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.
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.
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.
