Italian cuisine Archives - There Goes Connie

In the span of just a couple of days, I tried three new eateries in Cullman, Huntsville and Hartselle that I’d never sampled before, all with positive results. In case you haven’t found these yet, I thought you might want to see some photos and read my thoughts.

Grumpy’s Italian Grill — 402 5th Street SW, Cullman, AL 35055

Grumpy’s Italian Grill is less than two blocks off of what I would call “the main drag” through downtown Cullman. As you’re traveling down Highway 31 from Hartselle, you’ll come to First Baptist Church on one side and the Cullman County Courthouse on the other. Turn beside the church and drive down the hill about a block and a half.

Grumpy’s is open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner. I guess they would be overrun with church folks if they decided to open on Sunday. Or, perhaps they want to go to church themselves — which would be even better. The original owner was a granddaddy whose grands called him “Grumpy.” He sold the business to a young couple not long ago, but they decided to keep the catchy name.

Salads, pastas and pizzas are all very good if the aromas in Grumpy’s are accurate. Steve tried the spaghetti lunch special which comes with a salad. I tried the spaghetti bake, and it was delicious. I brought my leftovers home and enjoyed them again the next day. Homemade desserts are on tempting display, in case you have a sweet craving.

Apparently, Grumpy’s does a booming call-in and pick-up window business, so keep that in mind.

Sun Cafe — 930 Old Monrovia Road NW #3, Huntsville, AL 35806

In case that address doesn’t sound familiar, let me just say that it’s about two blocks from Highway 72 on the other side of the road from Best Buy, and you can see the fences of Top Golf from the front door.

Sun Cafe no doubt considers itself mostly “a sushi place,” and sushi is what my friends and I were looking for when we decided to have lunch together recently. I tasted eel sushi for the very first time and found it to be surprisingly good. REALLY.

Since I’m a big-time scallops lover, I chose the teriyaki scallops lunch for my meal, and it came with a choice of soup or salad and a side of rice. Very tasty.

Sun Cafe is clean and attractive. The service is attentive, and the prices are reasonable. Check it out when you’re craving Asian cuisine.

Bentley’s at the Outhouse – 200 Main Street W, Hartselle, AL 35640

Bentley’s at the Outhouse is on a busy corner in the center of town in Hartselle. The building is a large former furniture store where I had the privilege of buying furniture through the years and knowing the original owners, Sam and Lurline Minor. Great folks. It seems very fitting to have the vintage “Minor Furniture” sign as part of the wall decor, but I’m pretty sure Mrs. Lurline would not have liked the very prominent bar at the back of the main dining room. She was a gracious lady, a long-time member and organist at First Baptist Hartselle, and I enjoyed playing piano/organ duets with her for a number of years.

But, back to Bentley’s. I’m not exactly sure why they added “at the Outhouse” to the name, so I need to talk to the owner to find out. This is primarily a sports bar type of place with 15 large, flatscreen TVs located within easy viewing of every table and seating for up to 240 people. One corner is set up to host live musicians who are scheduled regularly — especially on weekends.

Basic burger and onion rings at Bentley’s.

The main thing you need to know about Bentley’s is that they serve amazing hamburgers. The basic burger is great, but they have elevated the choices to the next level. Consider a bacon/mac and cheese burger, a peanut butter burger with a side of jelly or a pizza burger, to name a few. Other sandwiches are offered, along with three different salads and a kids menu. THEN, there’s the matter of dessert. Oh my. How about banana pudding, a 7-layer cheesecake or a chocolate peanut butter cake? So far, I’ve resisted, but there WILL come a time or an occasion when I’ll have to sample one or more of these. The price of a burger may be double that of a Big Mac, but believe me, the taste and quality are at least three times better.

Bentley’s is closed on Sundays and Mondays but is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

I mentioned these two restaurants in an earlier post here, but I thought I’d take a few minutes to share more photos and describe them in greater depth. After all, Corinth, MS is a short drive from North Alabama, so many of you could easily reach these places and enjoy a great meal.

VICARI

Vicari, at 514 Cruise Street in Corinth, is one of the flagship restaurants anchoring the downtown area of the city. It is in a beautifully-preserved vintage building that dates back to the late 1800’s. The impressive entry will immediately set the stage for your meal with its soaring 30-foot ceiling and center staircase.

If you are looking for nightly entertainment, Vicari has a full schedule of performers and a full-service bar upstairs. The food, however, was PLENTY of entertainment for me. 🙂

Chef John Mabry serves steaks, chicken and seafood, but the primary focus of his menu is on Italian dishes. From the sauce recipes originating directly from Italy to the Italian marble floors and even to the name of the restaurant, the influence of the country permeates the atmosphere.

Vicari – a piano always captures my attention

Vicari – a cozy table waiting for diners

Corinth itself was originally named Cross City because it was situated where northbound and eastbound railroads intersected. Later, it was named Corinth after the European city that also had a famous crossroad. In turn, Vicari derives its name from a small town in Sicily that is similar to Corinth in size.

The kitchen’s grill is used extensively, especially in preparing one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, Crab and Shrimp Manicotti.

I wish I had taken more photos of the dishes enjoyed by my tablemates the evening I was there. They looked amazing, and as you might expect, the aromas swirling around cause immediate salivating to begin.

I chose one of my favorite Italian dishes, Eggplant Parmesan, and loved every bite.

PIZZA GROCERY

Pizza Grocery, at 800-A Cruise Street in Corinth, is also located in the downtown area, also serves Italian dishes, and is housed in a building with loads of history. Kudos to the business people of Corinth who are repurposing buildings rather than demolishing them.

Coca-Cola mural on Pizza Grocery exterior

In the case of Pizza Grocery, the building was a grocery wholesale warehouse from the 1920’s until the 1980’s. A lot of remodeling was necessary, but the building’s character and charm were retained. The building is large with several levels. In fact, the private banquet room can seat up to 85 people. On the side of the building is a whimsical Coca-Cola mural in recognition of the town’s bottling plant that has been in operation for many decades. A fun photo op, for sure.

As the name implies, pizza is prominent on the menu, but all dishes are made from scratch and are delicious. In addition to pizza, you’ll find calzones, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, salads, desserts and more. They are open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Grumpy’s, Sun Cafe and Bentley’s at the Outhouse

Vicari and Pizza Grocery in Corinth, Mississippi

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