Cornbread Sandwich at Down South BBQ

This sandwich is worthy of a country song, maybe even a sonnet. If it were a comedian, I’d give it its own sitcom. If it were a politician, it would have my vote. Point being: It’s damn good.

We’re talking about a pile (maybe a pound?) of tender, juicy BBQ topped with crunchy coleslaw and cozied between two hot-off-the-griddle jalapeno cornbread pancakes. It fills the entirety of a large Styrofoam takeout container and comes with extra sauce on the side. Because it’s as big as your head, it’s more than a normal person can eat at one sitting, but you can bet that if I were a hard-working construction hunk, I’d down one of these sweet babies most every day. And at just $7.50 (tax included), it’s recession friendly.

Down South BBQ operates out of a teensy wooden house with one window for ordering and one for picking up. You can also get regular sandwiches, baked beans, sweet tea, and fruit cobbler. Everything is made to order, so this isn’t fast food. But it’s worth every minute of the wait.

Down South BBQ
County Road 10 @ Highway 59
Foley, Alabama
251-955-6622

Seafood Po'boy at The Shrimp Basket

Yesterday my uncle called midmorning and said he was on his way down to make some sales calls and had a hankering for a po'boy. So I put on my thinking cap and came up with The Shrimp Basket.

He picked me up at about 11:30 and we headed toward the beach, pulled in, plopped down in plastic chairs, and ordered our sandwiches. Mine was fried shrimp; his was fried crawfish. We shared an order of crispy onion rings. And though the view from the patio isn't much, the spring air felt nice and our sandwiches were stuffed to perfection and overflowing with goodness.

Sometimes it's the simple things.

The Shrimp Basket
Second Avenue @ Highway 59
Gulf Shores, Alabama
251-948-7687

Panini at The Coffee Merchant

This photo really doesn't do the goodness justice: the panini at The Coffee Merchant always hit the spot. The bread is light on the inside, crispy on the outside. It's also locally made. Fillings are generous and basically you pick from one of three choices on the menu each day, though the cook will customize if you ask. Today, for example, I got the roast beef with spinach, artichokes, and colby but asked for turkey instead of beef. Not a problem. The salad dressing (mine was lemon dill) is homemade. Each panino (that's the singular; panini is plural) is made to order and served hot. Try not to drool while it's on the grill.

The Coffee Merchant
229e East 20th Avenue
Gulf Shores, Alabama
251-968-2233

Bushwackers at Lulu's

There's really not a whole lot I care to eat at Lulu's. Mostly things are fried, and I've never walked way from a meal there feeling really happy about the food. I absolutely marvel at the summer crowds who wait for hours for a table. Sure, the place has its charms — the live music and chance to dump your kids in the sand while you get sauced — but I wouldn't wait five minutes for a table. Instead, make your way to the bar and order a Bushwacker. Lulu's version is the champagne of Bushwackers (and Florabama's is the PBR). It's thick and ice creamy and made extra special with a generous squirt of chocolate syrup and a swirl of whipped cream on top. Might as well call it dessert.

Tomato Basil Seafood Chowder at Guy Harvey's

Does anyone successfully make the leap from famous [fill in the blank here] to restaurateur? In just four months' time that Vegas restaurant that Nick Lachy and Nicky Hilton opened was pronounced a dismal failure. And remember that restaurant that a bunch of models opened? No, of course you don't. Most people should just stick to their day jobs. And that includes marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey.

Last week I had dinner at The Wharf outpost of Guy Harvey's Island Grill. And I have two words for you: Skip. It.

My date and I each had a Blue Moon and a bowl of tomato basil seafood chowder. I wasn't looking for a heavy meal, but I am always looking for a good one. Before ordering, I asked the waitress to rate the soup on a scale of 1 to 10. She gave it a 5, but assured me that people raved. I know better than to listen to "people." But I got the soup anyway.

And I was disappointed. Not thick. Not rich. Not what I would call chowdery. It was a watery tomato soup with a few little shrimps and a flake or three of crab meat. I salted it. My date crushed up three packages of saltines in his.

It was edible, so the lack of flavor really wasn't the worst of it. The value, or lack thereof, was the tipping point. It's why I won't go back to Guy Harvey's. If that was a bowl of chowder, they're serving the cup-a-soup in a demitasse. Skimpy. Skimpy. Skimpy. At $6.99 I think it came out to $1 per spoonful.