The Jealous Crumpet

A sweet little blog


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Kona Grill

1Huntsville has a new, ultra cool place to enjoy an upscale cocktail, a pint of local craft beer, and a truly amazing array of culinary delights.  It’s hard to say what the restaurants food genre is other than an eclectic spectrum of deliciousness.  Usually when I got to a restaurant opening I do a little research on the place, but I was pressed for time so as we were driving to the Kona Grill I looked the restaurant up on my phone (don’t worry, my husband was driving).1y2b9304The menu had  lots of different types of food: Japanese, Italian, good old American and even some New England fare.  Mmm Clam Chowder. (It gives me flashbacks to my childhood).

“How can this be good?” I asked by husband while looking at my phone. “There are too many different styles of food.”

Thirty minutes later I would be eating my words, while sipping on a heavenly strawberry basil cocktail and eating a numerous styles of food that were consistently good.1y2b9311The interior is sleek, yet comfortable.  The restaurant is divided into different atmospheres, but all of them were equally enjoyable.  It is a great place to grab a meal before a Saturday out on the town or settle in on a weeknight for numerous dishes, drinks and causal conversation. We opted to sit on the patio in the unseasonably warm weather with blogging superstar SweetTMakesThree and our hubbies.  1y2b9323The staff was lovely, well-informed and so helpful. They brought us lots of different dishes to sample and offered to get anything we needed from their skilled chefs and bar staff. 1y2b9333I started with the flatbread pizza. It was delicious, which is going to sound very redundant soon, but seriously everything tasted amazing.untitled-12After a while I noticed people sipping on fruity cocktails, and being a person that doesn’t want to miss out, I went and located a few for the table.untitled-15Mmm. Just looking at the pictures again makes me want another.  They were fresh and fruit the with right amount of kick.

I LOVE food presentation, so I was all about the ice sculpture in the sushi room.untitled-13All of the sushi is made fresh in-house. It went so fast that I was barely able to get a photo before it was gone, but I snagged a couple of pieces.  Once again delicious. 1y2b93341y2b9343We then enjoyed well-cooked burgers (American-style) and pork dumplings (Chinese-style). My absolute favorite was the tuna sashimi (Japanese-style) and we finished up with passion fruit creme brûlée (French-style).  It was like visiting Epcot Center without all the crying children and overpriced Mickey merchandise. untitled-14I highly recommend visiting Kona Grill! The husband and I have already made plans to be back. Make sure you visit it at Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville. 1y2b9421

 


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Imagine That Cafe & Bakery

Imagine That BakeryNothing is quite so idyllic as Sunday morning brunch. Just talking about it makes me feel like a Jane Austin heroine, but I’m pretty lazy on the weekends so it is rare for me to actually partake in the custom. Thankfully, on my last leg of Florence Restaurant Week I found myself at Imagine That Cafe & Bakery for brunch.

Imagine That Front DoorImagine That is absolutely charming. It is a narrow, little restaurant but that only enhances the cozy, European feel. The restaurant is SO cozy that we actually walked past it twice not realizing where it was. It’s not really that hidden, but the business front is narrow and we were not paying the best attention.  Apparently talking, walking and finding the restaurant was too much multitasking for my husband and I.

feature6The interior is warm and inviting. Homespun artwork embellish the walls, while potted plants and delicate china adorn the shelves and cabinets located throughout the cafe.

Our server let us sit where we wanted and immediately brought over menus and pleasantries. In typical annoying photographer fashion I asked lots of questions about how the food look and she pointed me in the right direct.  feature3Olivier order the Mother’s Day special, Ginger Peach Pancakes with house made syrup and I opted for the bagel and lox, and of course a coffee, which I have a pretty serious addiction to. I love it and I will not seek help for recovery. feature7While we waited for our food I explored the restaurants nooks and crannies. I even shamelessly asked if I could climb into the front windows to get better photos.  Dana, the owner, was very nice and accommodating and let me roam about the restaurant, including the windows. The more time I spent exploring the more fun details and features I found.  For example, the mugs and chairs, though coordinating do not match, making you feel like you are visiting someone’s home, rather than a stuffy cafe. Street lamps line the cafe and glass cake stands filled with pastries and bagels add to the unique ambience.

Imagine That BakeryOur food arrived in a timely fashion, so I stopped exploring and started tasting.  My bagel and lox, which came with a side of fruit, hit the spot. It was fresh, balanced and most importantly delicious.

Bagel from Imagine ThatOlivier was very happy with his pancakes, which were covered in peach slices and chucks of candied ginger. The homemade syrup was amazing and complimented the pancakes perfectly.

feature11I would love to go back and try out their dinner selection, which includes citrus baked salmon with cilantro lime risotto, lasagna baked with house made pasta, and roasted pork tenderloin with mango and peach salsa!  Yummy!

feature9Disclosure: I was invited to participate in Florence Restaurant Week by Florence Main Street. My hotel was paid for by them to make it easier for me to participate and I received a $10 gift card from Imagine That Cafe and Bakery. I paid the remaining balance out of my own pocket and all thoughts and opinions about the restaurant are my own.


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Odette

Odette Florence Alabama

On day 2 of the blog tour I found myself at Odette, an elegant restaurant that prides itself in serving elevated American cuisine, created with local and sustainably sourced ingredients. The restaurant is the brainchild of Owner Celeste Pillow, who wanted a place that embodied her love of food and art and would be a location she herself would like to frequent.

Odette, which is named after Celeste’s paternal great-grandmother, definitely combines delicious cuisine with an artistic spirit.Odette Florence Alabama InteriorOdette is a lovely place that I have been to before and will go to again.  The ambience is great, with exposed brick walls and an assortment of eclectic, yet complimentary details. When you first walk in to the restaurant there is a little shop that sells artisan culinary ware.

Odette shopI become a kid in a candy shop wanting to buy everything that I never knew I absolutely needed. How have I survived this many years without a leather-wrapped cocktail shaker or an adorable pastel bento box?! Alas, my husband is usually able to talk me out of buying anything, but I always look.

feature6My husband and I arrived at the restaurant at 11:00 just as they are opening.  UNA had its graduation that morning and I wanted to beat the crowds of elated college students and their families.

feature5As I had not yet had caffeine that morning, I ordered coffee and Olivier ordered an orange juice. My coffee was served in a french press (how European!) and Olivier’s juice was fresh pressed at the bar. We actually watched them do it. Now that is quality!

coffee from odetteI wanted to photograph pretty food, so I was being super indecisive about what to order. The server and his manager steered me in the right direction and Olivier got the Sugar Snap Pea Salad and I got the Oil-cured Tuna and Avocado Salad.  Oh my goodness, both were gorgeous, which is usually a top priority for me!Sugar Snap Pea Salad from OdetteOlivier patiently waited as I photographed his food first. It can be a giant pain to be married to a food photographer. You’d think it would be all about delicious free food, but really it is about never eating a warm meal (food photography takes time), not getting to order what you want because it’s ‘been done‘ or it’s ‘not colorful enough‘, both things that I’ve said.  Thankfully we both got salads which started out cold.  Tuna salad from OdetteNext I photographed my meal and by the time I got finished Olivier was almost done eating his. So I finally got to start eating mine.  The food was a delicious as it was beautiful.

Our server, who was immensely patient with my numerous questions about how things were plated and the color composition of dishes, not to mention my photographing of … well everything, highly recommended dessert. He has steered us in the right direction so far so we ordered the Lemon Meringue Pie sprinkled with strawberry powder. It was hands down the best Lemon Meringue Pie I had ever had!feature3Odette is a great restaurant that plays close attention to ever detail and I can’t wait to go back!

Make sure you read about the other restaurants participated in Restaurant Week by visiting: DirtPlate and FridayDateNight.feature9

Disclosure: I was invited to participate in Florence Restaurant Week by Florence Main Street. My hotel was paid for by them to make it easier for me to participate and I received a $20 gift card from Odette. I paid the remaining balance out of my own pocket and all thoughts and opinions about the restaurant are my own.