Mobile Bay / Summer 2009 / Let’s Do Lunch!

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Let’s Do Lunch!

Ladies love a cheerful place where they can chitchat and politely chow down to their hearts’ content. (So do guys!)

Downtown Mobile

219

Six straight years, 219 has been voted best lunch spot by Lagniappe readers. Lots of business patrons and regulars stop in several days a week, because it’s fast, convenient, laid-back and very tasty! A few of the favorite menu items, according to manager Lois White-Spunner, are Thai peanut wrap with chicken, cucumber, tomato, baby greens, bell peppers and spicy peanut sauce; curry chicken salad on baby greens or a croissant; and the soup and salad combo, with tomato basil or special soup of the day. If you’ve got kids in tow, cheese pizza and chicken fingers are always a hit. Tables inside or on the sidewalk are usually packed, but don’t forget there is a courtyard. Nights, when the symphony plays at the Saenger, 219 offers a special chalkboard menu.

8 a.m. - 3 p.m. M - F. 219 Dauphin St. 438-5234. lp219.com

ROYAL SCAM

The courtyard of Royal Scam is one of downtown’s best-kept secrets. “It’s small and inviting, with almost one-on-one service,” says bartender Spencer Crowley. Female “foodies” appreciate the attention, sun-dappled ambience and flavorful dishes, such as Asian noodle salad, with sesame noodles, purple cabbage, soy lime vinaigrette and either duck, crab cakes, shrimp or seared tuna. My personal favorite is the spicy tuna wrap with Asian sauce and mango salsa. David Rasp, owner of Royal Scam and 11-year-old Heroes Sports Bar & Grill, knows how to please “fella foodies” as well. Men love Royal Scam’s new burger menu and house fries. Another plus, the casual establishment is smoke-free.

11 a.m. - 9 p.m. M - Th.; 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. F; 3 p.m. - 11 p.m. Sa. 72 S. Royal St. 432-SCAM. royalscammobile.com

Midtown Mobile

THE PILLARS

Matt Shipp’s flair for food has kept the grande dame of Government Street on the cutting edge of cuisine for eight years. The lunch menu is affordable. The best entrée is a toss-up between black sesame tuna and crab and Brie quesadilla. Join the VIP program: two lunches and one dinner for two for only $75 a month. Check out Shipp’s new restaurant, Shipps Harbour Grill, in Orange Beach.

11 a.m. - 3 p.m. W - F; 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. M - Th; 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. F/SA. 1757 Government Blvd. 471-3411. thepillarsmobile.com

Spring Hill

CHAT-A-WAY CAFÉ

There’s so much to choose from, including special quiches made daily, soups, salads and, for the gents, French dip, grilled chicken club or Reuben sandwich. “The café has a homey, family feel,” says owner Gwen Hughes. “You can have a leisurely lunch, rush in and out to get back to work, or have tea for hours and ‘chat-a-way’ the afternoon.” One key to its longstanding popularity is a very large selection of homemade desserts, from carrot cake to chocolate chess pie. Get a slice to share with lunch mates, or buy the whole darn thing. Frozen gourmet food to go is available. Orders more than $50 are delivered free.

10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. M - F. 4366 Old Shell Road, Mobile. 343-9889.

THE PALETTE CAFÉ

Step into a cultural dinning experience, surrounded by art. A vast menu to please any palate: crabmeat and goat cheese quiche the consistency of cheesecake; Asian fish tacos; caprese panini with tomato bisque (perfect for dipping). For a manly meal, kick it up a notch with a coffee-and-cocoa-rubbed flank steak sandwich, with roasted red peppers, lettuce and Gorgonzola cheese on crunchy ciabatta bread. Almost two years in business now, the Palette Café’s owner and chef Susan Carley has been cultivating a staff with a “can do, will do” attitude. If you are too full for dessert, tour the museum and come back later for a treat. The new pastry chef whips up some of the most “out of this world” desserts to savor as your finale. The café offers a “Night at the Museum” dinner each quarter.

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. M - F. 4850 Museum Drive, Mobile. 209-5227.

THE TEA ROOM (Shamrock, Rose & Thistle)

On a fine day, catch the fragrance of the English garden from the wraparound porch. Hints of the British Isles continue throughout the renovated cottage. “It’s like stepping into another place and time,” says proprietor Rhonda McGinnis. Some might prefer the relaxed setting of the pub room, which has a player piano in the background. No matter where a diner decides to sit, the food remains impeccable. Hot or cold tea, French press coffee and sticky toffee pudding are only a few choices. The Earl Grey Pear Salad is by far the top seller. Quiche of the day is a second runner-up. On the way out, cross the garden to the new bake shop for a delightful take-home treat. Brunch is offered from 10 a.m. - noon on Saturday and Sunday.

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. T - Su. brunch: 10 a.m. - noon Sa/Su. 4513 Old Shell Road, Mobile. 343-4669. shamrockroseandthistle.com

Fairhope

PANINI PETE’S CAFÉ & BAKESHOPPE

Pete Blohme, owner and chef, established a fast following in his courtyard café in Fairhope. The Culinary Institute of America grad makes everything from scratch, even the chips and over-the-top fries! Specials are offered every day using the freshest market finds. Pete’s hand-patted burgers change up daily. The black and blue (blue cheese inside) and the Dixie (with fried green tomato) are popular repeats. If it’s too early for lunch, plunge into some hot fluffy beignets for breakfast.

Blohme has made several appearances on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Host Guy Fieri also featured “Panini,” as he calls Blohme, in his book about the show. Guests from all over the world now trek to the Eastern Shore to taste Blohme’s sandwich genius.

8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. M - Sa. 42 1/2 Section St. (in the French Quarter). Fairhope. 929-0122.

FAIRHOPE INN

“The menu is quite diverse, but the crab cakes are always a favorite” says Tyler Kean, owner and chef. Two crab cakes topped with toasted pecans, cherry tomatoes, tomato caper aioli and sweet potato hay sound tempting. The food is only part of the experience in this bed-and-breakfast, often named the top restaurant in Baldwin County. The glassed-in porch is inviting. Customers find consistency in the service and food a reason to return. If you’d rather have brunch than lunch, stop by on Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. T - Su. Brunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Su. 63 S. Church St., Fairhope. 928-6226.