Casualhttp://www.bhamdining.com/casual/2010-07-19T19:54:10ZSquarespacehttp://www.bhamdining.com/casual/bistro-v.htmlDeborah Lockridge2010-07-19T19:50:08Z2010-07-19T19:50:08Z521 Montgomery Highway
823-1505
Breakfast and lunch Tues.-Fri., dinner Thurs.-Sat., brunch Sat. and Sun. In the same location as the former City Hall Diner, Bistro V features some of the same faces, as the new owners worked for City Hall DIner Jennifer Dunn Claborn for nearly three years before she died last August. The dinner menu is similar, with favorites such as shrimp and grits and crab cakes, as well as panko chicken, pork medallions and a New York strip. Lunch menu highlights include fried okra salad, po'boys, and a veggie plate with choices that change daily. Breakfast includes steak and eggs, fish and grits, omelets, and more. 

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/urban-cookhouse.htmlDeborah Lockridge2010-07-19T19:28:26Z2010-07-19T19:28:26Z2846 18th St. South, Homewood
879-0883
www.urbancookhouse.com
An emphasis on wood-fired meats and farm-fresh product from Alabama farmers, featuring sandwiches, wraps, salads, and a few "Fork & Knife" entrees, such as a wood-fired shrimp kabob and chipotle-braised pork. A couple of the more unusual options include their take on the cheesesteak, the Urban Cowboy, featuring their lime-marinated steak and pepperjack cheese; and the BALT, a Blt with the addition of avocado. One of the house specialties is a sweet and tart homemade strawberry lemonade, but they also have soft drinks and a small selection of beer and eco-friendly wines. Also a number of take-home dinners, tubs of salads, and bake-at-home orange rolls by the dozen.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/redmont-cafe.htmlDeborah Lockridge2009-10-09T18:53:48Z2009-10-09T18:53:48Z2101 Fifth Ave. North (downtown)
324-2101
Right off the lobby in the newly remodeled Redmont Hotel. Lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. A September 2009 City Scene review gave high marks to spicy garlic wings, bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, pimento cheese sandwich, Caesar salad, blackened chicken salad, salmon salad; and for bunch, bloody Marys, spinach and artichoke dip, omelettes, Salmon Benedict, chicken salad, and a "fabulous" smoked salmon and Boursin bagel.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/blackwells-pub.htmlDeborah Lockridge2009-07-06T15:12:43Z2009-07-06T15:12:43Z3151 Green Valley Road (Corner of Green Valley and Crosshaven Roads)
Cahaba Heights area of Vestavia
967-3798
www.blackwellspub.com
Blackwell's Pub located in Cahaba Heights is a family friendly neighborhood pub and offers gourmet pub style food. Wings, nachos, Cajun-style potato skins, gator bites, salads, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, chicken, chops. Kid's menu available.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/black-market-bar.htmlDeborah Lockridge2009-07-06T00:29:29Z2009-07-06T00:29:29Z3411 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 800 (Hwy. 280 area)
967-8787
Facebook page
Casual Southern-style bar/restaurant with indoor and outdoor patio dining. In a June 2009 City Scene review, Tom Gaskin gave high marks to Greek egg rolls, hummus dip,  Dixie Poboy, sweet potato fries. For Sunday brunch, crab cakes Benedict and shrimp and grits were winners. However, indoors there's loud music -- it is a bar, after all.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/the-baskits.htmlDeborah Lockridge2009-07-05T21:50:49Z2009-07-05T21:50:49Z801 Green Springs Highway (Homewood)
916-0401
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; in business since 1999, but in 2009 moved into a new freestanding building. Order at the register and a server will bring the food to  your table. Specializes in fried chicken fingers and fried fish. A July 2009 City Scene review gave good marks to the Western omelet for breakfast, but the French toast tasted processed. Chicken tenders were "tender and moist, with a light crispy breading and not at all greasy." Catfish basket was also a hit. Grilled chicken or fish also available as entrees with Greek salad, wild rice, hummus and pita. Sandwiches such as burgers, wraps, hoagies. Winner, Best chicken fingers, Birmingham News 2009.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/brannons-a-public-house.htmlDeborah Lockridge2009-06-09T02:26:26Z2009-06-09T02:26:26Z1931 Third Ave. North (Downtown)
326-8820
www.brannonspublichouse.com
A sandwich twist on traditional English, Irish and Scottish dishes, with fun names such as the Crabby O'Patty (crab cakes with bell pepper and onion on an English muffin), Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie (minced beef and onion with black pepper in a pastry crust), the Scarlett O'Hara (shredded chicken topped with shredded celery on an Irish roll) and the Kill Kenny (shredded pork topped with a mustard-based coleslaw on an Irish roll). Plus there's more traditional choices like a chicken salad, pimento cheese or Reuben sandwich. The menu board changes daily.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/food-studio-b.htmlDeborah Lockridge2008-10-21T18:45:28Z2008-10-21T18:45:28Z5511 Hwy 280 E Suite 109 (Greystone Park)
965-3682
http://www.foodstudiob.com
Open for breakfast and lunch weekdays. Cafe, catering and to-go meals for home operates with a mission of offering natural and organic foods at affordable prices. Local produce is used where possible. Menu changes weekly; includes soups, salads, pastas, sandwiches, and burgers (include Kobe beef and buffalo versions). A May 2008 review in City Scene praised the food but noted that the atmosphere left something to be desired for eat-in dining.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/silvertron-cafe.htmlDeborah Lockridge2008-10-21T18:13:46Z2008-10-21T18:13:46Z3813 Clairmont Ave.
591-3707
www.silvertroncafe.us
Silvertron has been a neighborhood staple in Forest Park for 20 years, with a little bit of everything on the menu. New owner Marco Morosini has kept many of the old favorites but also added his own Italian touch. Enjoy appetizers such as stuffed portobello mushrooms, crab cakes, hummus, or spinach/feta dip; salads; pasta; Southwestern wraps and specialities; burgers and sandwiches; pizzas; and a handful of steak and fish entrees available for dinner.

]]>http://www.bhamdining.com/casual/culinard-cafe-at-innovation-depot.htmlDeborah Lockridge2008-08-20T16:51:46Z2008-08-20T16:51:46Z1500 First Ave. North (downtown)
314-3456
An August 2008 City Scene review said Culinard Cafe serves "highly imaginative food. Standbys such as grilled cheese and tuna salad become standouts in this teaching kitchen." Part bakery, part lunch spot, the cafe got high marks from reviewer Susan Swagler for a classic Reuben, a BLT with smoked salmon bacon and Cajun remoulade, a pesto grilled cheese made with fresh mozzarella and Alabama goat cheese, red potato salad, salmon and Brie salad, tuna salad made with smoked ahi, French Quarter shrimp salad, Southern-fried chicken salad, chili and broccoli-cheese soup. Cupcakes were only so-so, but white chocolate cookie with blueberries and pecan-studded min carrot cake were good.

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