I love stories about women who turn setbacks into opportunities, making lemonade out of lemons, if you will. In Sally Stringfellows case, she made a champagne crab bisque! A single mother with 2 young girls, she needed to figure out a way to make ends meet. 

I love menu tastings: smaller portions, more variety. It’s the epicurean experience featuring the best creations from the resident chefs. I kind of wish every fine dining restaurant would offer “The Experience,” so I don’t have to make tough decisions.

If brunch is one of your favorite meals of the day, you’re in luck: The Ruby Slipper Café, located at 100 N. Royal Street in Mobile will fit the bill nicely.

Located at 1808 Old Shell Road, the Dew Drop Inn has survived hurricanes, recessions, inflation, and a pandemic. There’s a reason it is Mobile’s oldest dining establishment: it’s just that good.

Coming from Fairhope, we turned right off Highway 98 at Magnolia Springs and drove straight to the end of Highway 49 to the new Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar. Sitting majestically beside the beautiful Bon Secour River, like a great big lodge, it is more reminiscent of visiting someone's home on the water.

Occasionally, a dining experience exceeds your wildest expectations. It’s happened twice to me in Fairhope, and both times it was courtesy of Chef Orlando Amaro. He has a fantastic talent and never disappoints. It’s a testament to his passion for pleasing his guests, wherever he happens to be. His resume is a global Who’s Who of award-winning restaurants, several with Michelin stars next to their name. 

There aren't many Italian restaurants in Baldwin County, so when I saw a social media post about a new one, Fresco in Bon Secour, I recruited publisher, Zeb, for a mid-week lunch excursion. I say excursion because Bon Secour is about a 40-minute trip from Fairhope, and on a cold, sunny winter day, the back roads ride was beautiful. Having lived in Baldwin County for almost a half-century, I am always amazed when I realize that I haven't been down this road before. Located in the Old Tin Top building on Bon Secour Highway, we are pleasantly surprised to see a thriving lunch crowd, since they have only been open a month.

Although the rest of the country is in the deepest throes of winter, where Southern Bayou Grill sits on County Road 32 (just west of the intersection with County Road 33), it looks as welcoming as spring sunshine, with its Mardi Gras colored umbrellas and brightly trimmed picnic tables.