Coming Soon- Tavern on 1st

The owners of a new upscale cocktail lounge appeared before the Central City Neighborhood Association this week. The bar is called Tavern on 1st and they are looking to open the first week of May on 1st Avenue across from A.C. Legg Lofts and Wooster Lofts.

The menu features a "Build Your Own Manhattan" concept that looks like a lot of fun. It also has local beers and a small appetizer menu. 

I like the design a lot. It is very representative of the neighborhood with exposed brick and wood, decorated with lots of old Birmingham black and white photos. The layout is pretty typical for a bar in the area but they have what looks like a private meeting room in the back.  The owner mentions a lot of comfortable seating and a shuffleboard table as well.

I don't see anything specific about signage, but I did notice the front of the menu has what looks to be a super cool neon blade sign. I hope that it isn't just a picture on menu and that they are going to actually build this, for several reasons. First, I just love these types of signs. More importantly, a bar on 1st Avenue really needs something to get passersby's attention because the motor traffic goes too fast and there isn't much foot traffic there. I'd really like to see 1st Avenue add to it's nightlife to continue to bridge 2nd Avenue and Morris.

Check out the menu and layout designs on CCNA's website and an interview with the owner at AL.com.

New Restaurants in the Neighborhood

The Florentine recently opened as an event space. I haven't been lucky enough to go inside yet but the Accordion Player and I press our noses up against the glass whenever we walk by and it really looks beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that I don't know that we will be invited because we might touch something. While they are currently only doing events and catering, they are supposedly going to open a restaurant very soon. I've been polishing my spats on the off chance that they will let us in.

Bamboo on 2nd was also just announced. I'm particularly excited because we haven't had a sushi restaurant close to 2nd Avenue since Thai Bowl closed. Now we will have one right across the street! Our friends at Appleseed are doing the work, so you know it is going to look cool, too.

Welcome Yo Mama's!

Yo Mama's had their soft opening today, so the Accordion Player and I walked over for lunch. It's located in the old Faith Skate storefront next to Urban Standard (2328 2nd Avenue North), and just a block away from 2nd Avenue Storage.

The decor is really cool. They kept the old brick and wooden beamed ceilings and gave it an open loft-style feel that fits really well with the rest of the neighborhood. They threw in some bright colors on the old plaster that make it feel really bright and exciting.

The second thing I noticed after the decoration was the friendly staff who took a lot of time to talk to us even though they were pretty busy. One of the proprietors (Yo Mama's daughter apparently) told us that they kept the menu small to focus on making a few things really well, with the daily specials really being the focal point. 

After eating our meals and looking at the other dishes, I will describe the menu like gourmet soul food. The daily special really did look tasty but I'm a sucker for hot wings. The hot wings were delicious, and not your normal buffalo sauce on greasy previously frozen wings. The wings were really meaty and the sauce was sweet and sticky with just the perfect amount of heat. Overall, a great addition to the neighborhood!

To see the full menu, go to Yo Mama's website: http://www.yomamasrestaurant.com/

Urban Garden Updates

My main goal in planting my gardens was to spruce up the ugly tree wells, but having fresh herbs was a close second. The basil from the garden has exploded. I've been using it almost every meal. We have so much that the accordion player made a delicious pesto sauce, and I've started drying some in anticipation of the long hard basil-less winter to come. I've also taken cuttings to grow new basil plants. The oregano got off to a slow start. I think part of that was because I put one out of reach of our high tech watering mechanism (i.e. hanging out the 2nd story window with a spray hose); I moved the worrisome plant, and focused on watering them both more. Seems to have paid off lately.

I've had mixed results with my chives, and all three plants are in the same place so I can't figure out what's going on. One is doing great. One is all but dead. The third is about halfway in between.

My other herbs have performed with varying degrees of success. The tarragon has done well and we've made some delicious fish dishes with it, but lately the basil is blocking its sun, so I'm considering moving it. I planted some thyme and mint recently which seem to be doing fine but it's too early to tell. I planted cilantro way too late, and only got to harvest it once. I clipped some rosemary from an overgrown bush down the street, but I think it may be getting too much water in my garden.

I thought I had mediocre results with the peppers, but was wrong. They produced for a while and stopped, then suddenly started again. We've had a lot of hard rains lately so I'm assuming that has something to do with it. The jalapenos are delicious but almost too hot to eat. The serranos and cleverly named "green chili" are a little milder but I don't think the flavor is as good.

Aside from all the herbs, to improve the appearance I added some flowers for color and I put a vining plant in each of the wells and tried to train them to climb the ginkgo trees to give some height to the garden. I put some succulent flowers in the hard to water area, and they have done well. I put various types of phlox which quickly lost their flowers and have continued more or less unchanged. I added a couple of other types of flowers later which did better, but I've completely forgotten their names. The jasmine is doing well and climbing up the eastern tree. The clematis I put in the Western well is doing fine, but doesn't seem to want to stick to the tree.

I've had a lot of fun with this and I'm looking for ways to expand the garden. There are some more or less abandoned beds in front of the parking lot next door which could probably be commandeered, but not easily watered. I've discussed hanging some leafy plants off of El Barrio's awnings, but I'm not sure if that would be messy or too hard to tend. I've also contemplated a guerrilla orchard in a spot that will remain undisclosed for obvious reasons. Finally there's the roof option, which seems obvious but I'm worried about the weight and the less than convenient access.

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But where do you buy groceries????

7 years ago, when I told people I lived downtown their first response was to gasp, look over both shoulders, and ask in a low voice "Aren't you scared?" Occasionally people still ask me, but  most people have come to realize that the loft district is as safe or safer than Vestavia, Mountain Brook, Hoover, or Homewood. Now when I tell somebody I live downtown they say "Oh that sounds fun. If I didn't have a [kid, dog, husband, potted plant] I'd love to move downtown!" Then they always follow up with "But where do you buy groceries????"

I used to respond "Where do you buy groceries? I get in the car and drive 5 minutes, just like you." But a couple of years ago, Mamanoes opened up less than a block from my house. I can walk there in less than a minute. It's not a "supermarket," but it's a lot more than a convenience store. Antonio is the hardest working man downtown, and he carries fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy. He's got a great beer and wine selection, and keeps some chicken, sausage and lunch meet in stock (pro tip: he usually keeps a couple of nice steaks in a hidden refrigerator, but you have to ask and sometimes beg for one). I buy about 90% of my groceries from Mamanoes, because of the convenience.

But it's a small shop and he doesn't have everything. The grocery business is all about turns and spoilage (or so Antonio tells me). Fish doesn't work well in a low turn market. Luckily, a bike ride away is The Fish Market. Most people think of The Fish Market as a restaurant, forgetting that the one downtown actually has a wonderful market inside. You can take home a sushi grade tuna steak and the freshest shrimp from here to the coast. They also have an interesting selection of Greek dry goods like olive oil and some wonderful paprika.

But maybe you're looking for some artisan cheese or a fancy chorizo or a butcher shop or a wider selection of vegetables. Ever heard of V. Richards? If you're a foodie, this is the best place to buy groceries in Birmingham. It's 2.4 miles from the loft district: less than a 10 minute drive.

Yeah, but V. Richard's Asian selection sucks. Well why drive that 9 minutes when you can go up to 7th Avenue to Chai's? I've never seen more food from India, Japan, China, Korea, and some places I'm missing, all piled on top of each other in one tiny wonderfully chaotic store. They've got any noodle you could image, vegetables of which I've never heard, chile's for those seeking early deaths, and real actual Tamari. Look, they have Ghee. If you don't know what Ghee is, it's Butter's less healthy cousin and it makes me happy.

But no, you wouldn't eat Ghee or cloud your aura with any other animal product if you were starving! You don't need those toxins polluting your system. Well good heavens, man! Get yourself over to Golden Temple Health Foods. They're about a mile and a half away in Five Points, and have the best vegan and vegetarian groceries in town.

Ok, but you've just moved downtown, which is adventure enough right now, thank you very much. You don't want to eat something made out of seaweed. When you ask "Where do you get groceries?" you don't mean "Where do you get uppity herbs and spices?" You want frozen dinners and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I'm right there with you, my friend. Kraft unlocked the secret to life in 1937, and who am I to deny you magic in favor of over-priced hipster-fare? Well fear not, intrepid downtown grocery shopper. We've got plenty of "normal" grocery stores less than 10 minutes away. I usually go to Western on Highland or The Pig on Clairmont because they're within that 3 mile radius.

But wait! You have discriminating tastes. You won't buy your Kraft Macaroni and Cheese anywhere but Publix! The aisles are so wide and well lit and luxurious! You're in luck; you have about a fifteen minute drive to Irondale or Homewood.

Finally, if you hate grocery bags and enjoy confusion, there's an Aldi over in Homewood, but only accordion players shop there. There are also a couple of more Asian groceries around Homewood as well, but I prefer Chai's.

Ok, well I've had a little fun being snotty, but I shop at all of these places at various times. I hope to put your mind at ease about the myth that you will starve living downtown.

EDIT: I completely forgot Freshfully! They've only been open a couple of months and I've only been there once, but it's a fantastic place to get locally grown vegetables and meats from Alabama farmers. They are about the same distance as V. Richards, in Avondale across from the Avondale Brewery.