Maggie Moo's - Bridge Street

MaggieMoo's award-winning ice cream starts with the finest ingredients to make super premium ice cream fresh in the Treatery every day. By making our ice cream on premises, there is no "distribution stress" or ice crystal formulation. We are the only national retail chain to win five Blue Ribbon Awards from the National Ice Cream Retailer's Association: Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and Strawberry.

We offer a memorable experience to our guests! We hand-fold your favorite nuts, candy or fruit into our ice cream, right in front of you! We make much more than ice cream, we offer smoothies, milkshakes, cakes, treats and more. And, Maggie often stops by to say hello to her fans and make sure everything is running to her satisfaction.Maggie brings smiles to children of all ages. She celebrates her award-winning ice cream in style! She's always decked out in her pink dress and her pearls.

She's often seen around town freshening up for a Grand Opening, buying a frozen coffee, picking out fresh produce at the grocery store, checking out books at the library or stopping by a local charity to drop off a donation.

Maggie is used to her celebrity life style and has been known to sign a couple of autographs, give her fans a hug, and pose for the paparazzi.

Ivey's - Madison, AL

Ivey's was originally located in Huntsville but several years ago moved to Madison in an old Diary Queen location. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in the old country style.

Jackson's Family Restaurant - Madison, AL

Jackson's has been in Madison over 25 years. Their specialty is country breakfast and country lunches. They no longer open on Saturday's and of course never opened on Sundays and one wonders how long Mr. Jackson will choose to keep it open. Most of the workers are family members, either direct or in laws.








The menu







Country Ham







Eggs and Hash Browns







Dining Area

Mullins Drive In

Blue Plate Cafe

Greenbriar BBQ

Another Broken Egg

RMC and LMC went to the one located in Jones Valley. It is very yuppie and expensive. The foods though was excellent and well prepared. This is a one time thing for us though.

The full menu can be found here.

Lake Guntersville State Park - Pinecrest Restaurant

RMC and LMC went one week after it open. It was a mistake. Service was poor and the food matched the service.

RESTAURANT'S SPECIALTY: American food with an upscale touch.

WHAT SETS THIS RESTAURANT APART FROM OTHERS? The state park in which the restaurant is located. One drive through the park and you are hooked! Then you see the lodge atop Taylor Mountain and you can't wait to tell everyone about the beautiful facility and the spectacular views of the Tennessee Reservoir.

HOW LONG WAS THE RESTAURANT CLOSED BEFORE ITS RECENT REOPENING? 3½ years. The restaurant, lodge and 112 hotel rooms underwent a total renovation. The dining room now has a show kitchen where you can see our chefs preparing food items. The restaurant, lodge, and hotel complex were built in 1974 and operated until closing for renovations in March 2004.

WHEN DID THE RESTAURANT REOPEN? We reopened Jan. 2; we serve all three meals every day of the year.

JOB YOU'D HAVE IF NOT A CHEF? In a former life, I was an over-the-road driver and loved it. I was probably one of the few tuned into public radio.

WHO INSPIRED YOUR LOVE FOR COOKING? Of course, my mother Bea Darcy followed by my mother-in-law, Wylodean Kennedy, a truly wonderful person.

YOUR MENTOR: A former mess chief in the navy, "Sarge."

BEST ADVICE YOU WERE EVER GIVEN: If you do it right the first time you will not have to go back and correct anything.

YOUR FIRST COOKING MEMORY: Standing by the stove and watching my mother cook. I also learned to play bridge the same way.

YOUR WORST COOKING DISASTER: Preparing a big meal for a group event the day before it was due. What do you do with chicken fingers?

RESTAURANT-RELATED THING YOU'RE PROUDEST OF: Meeting the many guests who have dined here at the lodge.

FAVORITE FOOD TO PREPARE: Prime rib, which we serve every Sunday at our popular Sunday Brunch. Our longtime patrons missed this meal immensely during our renovations and are delighted to see us open again and continue this tradition. Our guests love our prime rib and prefer it prepared medium-rare to rare.

FAVORITE FOOD TO EAT: Southern pulled barbecue pork with a mustard-based slaw.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR FINAL MEAL? A barbecue sandwich from Bunyan's Bar-B-Que in Florence or Brooks Barbecue in Muscle Shoals.

FAVORITE FOOD-RELATED WEB SITE: www.foodnetwork.com.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT OTHER THAN WHERE YOU WORK: Bunyan's in Florence, near Elm Hospital.

FAVORITE SPICE: Garlic.

FAVORITE HERB: Cumin.

DO YOU COOK AT HOME? Rarely. My wife, Nancy, who learned southern from her mom Wylodean Kennedy and her grandmother, Shellie Wylie, and northern from my mom Bea Darcy, does most of the cooking.

KITCHEN GADGET YOU COULDN'T WORK WITHOUT: Steamer.

STRANGEST OCCURRENCE IN YOUR RESTAURANT'S DINING ROOM: One night a woman climbed on a table and danced. Said she needed to liven up things.

FOOD/RESTAURANT-RELATED PET PEEVE: Customers who do not tip the hard-working wait staff.

ADVICE FOR SOMEONE OUTFITTING A KITCHEN: With funds, you can put together a nice restaurant-equipped kitchen but only if you intend to use it.

WORST MISTAKE MOST COOKS MAKE: Not watching the knife always leads to a cut.

ADVICE FOR PULLING OFF A LAST-MINUTE MEAL: I find that going into the nearest cooler and screaming helps - then getting to work.

WHERE WILL YOU BE IN 10 YEARS? Hopefully in a rocking chair reminiscing about the good ole' days.

Dreamland BBQ - Tuscaloosa

Dreamland is eminently known for bar-b-que ribs. The original Dreamland Café is located about two miles from the intersection of Hwy 82 and Interstate 59 just south of Tuscaloosa in an area known as Jerusalem Heights. In the years since Mr. John "Big Daddy" Bishop first opened his store, little has changed.The roads have been paved much the same as they were back in 1958. The décor inside is warm and dark. The dining room is small with a big bar, a few tables, booths, and a pot bellied stove. Beer signs hang from the oak beams and Christmas lights hang from the walls all year 'round. It isn't fancy, but then again the ribs are the main attraction anyway.The atmosphere is casual-down home. You may rub elbows with somebody famous while you sit at the bar; and people come from all over to enjoy the ribs. The point is that it doesn't matter who you are, at Dreamland everybody is special and everybody is there for the same reason-the ribs. The legendary ribs, service and atmosphere are also available in our other locations. In addition to the legendary ribs and sauce, the menu has been expanded to include such items as: baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, banana pudding, salads, pork sandwiches and bar-b-que chicken.

This shanty-style roadhouse serves one thing and one thing only: spareribs with a side of white bread. "No fries, no slaw, no pulled pork or brisket. They do one thing, and they do it to perfection. These ribs are fabulous, with a sauce that's in between vinegary and sweet," Adler says. The original locale has spawned six other restaurants in Alabama and Georgia. 205-758-8135;

The Terrace Cafe is located in the Birmingham Museum of Art and the menu matches the location.

Tiramisu

RMC, DMC and LMC all had the sirloin burger and a desert (canoli, creme brulee, tirimisu for dessert.) Excellent eating but $62 is little steep for burgers with a dessert.









Sirloin Burger with chips

Some of the items on the menu for their Sunday brunch are:
Herbed and Garlic Crusted Roast Beef with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Green Beans
Southern-Style Fried Chicken
Smoked Salmon with Capers, Red Onions, Boiled Eggs and Fresh Lemons
Grilled Vegetable Penne Pasta Salad with Fresh Basil, Garlic and a Balsamic Vinaigrette
Mixed Baby Lettuce Salad with French Feta, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Red Wine Vinaigrette
Chive-Parsley Scrambled Eggs
Breakfast Egg Casserole with Roasted Red Peppers and Spicy Andouille Sausage
Thick Sliced Texas Smoked Bacon and Breakfast Sausage
An Assortment of Buttermilk Biscuits, Danishes, Cinnamon Rolls and Croissants
Fresh Seasonal Fruit Display
Homemade Spicy Sausage Gravy
Belgium Waffles with Maple Syrup
Cheese Blintzes with Fresh Berries and Raspberry Coulis
An Array of Homemade Desserts such as Chocolate Layer Cake, Bourbon Pecan Pie, Apple Pie, Carrot Cake and Cheesecake

Jackson's Family Restaurant

One of the dying family restaurants that specializes in country breakfasts. Their special is two eggs, biscuits, bacon or sausage and homemade biscuits rounded out by grits and coffee. For the even bigger eater is the country ham breakfast. Cost for two specials and coffee sets you back around $15 with tax.

This place get's my vote every time I visit for "Best Southern Country Breakfast". Excellent country ham and very large portions. Great grits, hash browns, sawmill gravy, red eye gravy and country biscuits. The only downside is occasionally the eggs are not perfect. The family restaurant has been in business here for decades. It is priced low and a must when you are in the Madison area.

JW Steakhouse - Priceville, Alabama

The Texas-style, family restaurant has the look of a major chain, but the atmosphere of a mom-and-pop restaurant. And the food is delightful.

Loaded mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole are selections you usually can't find at the big-city steakhouses. These are two of a dozen side dishes that come with the chicken, seafood, pork and, of course, beef platters served here.

For starters, though, even tried-and-true appetizers on the menu have a special JW Steakhouse twist. Fried cheese is breaded in house with a special batter. Chicken strips have that same distinctive crust. The menu promises that the restaurant uses no-transfat clear canola oil. A combo platter of cheese, chicken and mushrooms is enough for a whole table to share for $8.99. Even potato skins for $4.99 have a special flavor - maybe from the smoked bacon.

That same bacon highlights the loaded mashed potato side dish, which comes with sour cream on the side to blend in for just the right texture and taste.

Steaks are the drawing card for JW Steakhouse, and they range in price from an $8.99 hamburger steak to $22.99 porterhouse. A Colorado ribeye for $9.99 or cowgirl center cut sirloin for $10.99 provide fine beef cuts for budget-minded customers.

The restaurant ages its own beef and makes everything from scratch - sauces, rubs and salad dressings - even cuts all of its produce. The special breading is not corn meal but Japanese panko bread crumbs. The restaurant uses real butter - not margarine - and avoids preservatives.

Ribs are pork baby back slabs with a Texas-style rub. They're moist and tender and cost $11.99 for half and $18.99 for a full slab. Chicken dishes range from a tenders meal for $6.99 to smothered chicken or a chicken kabob for $9.99. Seafood selections include catfish, shrimp, salmon and a fish of the day for $7.99 to $13.99.