Alabama...you should definitely try it!

Thanks for reading!

Here are some pixxies of this adventure!

Thai, anyone?

***Edited to say that a friend of mine said her own experiences were very different from my own! That makes me feel good to know that diversity lives everywere! I only wish I could have been a part of it *sad face* You have to continue reading to understand what I am saying. Read on!!!***

I must begin this by saying that I, in my own corner of the world, was culturally deprived as a child ::sniff, sniff:: Yes, I admit it. In my personal experiences, in Dayton (Trotwood), Ohio back in the 70's and 80's...at my school, there was basically white & black and maybe one or two other ethnicities within the whole school & neighborhood. I was unaware of other cultures as we grew up in the suburbs of a typical midwestern GM factory town. I remember first tasting Chinese food around the age of 10, and we ventured as far as Sweet & Sour Chicken...oooooh! Mexican...well a deeply Americanized version of it, sure. Italian...pizza from local joints and Prego from the grocery store aisle!!! You are talking about where ketchup is it's own food group AND the spiciest condiment on our kitchen table! Did we ever leave our uncultured shell? Family trips? Sure we had them! But we stuck to well known establishments and did not venture to eateries of the unknown! My culinary vision was highly limited for 33 years of my life until one day, two years ago, during a boring day at work, some co-workers brought in sushi. I was poked and prodded until I took a bite and I found myself liberated! Now, I am eager to at least try something different, and if I don't like it...well, I can never say I didn't try! YAY ME!!!!

Now, I feel better since I got that off my chest...whew! lol!

Let's REALLY begin! :)

As I was rambling on the web the other day, I came across this foodie site, via Google, called Chowhound: For Those Who Love to Eat! Wow...ok, so I guess i'm not alone, eh? :) But I came across this specific blog called My Huntsville Alabama Chow Log by a user named Bomberman760 about the Huntsville area restaurants, opinions and reviews...pretty neat! As I was reading along, me and the Dude were taken aback by a review for a place we have kinda heard of, kinda saw, but never ventured into...PERFECT! Especially since my taste buds stay ready for good Asian cuisine!


Charm Thai Restaurant (click for map!)
7404 HWY 72 Suite D
Madison, Alabama 35758


The Dude treated me to this wonderful place and goodie, goodie...I have pictures!




I was very pleasantly surprised! Perhaps because it is located in a strip mall/plaza...but it was very nice! (Empty tables = fast service!!!)





We ordered soup, appetizer and entrees on this trip.

Traditional Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Soup with mushrooms & chicken)
This soup was absolutely the best one I have had thus far in Huntsville, hands down!



Appetizer is Chicken Satay - Grilled chicken skewers with a peanut sauce w/cucumber salad. The peanut sauce was actually a smoky-peanutty sauce that was not too sweet. Excellent!



I had Pad Thai Noodles with Shrimp. Traditional Thai dish full of great flavors, sprouts, lime wedges, green onions, egg, rice noodles and sauce (peanuts if you choose). Delish! The shrimp was $2 more, and very much worth it.



The Dude had Drunken Noodles with chicken. Not quite sure what this is, but it had a spicy kick to it!



I absolutely adored this place! And our meal was under $30 for 2 people, including appetizer! I hope to be back here very soon and I hope you try them too! And the best part was the view as we walked out.



Where else can you have an international flavor sensation in your tummy across from lush farmland? I love this place :)

Thanks for reading!

Let's Begin!

I recently traveled to Savannah, Tennessee (The Catfish Capital of the World) for my cousin's high school graduation. Savannah is a small town, but each time I visit my cousins, I am met with many wonderful adventures in food & shopping in this sleepy Southern gem of a town. As I rode around town with a geeked 18 year old on her graduation day, she informed me of a little shop with THE best fish sandwiches she has ever had. So we go, and it was AWESOME! All I could do was think about where I live and why have I not took the time to venture to a new restaurant or shop to patronize my Huntsville neighbors? What a disservice!

This is long overdue. I am not a newcomer to this area, in fact, I have lived here for 18 years. What I have noticed is that we become complacent when it comes to restaurants in this area. We rely on national food chains we know and love, which is perfectly fine if that is what you go for! But what about the little guys? The Mom & Pop shops with food to die for??? Well...I have made it my quest to find those places and share the goods with you!!! Enjoy!

Savannah, Tennessee:

Savannah Sunrise Cafe (click for map)
100 Water St.
Savannah, TN 38372

I ordered a catfish sandwich to go. A huge catfish fillet, lightly dusted in cornmeal and fried served on a soft bun. Mmmmm...DELISH! This is a small cafe that has a solid menu of good Southern cooking! GREAT prices, daily specials and fried pickles (ha!) and something called a "Slug Burger". If you ever find yourself in Savannah...roll on through and give them a holler and stop by the shaved ice hut next door! :wink: