The Pita Stop

Birmingham, AL (Cahaba Heights) $8-$12 Entrees The Pita Stop ... sounds like a small stand for take-out gyros. The name might lead first-time customers to greatly underestimate the experience they will receive, one of casual elegance and gastronomical excellence.

Many Birmingham natives know the original Pita Stop opened over 30 years ago in Southside. Recently, however, a second location opened in Cahaba Heights. Many second locations have inauspicious beginnings. Not so The Pita Stop. This Mediterranean restaurant, whose food hails more from the Middle East than from Greece, is perfection. Shining through cambered windows, sunlight falls on neutral walls and simple tables accented with stemmed beverage glasses. The ambiance is understated, from the wine racks at the front of the restaurant to the nicely tiled floor. The Pita Stop offers outdoor seating, where one can listen to the patio fountain, the home of several enchanting goldfish. The servers are as professional as they appear in their white buttondowns and black bow ties. Meals are served promptly, with attention to detail.

The menu is concise, yet varied, offering a full range of dishes from appetizers to specialty entrees and desserts. Although the prices seemed reasonable, little did I guess how reasonable, considering the high-quality, generous servings. The Pita Stop's website states, "Only the finest meats and freshest vegetables, which come fresh from the farmers' market, find their way into our kitchen." My dining companion noted the trouble taken to find red, tasty tomatoes simply to garnish our appetizer. Beef and rice, rolled into tangy grape leaves, was perfectly cooked in tomato sauce until the rice expanded, creating tension. This tension holds each roll together firmly, enabling it to be dipped in Greek yogurt. The presentation was lovely, the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers embellishing the circular pattern of the rolls.

Every selection reflects attention to quality and aesthetics. My entree was accompanied by the only properly prepared tabouli I've encountered at a restaurant. The fresh parsley and mint didn't overpower its texture; rather, they balanced the bulgur wheat and fresh, chopped tomato and cucumber. Mixed with olive oil, enlivened with lemon juice, touched with pepper and topped with red onion, radish, banana pepper, feta and a dainty kalamata olive ... the tabouli was consummately authentic.

My Lebanese father-in-law taught me to make kibbeh, meaning "ball" and pronounced "kibby". He stressed selecting a cut of beef of the highest quality (although lamb is sometimes used). The beef is ground and mixed with garlic, pine nuts, softened bulgur wheat and a touch of cinnamon, a spice underappreciated in this country. Kibbeh is usually baked; however, when made at home, it's sometimes eaten raw like steak tartare and dipped in melted butter. At The Pita Stop, kibbeh is delivered in the form of a four-inch-high wedge accompanied by Greek yogurt. It's served with soft pita to dip in smooth, creamy hommos, sprinkled with paprika. Cantaloupe, pineapple and orange slices colorfully adorned the entree.

Order the almond tiramisu for dessert, a moist, light amaretto cake layered with mascarpone and topped with sliced almonds. It was delightful and satisfying. (That's a restaurant critic's way of saying "It was so good, I would've eaten it out of the trash!") Try the rich, strong Turkish coffee, steaming in a winsome, glazed espresso cup.

The Pita Stop welcomes catering orders, serves alcoholic beverages and offers several off-menu items, including filet mignon, shrimp kabobs and their famous rack of lamb. If you want gorgeous food styling, high-quality ingredients, abundant portions, modest prices, tasteful atmosphere and excellent service, this is the place to stop.

5 Kudzu

The Silver Coin Indian Grill

Hoover, AL
$8-$14 Entrees
$8 Lunch Buffet

A beautifully painted statue of the Hindu god, Ganesha, "Remover of Obstacles", greets guests as they walk into The Silver Coin, a lovely Indian restaurant in Hoover. Ganesha’s elephant trunk and a beautiful hostess welcomed me to a place of fragrant spices, saffron walls, ethereal music and exotic cuisine. Romantic, sequined Indian fabric prints shimmered through Silver Coin’s elegant glass tabletops. The scent of incense relaxed me as I read their extensive menu, offering dishes representative of every region of India. A dizzying number of dishes met my eye. Luckily, it was lunchtime, and Silver Coin’s buffet, replete with several of the menu selections, provided me with a sampling of these ancient recipes.

The buffet featured naan, a white, pillowy bread in all its pleasingly chewy glory. At Silver Coin, naan can be ordered baked with garlic, cheese, rosemary, peppers, or cherries and nuts. Naan can also be stuffed with lamb, potatoes, onions or spinach.

A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven, which bakes many Indian meat dishes on a charcoal or wood fire burning within the tandoor itself. Silver Coin’s tandoori chicken, colorful in its traditionally festive red, was redolent of the char-grilled flavor of a thousand summers. The chicken karahi was spicy, yet forgiving, and served with softened green peppers in a rich sauce as aromatic as sandalwood. Silver Coin’s meat curries and rice entrees may be ordered either with chicken, lamb, goat or seafood. Although many Indian entrees are hot and spicy, you can always cut this sizzle with a little raita, a cooling yogurt and mint dip.

Silver Coin’s vegetarian items are as satisfying as their meat dishes. The vegetable korma, a mix of fresh cauliflower, lima beans, carrots, green beans and zucchini stirred into a rich, buttery sauce, was best served over tender basmati rice, which was punctuated by cilantro and caraway seeds. The pakoras, fritters interwoven with fennel leaves, onion and spinach, were as crispy as tempura and just as satiating. Fresh green beans were cooked with black mustard seeds and golden lentils, creating a wholesome combination. Silver Coin’s chefs are nothing if not flexible; any dish can be made vegan upon request, not always an easy feat.

Silver Coin offers a number of traditional Indian desserts. My favorite is kheer, a creamy, chilled rice pudding made with sugar and cardamom, that most alluring of spices. Even the children’s menu is enticing, offering American selections, but also dosa, a sweet, crisp crepe in this case cooked in ghee (clarified butter), candied and served with vanilla ice cream. Adults and children alike will love the mango lassi, a vibrant, smoothie-like dessert made with rich yogurt, pureed mango and heavy cream.

With gracious service, reasonable prices, no less than 38 cocktails and both imported and domestic beers on the menu, The Silver Coin is just as tempting in the evening as at lunchtime. It is no coincidence a statue of Ganesha, the god of success, graces the entrance to this gem of a restaurant.

4.5 Kudzu

Green Valley Drugs

Hoover, AL
$4-$6 Entrees

You don't need a prescription to go to Green Valley Drugs, but a treat there might be just the cure you need! In this charming pharmacy and gift shop dwells an all-American, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness soda fountain complete with a friendly, hard-working staff with a talent for remembering their customers by name. Choose between a chair at a table or a round vinyl stool at the counter and listen to the roar of the retro milkshake blender while you try not to order everything on the menu.

Green Valley serves up some of the best cheeseburgers in town. Any nostalgia you may feel for the quality of restaurants past will be more than satisfied by the warm fuzzies you will experience with your first bite. These burgers are not the previously frozen, dry patties found at most restaurants today. These babies are made from fresh beef delivered to Green Valley each morning. After coming off the well-ventilated grill, they are tender, juicy and complemented by fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, thinly-sliced pickles, real mayonnaise, ketchup and a toasted bun. Paradise, anyone?

Green Valley also makes expertly crafted sandwiches, including a mean BLT. Served on white or wheat, the savory bacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomato combine to form one of America's most oft-craved sandwiches. While Green Valley's tuna salad is a bit heavy on the pickle relish, their pimiento cheese won't disappoint. For those with large appetites, most sandwiches are available in club or double-decker size. All sandwiches should be accompanied by Green Valley's golden crinkle-cut fries, which are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and served hot.

Certain things are worth dying for: God, country and a chocolate malt from Green Valley's soda fountain. This thick, creamy shake is punctuated by sugary lumps of malt like stars in a chocolaty night sky. You won't be able to stop drinking it. Although you can get it to-go, it will taste even better if served from a dented, stainless milkshake cup. No soft-serve at this soda fountain, either. Green Valley uses only real Mayfield ice cream in each sundae and banana split. The same genuine ingredients can be found in every selection. Even the lemonade is made with real lemons. For a bona fide breakfast, complete with eggs, grits, sausage and pancakes, come before 10:30 a.m. each weekday.

With prompt service and prices less than what a gallon of gas will cost by summer, it is no wonder that Green Valley Drugs soda fountain and pharmacy has been successful since December of 1961, when it first opened under the ownership of Mr. Joe Box. Now running for 50 years this December, it is Hoover's oldest business. To experience a bygone era when a date meant a couple simply sharing a Coca-Cola, bring your sweetheart and visit Green Valley Drugs. They might even give you two straws for your milkshake!

4 Kudzu

Taste of Thailand

Hoover, AL
$10-$16 Entrees

What would we do without fast food? Most of us would not forgo the convenience of drive-thrus and to-go menus. Sushi is arguably the first type of fast food ever invented. First created in Southeast Asia, then taken to the level of an art form by the Japanese, sushi is one of the most beautifully presented, healthy and delicious dishes one can order. Many Americans are afraid to try it. That's all right. More for me!

Start with nori, a dried, pressed sheet of seaweed with an addictive, slightly chewy texture. Spread a layer of delicately vinegared rice over the nori. Add sashimi-quality raw fish or, if you prefer, cooked fish. Other ingredients, such as strips of fresh avocado, cucumber, or thinly sliced carrot, may also be added. The combination is snugly rolled into a cylinder and firmly pressed with a bamboo mold. The cylinder is then sliced into yummy bite-sized jewels and occasionally topped with a sweet kabayaki sauce or a spicy wasabi-based sauce. Often, the cylinder is layered with rice and sesame seeds prior to slicing and garnished with ginger and wasabi. Sushi is traditionally dipped in soy sauce and eaten by hand.

The Japanese believe five different tastes exist. Sushi falls into the category of umami, which means "savoriness" or "deliciousness". I wholeheartedly agree. The combination of exotic flavors becomes more than the sum of its parts, causing the diner to enter a state of transcendent bliss and, thereafter, to wake frequently at 2:00 a.m. with inexorable sushi cravings.

Enter Taste of Thailand, a lovely, unassuming restaurant specializing in both Thai cuisine and sushi. As you sit in the warm glow of lights at a table with a white tablecloth and gaze at charming photographs of Thailand, you will be glad you came. In an age of frantic reservations, long waits and hostesses resembling bouncers in attitude, Taste of Thailand puts the "rest" in "restaurant". Combining a quiet ambience, a gracious wait staff, and no wait for seating, this restaurant is more my speed.

You will not have to run to the gym after eating at Taste of Thailand, as the food is almost invariably light and healthy. The vegetable rolls, rice wraps enfolding lettuce, sprouts, mint, tofu and cilantro, are steamed and served with a sweet and spicy plum sauce. Crispy spring rolls, containing crunchy cabbage and rice noodles, are served with a clear, sweet sauce with crushed peanuts. Taste of Thailand's chicken and rice soup is simple with a clear broth, shredded carrot and a hint of green onion.

However, the Lorna Roll, named for the restaurant's street address, met a deep, primal need I didn't even know I had. Foregoing the traditional nori in favor of soy paper, this sushi roll contained snow crab, cucumber, and crunchy tempura. It was topped with fresh salmon and strips of avocado and crowned with red tobiko, a delicacy of flying fish roe. This roll was drizzled with kabayaki sauce, made of soy sauce, sugar and sweet rice wine. I don't have any problem that 10 years of therapy and a Lorna Roll can't cure.

Besides their respectably diverse sushi menu, Taste of Thailand has an extensive menu of Thai cuisine, including Pad Thai (pronounced "pud tie"), stir-fried rice noodles topped with scrambled egg, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chili pepper and bean sprouts. These gentle flavors are offset by the crunchiness of crushed, roasted peanuts.

With moderate prices, excellent service, an atmosphere worthy of a romantic date, and top-quality ingredients, you will want to return again and again. Move over, Surin West. Taste of Thailand is here to play!

4.5 Kudzu

DeVinci's

Homewood, AL

$8-$17 Entrees

My mother has an appreciation for good food. In fact, my whole family does. All we do when we get together is talk, cook and eat. It would be nice if we had the excuse of being Italian, but we don't. However, we especially love Italian cuisine. During a time of family crisis, my mother and I needed a place to sit for a long chat and stuff ourselves with palliatives. We found the perfect trattoria.

DeVinci's, a family owned restaurant open since 1965, is famous for its robust, satisfying pizzas, both gourmet and traditional. After squeezing into a woefully inadequate parking lot, we walked through the door and followed our waitress across the faux-weathered floor to one of the rickety tables. The unfortunate stucco walls were a garish yellow and sported a hodgepodge of DaVinci and Gaugin prints.

My mother is as slow as Christmas when making menu selections. Our patient waitress came back three times before we submitted our order. As everything at DeVinci's is made from scratch, I expected a long wait; however, both the preparation and service were prompt.

Black olives are my least favorite food. My mother, however, eats them directly from the can. Both of us considered the stuffed olives at DeVinci's to be golden nuggets from the gods. Tre formaggi and flash fried in focaccia bread crumbs, they are worth fighting over. I was surprised by the size of our stuffed mushrooms, each at least three inches in diameter. These bounteous buttons, filled with herbs and superior mozzarella, were served with fresh marinara. Our physical surroundings were entirely forgotten.

We took the road less traveled and ordered pasta dishes instead of DeVinci's famous pizza. The baked ziti was brought forth in all its glory, crowned with a golden crust of extremely stretchy mozzarella. My mother made incoherent sounds of ecstasy while consuming this fresh pasta and tasty meat sauce. While eating the rondelle, however, I began to understand why many DeVinci customers have been loyal for over 40 years. Take thin sheets of pasta spread with creamed spinach, crushed walnuts and ricotta. Roll and slice them like sushi. Over each spiral, pour homemade Alfredo. Each one was the last word in decadence, and the last, and the last. DeVinci's has every reason to be proud of this original recipe.

My mother and I split one dessert and planned to take one to my spouse. After two glasses of really good wine (St. Gabriel Riesling and Penfolds Shiraz), I was inordinately excited to learn that tiramisu means "little pick-me-up". We ate the first ample serving of layered lady fingers, mascarpone filling and sweetened espresso. Then we opened my spouse's box and ate that one too. The tiramisu, while delicious, could have been improved with kahlua.

Our waitress, who feted us with the level of hospitality usually reserved for celebrities, rolled us to our car after our culinary debauch. We hope to return to DeVinci's soon. Perhaps in the spring to dine al fresco.

4 Kudzu

F.I.G.

Tuscaloosa, AL
$6-$9 Lunch Entrees
$12-$16 Dinner Entrees

Looking for the perfect lunch place? Search no more! F.I.G. (Food is Good), a snazzy cafe with a sophisticated menu, never fails to draw a crowd, whether casual or professional. This is not, however, an establishment for a business lunch, but a place to gossip! The food is as chic as the decor, with walls the color of key lime pie and a modish red and white striped awning adorning the entrance. During high-volume times, such as workday lunch, service may lag a bit behind demand. Servers, however, are invariably hard working and thoughtful. You won't be late returning to work, but you might cut it close.

F.I.G. is known for innovative ingredients, creative combinations and playful presentations. Take their entree house salad with smoked Gouda, buttermilk dressing, bacon, red onion, grilled chicken strips, and tortilla crisps. F.I.G. layers these ingredients like a trifle in a tall, oversized glass. Once brought to the table, it is poured out onto a large plate for enthusiastic consumption. I have yet to finish one of these salads. For a hedonistic person like myself, that's saying something.

Their tomato and fresh basil soup, optionally topped with cheddar and bacon, is zestfully savory without being overly acidic. The Greek pizza appetizer, with its homemade crust, light pesto base, grilled chicken, mozzarella, goat cheese, spinach, and toasted walnuts, is one of the best things I've ever eaten. The sweet potato fries with Asian dipping sauce are fun and nutritious.

Most of F.I.G.'s selection are healthy, like the Napa Valley chicken salad with grapes and pecans ... not to mention the goat cheese salad with mixed baby greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries and chevre with a balsamic vinaigrette. However, the half-pound Black Angus Bama burger, while certainly not cholesterol-free, is thick, juicy, and completely satisfying. Or try the fanciful Fried Green BLT with fried green tomatoes, bacon, lettuce and creole mustard on a Kaiser roll.

I had one disappointing experience at F.I.G. My Rio chicken wrap arrived without the promised cashews, avocado, Thai mayo, and tomato tortilla. I can understand leaving out or substituting one ingredient, but four? Luckily, the staff graciously fixed the mistake. After all, it's not what happens, but how wait-staff responds that matters most. Or maybe what matters most is the dessert that follows such a mishap, such as the Chip-A-Roo. When eating those two warm chocolate chip cookies, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup, a misassembled Rio fades into the distant past, and one enters a state of anoesis. This is my newest word. It means "a state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without cognitive content." Yep, that about sums it up.

I have always had positive experiences with F.I.G.'s inventive and well-priced daily specials. In fact, F.I.G.'s prices are competitive, overall. Their most expensive entree, the filet mignon, is only $16, compared to most restaurants' range of $24 to $32. For a more commonplace point of reference, F.I.G.'s side salad is a mere $1.99. Beverages, however, may present a hidden cost; F.I.G.'s drinks are served by the bottle ... ergo refills are, lamentably, not free.

Perhaps F.I.G.'s greatest appeal lies in the diversity its of menu options. Whether you are male or female, laid back or flossy, informal or fancy, you will love F.I.G.

4 Kudzu

Chuck's

Tuscaloosa, AL
$18-$32 Entrees

Rarely have I ever paid so much for a bad experience. Y'all know me. I'm a softie, a lenient and merciful restaurant critic. I love food. I love people. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I went to Chuck's in Tuscaloosa expecting to have a positive experience, as I had heard good things about the restaurant when it first opened. Well, either they've changed chefs or I need to go to an audiologist.

I wanted to leave the minute I opened the menu. Every entree except one was priced at over $20. I thought: "This business seriously needs to consider obtaining a price point analysis." I pulled my shocked eyes from the menu to observe the atmosphere, which could be described as "Gap casualness at Brooks Brothers prices". The ambiance was unequivocally high-toned, with clean, crisp lines, hardwood floors, ornate railings, curved staircases and balcony seating. There was both a downstairs spirits bar and a sushi bar above. The original, unfinished brick walls encompassed an open floor plan, extended to high ceilings and displayed both transom windows and original art work. Just as I registered the fact that I didn't like the art work, which was rather abstract and primitive, I realized the restaurant was drafty and loud. The high-ceilinged space, unrelieved by curtains or carpeting, echoed unreasonably loud music, making it difficult for me to hear anything my spouse was saying. But this is all subjective. I mean, some people like to go deaf while they're eating. I kept my coat on.

The waiter brought us a chilled wine bottle filled with water: an elegant touch. He cited the two specials: grouper or red snapper. He didn't really elaborate. He quoted the prices at my request, and I ordered the red snapper, as I have never had a bad experience in my life with this fish. It is so light, so tender, and so hard to ruin. Our waiter affably allowed me to substitute a wedge salad for the mashed potatoes. Our cheddar cheese bread arrived, accompanied by fresh, whipped garlic butter. Not bad, but not as good as Red Lobster's cheese biscuits. The wedge salad, with blue cheese crumbles and crispy bacon bits, was satisfactory.

Twenty minutes after taking our order, our waiter returned to tell me he had misquoted the price of my entree, which was actually a few dollars more expensive. Not graciously offering to give me my meal at the already ridiculous price he had originally quoted, he made it clear my options were either to change my order and wait twenty more minutes ... or to pay the higher price. As it was already getting late, I took the latter option, hoping against hope that my snapper would be somehow worth the price.

However, it quickly became clear I was paying solely for atmosphere. My snapper, which my waiter defended as "fresh from the Gulf" and "in season", resembled nothing so much as an elderly curmudgeon with an obstinate interior and an even tougher exterior. It was dry and rubbery and unforgiving. It was also tasteless. The lump crab meat with which it was topped, albeit slightly sweet and flavored with a surprising spice (perhaps nutmeg?), was lukewarm. Although usually possessive of my food, I didn't mind at all giving my spouse a taste. My spouse, who can at best be tactfully described as possessing an undiscerning palate, issued his verdict: "Nondescript". The zucchini and squash on the side was perfectly steamed, but while tender and crisp, could not make up for the disappointing entree. I declined to take the remaining three-fourths of my snapper home, thinking even my dog would reject it.

Gentle reader, please do yourself a favor and avoid this seemingly classy restaurant with terrible food and outrageous prices. Both your pocketbook and your palate will thank you.

1.5 Kudzu