Author: Andy MacDonald

Once you find Parker’s, you’ll be in soul food heaven

Once you find Parker’s, you’ll be in soul food heaven

Posted by | Apr 18, 2018 | |

Photo | Daniel Anderson/Lagniappe A typical menu at Parker’s, which changes daily, may consist of baked and fried chicken, fried fish, turkey necks, wings and hamburgers. They close when they run out of food. Parker’s SoulFood and Catering 900 block of S. Broad St., Mobile 36603 251-287-0985 So I’ve been hearing a little here and there about Parker’s SoulFood and Catering. You run into a little Facebook traffic that mentions the restaurant, mostly saying positive things, but if you want to find this place it may take a couple of steps. First of all, there is no website. That’s OK. Who...

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Farmer’s market brunch for Hope Grows Here

Farmer’s market brunch for Hope Grows Here

Posted by | Apr 18, 2018 | |

Photo | www.usahealthsystem.com Hope Grows Here, a farmers market brunch featuring locally ingredients from Baldwin County growers, is coming to the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute Kilborn Clinic of Fairhope this Sunday. When it comes to fundraisers, those benefiting cancer treatment hit closer to home than most. Such is the case with Hope Grows Here, a farmer’s market brunch locally sourced from Baldwin County growers, coming to the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute Kilborn Clinic of Fairhope on Sunday, April 29. From 12:30 until 4:30 p.m., guests will be treated to the fantastic food of Will Hughes Catering working with numerous...

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Béchamel, the mother of mother sauces

Béchamel, the mother of mother sauces

Posted by | Apr 11, 2018 | |

Photo | depositphotos.com Try making a Mornay sauce by adding Gruyere to béchamel. For the best mac & cheese you’ve ever eaten, experiment by mixing cheeses with a particular one in the sauce and another on top. The temps dropped into the 40s only hours after a sweaty performance at the Stapleton Bluegrass Festival. I awoke to chilly kitchen tiles and hardwood floors as I started the kettle for a morning pour over, prior to a 5K hike through midtown. I thought spring had sprung, but this was an indication we were outlasting the groundhog’s prediction. The fast-paced walk...

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Chaleur Coffee moving to new location

Chaleur Coffee moving to new location

Posted by | Apr 11, 2018 | |

A year or so into providing midtown with great coffee, Chaleur Method Brew and Espresso has announced they are moving from the corner of Airport and Glenwood to the corner of Dauphin and Semmes, in the former Mobile Popcorn building. Being in one of the area’s most coveted structures, the bigger news is they will be also opening a bakery. Courtney and Christian Hilley are taking their coffee shop to the next level with a full bakery to go along with their already popular brews. It sounds like the perfect match. Celebrate their opening May 1 at 1714 Dauphin...

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Sunset Pointe, the jewel in ‘Panini’ Pete’s crown

Sunset Pointe, the jewel in ‘Panini’ Pete’s crown

Posted by | Apr 4, 2018 | |

Photo | sunsetpointefairhope.com Sunset Pointe in Fairhope is perfect for when you want that special meal — and a perfect sunset to go along with it. Sunset Pointe 831 N. Section St. Fairhope 36532 251-990-7766 Sometimes you need a little something special. Not necessarily a celebration destination or a party spot, but rather a lunch or dinner that is a tad more than what your usual may be. You’ll know it when you feel it. It’s an internal pull that steers the vehicle away from the same old Chinese buffet or Mexican order-by-number you had last week. Last Sunday...

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St. Mary’s Crawfish and Bluegrass extravaganza returns

St. Mary’s Crawfish and Bluegrass extravaganza returns

Posted by | Apr 4, 2018 | |

Photos | www.southernnational.com  | Green Olive Media Southern National now features brunch on Saturday as well as Sunday. Saturday, April 14, is my favorite event of the year! It’s time for the 16th annual St. Mary’s Knights of Columbus Crawfish and Bluegrass Extravaganza at St. Mary Catholic School grounds, 1450 Old Shell Road. Ready yourselves for thousands of pounds of bluegrass and hours of crawfish (or is it the other way around?), with gumbo and hot dogs for those not into pinching tails and sucking heads. This year’s event features Fat Man Squeeze, returning for its 15th year at...

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Publix opens in MiMo

Publix opens in MiMo

Posted by | Mar 28, 2018 | |

There were some grumblings and mumblings when we lost Queen G’s, but everyone seems happy the new Publix at Florida Street and Old Shell Road is now open. The parking lot was so full that people who don’t normally walk to the store were actually walking to the store. I gave a kind young couple a ride in the back of the pickup. Seems these two rookies forgot that when you walk more than two blocks it is best to not buy milk by the gallon. Fairhope gains a pair of restaurants The downtown area of Fairhope is getting...

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Lamb or ham: the Easter debate

Lamb or ham: the Easter debate

Posted by | Mar 28, 2018 | |

Photo | Stock image Try a homemade glaze of sugar, mustard and pineapples on your Easter ham and consider adding a leg of lamb to the more traditional spread.     Ask my kids what their favorite Easter traditions are and they will promptly tell you stories of water gun fights and paddle ball. Of all the candy that finds itself nestled in the translucent grass of a woven pastel basket, the malty taste of Robin’s Eggs steals our hearts. I happily receive the black jellybeans without much coaxing as the rest of my family doesn’t jive with the...

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Off the Hook delicious in Chickasaw

Off the Hook delicious in Chickasaw

Posted by | Mar 21, 2018 | |

You can eat on the deck with a view of Chickasaw Creek at Off the Hook Marina & Grill, where specials include a steak sandwich and meatloaf burger topped with macaroni and cheese. Photo |Yelp It’s been a good while since Mr. Bubble and I embarked on a food adventure. We still see each other at the occasional bluegrass gig, kale harvest and brake-pad changing party, but clashing schedules, family commitments and for him, an alcohol-free Lent have kept us out of the buddy zone as of late. But a break in the hustle and bustle and the beginning...

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Downtown Cajun Cook-Off this Saturday

Downtown Cajun Cook-Off this Saturday

Posted by | Mar 21, 2018 | |

The Downtown Cajun Cook-Off features more than 20 of the area’s favorite restaurants and bars preparing samplings of their best Cajun cuisine in a benefit for the Child Advocacy Center. Photo | Facebook It’s your last chance to score advance tickets for the 4th annual Downtown Cajun Cook-Off this Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Games, giveaways, live music and cold drinks are just the bonus to the food you’ll sample, with more than 20 teams competing for Cathedral Square bragging rights. Visit www.cacmobile.org for online tickets at $13 each, or go to the Child Advocacy...

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