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Southland Restaurant in Sheffield has some of the best homemade pies you will find in any local shoals establishment. The Pies are made by Phyllis, who is one of the owners..the receipes and techniques used are hand me downs from family members now gone...but each time you place a bite in your mouth..whether it be the Deep Chocolate, The Creamy Coconut that just screems Tropical..to the Lemon Icebox...you taste the legacy they left...
****'t let me get my coat...see ya there!
The LEGENDS had a awesome steak, I think it was called Orleans sirloin. It was cooked a perfect medium-rare with white wine sauce and shrimp on top. J-fiddlers has a great steak also, huge ribeye, lots of melted butter on top and a good price. Fajita Supreme at the old PJ's club on east Avalon, not sure name, it has shrimp, steak, chicken, 2 fried ribs, and chorizo sausage. Enough to feed 2 or 3 full size bellys.
We had been waiting to get into the Olive Garden in Florence for several weeks, as the lines were quite long...Finally! the newnest started to wear down, and the lines got shorter...So!!!! on a weekend night...we took the plunge...
Now! I will say our experience at other Olive Gardens especially the one in Huntsville has been favorable...apparently...this one is not a chip off of the old block...We ended our meal looking at the bill that was for $59.45 and wondering just how much we could have saved if we had just gone to a supermarket and got Stouffers Italian Dishes....plus I am sure they would have been much better..
Folks the only thing the Olive Garden in Florence has going for it is the decor and service...its like having a good band and cheer leaders but the Football Team is out to lunch...
I am not sure what they call their style..but it definitely is not the grade of Italian food, I have been use to receiving in my Southeastern travels...
Save ya money go somewhere else...no thanks needed..
I forgot to mention my most favorite at this time is the Italian Beef sandwich at Little Chicago in downtown Florence on that one way street, Mobile? It's freaking huge!! Be sure to get both types of peppers(hot&sweet) and request it wet(dipped in Au jus). It's the real deal and the ingredients are from Chicago for real.
quote:
Originally posted by Confederate Gentleman:
Shula's Steak House at the Winffrey Hotel in B-ham is a great!

SMACK out here in Killen is a great home cooking restaurant.


Great Home Cooking---Bad Gravey and Poor attitudes maybe. I wonder how they get past the fire marshall? I have been boycotting KD for about a year and a half, Curtis II has friendly staff and better food.
quote:
Originally posted by traderconnections:
We had been waiting to get into the Olive Garden in Florence for several weeks, as the lines were quite long...Finally! the newnest started to wear down, and the lines got shorter...So!!!! on a weekend night...we took the plunge...
Now! I will say our experience at other Olive Gardens especially the one in Huntsville has been favorable...apparently...this one is not a chip off of the old block...We ended our meal looking at the bill that was for $59.45 and wondering just how much we could have saved if we had just gone to a supermarket and got Stouffers Italian Dishes....plus I am sure they would have been much better..
Folks the only thing the Olive Garden in Florence has going for it is the decor and service...its like having a good band and cheer leaders but the Football Team is out to lunch...
I am not sure what they call their style..but it definitely is not the grade of Italian food, I have been use to receiving in my Southeastern travels...
Save ya money go somewhere else...no thanks needed..


I agree! They brought our appetizers after our main course! The food was very bland, they seemed to have enough help but they were misguided we joked about 2 or 3 waitresses that were playing the walk fast and look busy game, we never actually saw them so much as fill a water glass. I vote them out.
A good inexpensive choice & good when it's cold is at Quizno's...Broccoli Chicken Soup served in an Italian bread bowl. You eat the bread bowl as well, the best part. DEElicious!

I'll second Ruth's Chris...I've never had food that good in my life. It's obvious in every bite that they have an awesome chef and that they are picky with ingredients...cook with foods of excellent quality. It's very expensive, however, so unless you're rich, this might be a special occasion restaurant only.
Tenderizing Your Steak
You can take the toughest of meats...sprinkle Baking Soda on each side thick and rub it in...allow to set for about 4-5 hours or even better overnight...
Take it out..wash off the baking soda and grill...
You will have a wonderful tender juicy piece of meat...beef...pork chop, lamb..venison steaks, etc
I have to say I was very impressed with Legends. I was expecting just the run of the mill chain steak house. But I was in for a very nice surprize! Excellent staff! Food was byfar much better than what I expected! I have a feeling this place is going to be around for awhile!!!!!!!!!!
I enjoy the food at Logans for lunch,just too loud sometimes.

on the negative,I will never grace the doors of Rosies again,terrible service,food was AWFUL,and the bartender even mix a drink.I went there during Handy week was disappointed,but thought I would give it another try,,,sad mistake on my part.
quote:
Originally posted by Ubermensch:
Have you guys ever had the subs from Pizza Conenction? I miss them and try to get one when I'm in town.


Is is located in that little shopping center on the right before Florence Blvd turns into Tennessee St? If so, yes, and they are wonderful! I worked downtown at one time and we'd get them for lunch, but haven't eaten there in a while.
O'Briens (i think that's how you spell it, i haven't been there in a while) it's delicious.

love the ribs there. don't get the little shrimp kebab thing though because you get maybe 5 shrimp on it and it's around 6 bucks. NOT worth it. other than that, the food is great and the people are nice.

Also, LaFonda's. I always eat there when I'm in town. It's one of the places I miss most in Florence, besides wal-mart.

I hate to say this, but it's so much better when George (the owner) isn't cooking. He tends to play fast and loose with the ingredients, so it never really tastes the same way twice. If you go in and he's working the cash register, you'll be fine. Everyone else sticks to the recipes and they are delicious.
quote:
Originally posted by traderconnections:
Tenderizing Your Steak
"You can take the toughest of meats...sprinkle Baking Soda on each side thick and rub it..."


Now, for the folks who are on sodium restricted diets:

Either papaya enzyme (papain), vinegar (best to use Balsalmic, and not much), or tomatoes (juice, sauce, etc.), lemon, lime and orange juices will all accompish the same thing.

Note: they're all acidic in nature.

Also, bromelian (pineapple) is an excellent enzyme for digestion.

Meat is tough because of an inadequate supply of water. Adding salt to meat doesn't really tenderize meat.

Sodium, (found in table salt & baking soda) has an attraction for water. The sodium, when introduced to the meat draws water into the meat, thus making it become more tender.

When the meat is cooked, the water is cooked out, while the sodium remains behind, and becoming more concentrated.

So, when you eat a piece of meat which has had sodium (Na++) introduced to it, you're gonna' increase YOUR water retention.

Ladies?

Sound like fun?

High blood pressure folks?

Folks with a history or heart disease?

Might as well take the knife to one's own throat.
Here's some DNA, Science & kitchen fun!

from: http://www.iit.edu/~smile/mp0498.htm

Mathematics/Physics

DNA Extraction with Kitchen Chemistry
Donna M. Bronson John B. Drake
2921 S. Michigan Ave. 2700 S. King Drive
Chicago IL 60616 Chicago IL 60616
(773) 534-9130

Objective(s):

Students will learn that you can extract DNA from various foods that are found in your refrigerator. This lesson is designed for middle school grades.

Materials Needed:

Dry split peas, Blender (optional), Dish detergent, Toothpicks, Meat tenderizer, Small Glass Containers, Alcohol, Onions, Yeast, Brocolli, Raw chicken liver, Strainer

Strategy:

Students will follow these procedures for DNA Extraction:

Step 1.

1.
2. Measure out 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of peas, and ¼ tsp. of salt. Stir until salt is dissolved. Leave the peas in water until softened. (I would soak the peas overnight to soften them.) Put the peas and the salt water in the blender and chop for just a couple seconds. You may use a fork to squash the peas. The mixture should be lumpy, containing small pieces of peas. Too much blending will break up the DNA and make it too hard to see.
3. Gently mix the peas and water from the blender with a few drops of soap in a new container.

Step 2.

1. Put the pea mixture in the strainer.
2. Filter about 1/3 cup of the liquid into a small glass container.
3. Wet the end of a toothpick and dip it into the meat tenderizer.
4. Put the end with the enzymes in the cell mixture and gently stir.

Step 3.

1. Slowly pour in an equal amount of alcohol (about 1/3 cup)
2. The alcohol will form a layer on top of the cell debris.
3. Watch carefully as the DNA precipitates through the alcohol. The DNA is clear. Small bubbles will attach to the strands as they migrate up through the alcohol. Use the toothpick to gently stir the alcohol layer. Notice how those strands move like snot. The snotty substance is the DNA.

Performance Assessment:

Now that you have extracted DNA from peas, think about each step of the procedure and why it works.

How did each of the ingredients in the demonstration help extract DNA from the other parts of the cell?

What part of cells would be most affected by soap?

What is it in meat tenderizer that breaks down meat?

Alcohol and salt: Why does only the DNA, and not the other parts of the cell, rise to the top after addition of alcohol?

References:

DNA Extraction with Kitchen Chemistry. The Natural History of Genes. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

and, a restaurant that I hate....Ricatoni's.
most of the menu is ripped from another italian restaurant (i believe it's in Nashville)...even down to the descriptions of things.

it's over priced and not very good....and the owner is really creepy. when I see one of his commercials, I always pity him because he thinks his they are clever and funny. That alone is reason enough for me not to eat there. They are really sad and pathetic...and so is ricatoni's. I'd rather eat at the Olive Garden, and I hate the Olive Garden.
quote:
Originally posted by smurph:
I have to say I was very impressed with Legends. I was expecting just the run of the mill chain steak house. But I was in for a very nice surprize! Excellent staff! Food was byfar much better than what I expected! I have a feeling this place is going to be around for awhile!!!!!!!!!!
I enjoy the food at Logans for lunch,just too loud sometimes.

on the negative,I will never grace the doors of Rosies again,terrible service,food was AWFUL,and the bartender even mix a drink.I went there during Handy week was disappointed,but thought I would give it another try,,,sad mistake on my part.


I will try Legends, have wanted to just had not gotten around to it yet. I do like Rosies though I dont think that the one in Florence is as good or well managed as the one on University in Huntsville. I agree on Logans for a lunch place but Loud and Expensive (for lunch) Am I just a fossil to think I should be able to grab lunch for 5 bucks?
I disagree with the previous posters opinion about the Olive Garden. I love it! I've been there about 5 times since they opened and have had positive experiences. We had bad service only one time - the day of the Alabama/Auburn game and apparently they had short-staffed themselves. There was only one waiter for our area and he couldn't keep up with all the tables.

Another favorite is Rosie's - I absolutely love this restaurant. The food and service is first rate.
Some of my favorites in the area:

Italian:
Frank's Italian Restaurant, Muscle Shoals
Ragazza's, Tuscumbia
Stephano's, Sheffield

Mexican:
Rosie's, Florence
La Hacienda, Florence

American:
Legends, Florence

Bar-b-que:
Bunyan's, Florence
I miss Famous Dave's!
Speedy Pig, Russellville

Sandwiches/Salads:
Sweet Basil, Florence
Sweet Pepper's, Muscle Shoals

Country Cookin':
Country Boys, Florence
Southland Restaurant, Sheffield
Granny's Kountry Kitchen, Florence

I have never gone wrong with any of these places. I like Ricatoni's ravioli and the grilled chicken sandwich but it's always so loud in there that it makes conversation almost impossible. My husband and I eat at Rosie's all the time and have never had any problems with the food. I love their shrimp burritos and cheese dip. If you go to Sweet Basils, order their red, white and bleu salad with grilled chicken on top. The poppyseed dressing is excellent!
I really miss Craig's Cafe, a short lived PoBoy Sandwich shop in downtown Florence. It's been gone a few years now but I've never had a better sandwich anywhere. Another sandwich shop that is gone is Subzone. Really good baked subs. One that was the best kept secret in Sheffield was the little pizza place in Town Plaza shopping center. It's a shame none of these survived but McDonalds is popping up out of the ground everywhere.
Recently tried PEPPERS DELI IN MUSCLE SHOALS and got their reuben Sandwich...on a scale of 1-10 was about a 4.5..

I travel throughout the Southeast and have given the McAllister Chain a try in different towns..
With them, I have found them to be hit or miss..mostly miss..
So I don't patronize them anymore...
Too many other food establishments that have better records for producing quality meals..
Cafe LeCrumbs is ok, but not better than Sweet Basil for that type of food.

Every time we've gone to Olive Garden our service has been lousy and the food was sub-par. The appetizer we ordered once was poorly cooked and the other time it never came out and our server totally forgot it. I'm surprised because I've never had service or food this bad at an OG.

Ricatoni's is tired, try Franks, someone mentioned it above. Saturday they have an en tree special and it's fantastic and reasonable.

I went to legends twice. The first time was a disaster. The manager actually came out and requested that a table move to a smaller table so a larger party could have their table. This was mid-meal, too. I can't believe the patrons agreed to move. The food quality was ok, but on a lunch trip it was fantastic. I highly recommend their fried green tomatoes.

I could go on forever on this topic!
MY GOD, is all people in this town do is eat? I was absolutely amazed when me and "other" thought we would compare it to the others we had been to a few months back, now mind you they were open for at least 4 or 5 months, and they had a 45 minute wait! FOR OLIVE GARDEN? Have any of you ever seen the spoofs they do of Olive Garden on Mad TV? I mean a chain is a chain is a chain! And this place is full of them. The only thing I can figure out is a lot of people in this area have never ventured out of this area or these bland chain restaurants wouldn't be so appealing. And there is the "herd" mentality that is abundant in the Shoals. I have found a few good restaurants here: Ricatoni's, George's Steakhouse, The Southland and for sandwiches Trowbridges. If you want chain food, go buy it in the supermarket freezer, that's where the chains get it.

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