MattWe were lucky enough to sample many of the culinary delights in our short time in Mobile, Alabama. Although we aren’t foodies per se, we enjoyed the dining so much we just have to share our favourites for when you find yourself in Mobile.
Mornings are best started with a coffee, and we found Panini Pete’s to be the place to start. We were told that the beignets rivaled those of New Orleans and it would be a crime not to try them. When they arrived, they appeared suspiciously the same with mountains of icing sugar applied to the plate, giving it an appearance of a blanket of snow on a fresh Christmas morning! We were instructed to squeeze fresh lemon on the top prior to consuming.  It was pure heaven in our mouths. I consumed the last one on the plate and had the same dusting of icing sugar over most of my fingers, arms, face, and coat sleeves. I recommend trying both a New Orleans and Mobile beignet to determine the best one for you – but don’t miss out on the lemon- it really is the icing on the cake.
As we were in the south it seemed right that I sample some of the sea food on offer, and Wintzels Oyster House was where we found ourselves. The place is pleasant and unassuming from the exterior, but inside the entrance, and throughout the restaurant is the best collection of quotes that I have ever encountered! There are favorite ones to get out of work, or explaining your absence to your wife to deep thoughtful ones that apparently were uttered by long past Presidents of yesteryear.
This place has been on the map for 80 years, in the same location, and serves up the best range of oysters to be found in the town. As you may know, Heather abhors seafood, so I was thrilled to have someone else to dine with to sample the Oysters. Tara, from visit Mobile, and I decided to try the oyster sampler, which had oysters with cheese, shrimp, spinach, crab, jalepenos, and bacon. If you are going to try a sampler plate then you must rate the choices and provide a description to determine the winner. In the end, it is unclear which oyster won the battle as they were all fantastic. We may have even coined some new descriptors like: higher power of flavour and ooey goey goodness. On the table as well was some peel and eat shrimp which Heather even tried and enjoyed. All in all, if you find yourself in Alabama track down a Wintzels and check them out.
Tara recommended we wrap up with a stop at the burgeoning Craft Beer Industry, and recommended Serda Brewing. What a great atmosphere with spacious outdoor seating, and the large comfortable ‘beer hall’ interior. Again (is this the whole town?) the staff were informative and friendly, and even knew we were in town, as the Visit Mobile folks had sent out some tweets regarding our visits. After running thru the extensive beer menu, Heather and I decided on a ‘flight’ each, so we could sample (by sharing) most of the wonderful varieties on tap. We ranged from Pilsners, to Porters, with some IPA blends mixed into a delicious melding of flavours that really satisfied two beer lovers from Canada!! We had a long discussion of spending the entire evening at Serda’s, but the need to start our Underground Railroad bicycle trip was a stronger calling. We cannot wait to return and spend some significant time in this establishment.
When we spent time with the Delta Bike Project we joined the gang at Yak the Kathmandu for what was described as the best ethnic food in town. They weren’t wrong, and we were delighted to find authentic Nepalese and Indian food. Pakoras, Aloo Gobi, and Momo’s did not disappoint as they reminded us of our travels to both countries.
Overall, Mobile appears to have some great restaurants and places to haunt for the most fastidious foodie. We did not have time for the crawdads, or the chowders, but cannot wait for our next visit to sample these delights as well.
