GianMarco's Restaurant

First off, I'd like to apologize for my pictures. I only had my iPhone for the occasion and the flash results never turn out very well.

For my birthday, a group of great friends surprised me with dinner at GianMarco's. The location make the place seem like a hole in the wall, and walking inside, I was surprised to see a bar section and a small restaurant section. The bar had a distinct smell of hard liquor and there were many people seated there snacking on appetizers such as calamari or crab legs while they downed their beers and mixed drinks. The olympics games were playing on the large TV screen in the room and everyone was mesmerized by it. The restaurant side of the place was small and cozy, giving off a comforting feel. Candles and bulbs from the kitchen provided most of the lighting in the restaurant.

My friends and I enjoyed the never ending bread baskets, which servers would replace as soon as the basket was approaching empty status. The bread consisted of an assortment of wheat and white bread; I don't think there was anything special about the bread, but we were all really hungry so it tasted delicious. There was a rosemary infused olive oil for us to dip the bread in, and we found ourselves eating several basketfuls- way more that we should have.

Never ending bread baskets

A friend ordered crab legs as an appetizer for everyone to share. They were accompanied with a garlic butter dipping sauce and fresh lemon. The dish looked simple, but the crab legs were really fresh and the sauce paired really well.

Crab Legs: $? 

For my entree I ordered one of the specials of the night. There were several specials, which our server took about fifteen minutes to explain. I'm still wondering how long it took for him to memorize it all! Though the bad quality from the pictures on my iPhone don't really give the food justice, the stuffed chicken was very juicy and flavorful. The seafood risotto was tasty as well and had a good ratio of rice and seafood. The seafood gumbo was a too salty for me but there was a good amount of seafood in the dish. 

Special Stuffed Chicken Breast over Seafood Risotto and Gumbo: $21

Everyone else really enjoyed their meals and the portions were very large. Leftovers for another meal were taken home by everyone. I would definitely come back to GianMarco's to try out different dishes.

GianMarco's Restaurant 

721 Broadway St
Birmingham, AL 35209

(205) 871-9622

Nothing But Noodles

Located in the same shopping plaza as Whole Foods, I usually stop by Nothing but Noodles after I do my weekly grocery shopping. Though the name suggests to offer only noodles, the place also serves a variety of soups and salads. There are a multitude of noodle dishes, from Italian inspired, like Margherita, to Asian based, like Thai Peanut. The dishes are all vegetarian friendly with an extra cost to add different meats or tofu. Each dish comes with a single garlic breadstick, but there are options to buy potstickers or mozzarella stuffed breadsticks as additional side orders too.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I always like some spice in my food so today I ordered the American-inspired Santa Fe pasta. The dish had a green chili cream sauce, sautéed onions, tomatoes, and freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheese. The order came out quickly and the portion was large; I knew I would be needing a box to home back the leftovers. The pasta had great flavor l but the cream and cheese combination was a little too heavy for me, causing me to feel stuffed and gorged really quickly. The cream made a nice dipping sauce for the garlic breadstick as well.

Santa Fe Pasta: $6.49

Overall, I enjoy eating at Nothing but Noodles. The service is quick, the location is convenient, and the food is flavorful. I will be coming back to try the other noodle dishes, most likely an Asian-inspired pasta dish, on my next visit.

Nothing But Noodles

2800 Cahaba Village Plz
Ste 140
Mountain Brook, AL 35243

(205) 238-5511

http://www.nothingbutnoodles.com

Trattoria Centrale

One of my favorite meals is Sunday Brunch. It's a lazy day and by combining breakfast and lunch together, I get an excuse to eat a larger than normal amount of food without feeling guilty. My friend introduced me to Trattoria Centrale, which I had heard great things about, and together we went there for good conversation and good food. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Though all the other restaurants around the block were empty, Trattoria Centrale was bustling when we arrived, with the line going all around the seats inside. My stomach growled in anticipation. The brunch menu was short but sweet. There was a nice selection of sweet and savory. I looked around and saw a lot of people eating french toast with bacon on top. The portions were very large. The french toast looked delicious but I was carving something salty and the fried eggs with salsa verde and sausage sounded perfect. Once I rounded around the corner towards the front of the line, I could see the line of food that the workers were preparing. I loved watching them fry eggs to order and take out freshly baked scones from the oven. 

Breakfast Pizza: $3

My friend ordered two breakfast pizzas and I ordered the fried eggs. There were three eggs, a plentiful amount of sausage, salsa verde, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. It was definitely a lot of food... and delicious. The eggs were perfectly runny and the yolk spilled out when I sliced in and the sausages, which are house made, held unparalleled balance to the freshness of the salsa verde. It took me a while to finish my huge portion, but slowly and steadily it was conquered. 

Fried Eggs with Salsa Verde and Sausage: $8

Though the space is too small, I really loved this cafe and will definitely be returning, especially since there is a different brunch menu every weekend. I have also heard great things about the specialty pastas during lunch on weekdays. Trattoria Centrale warrants several trips back and I am really excited for my next adventure here. 

Trattoria Centrale 

207A 20th St N
Birmingham, AL 35203

(205) 202-5612