It's News to Mobile...

                                                     CiotyofMobile.com  2023

 Yesterday I walked and drove around the neighborhood Crichton, in Mobile, under chilly blue skies and reminisced back to my childhood days when Grandma Johnson lived in a little house on Mill Street, which is now lined with industrial warehouses, and when Uncle Johnny Earl Johnson worked as a cook at Mac's Wheelhouse on Springhill Avenue. People all over the world are familiar with Crichton to, as it is the home of the world's only known living leprechaun, who lives in an oak tree there. I paid him a visit but the sign on his tree said he would be back around St. Patrick's Day...

I walked into what is now Rochelle's - the former Mac's Wheelhouse, which is operated by two of his grandsons. The restaurant gets stellar press reviews on a regular basis and all that does is bring more business to this traditional southern eatery where I sat at the counter and had fried shrimp, hush puppies, fries and coleslaw, washed down with a glass of sweet iced tea. Rochelle's was busy but I was able to talk with one of the grandsons who said they may have some old pictures from back in the day. I reminded him Mac used to have his cooks wear tall white chef's hats, and I remember uncle Johnny wearing his behind the grill, which is in open view to the counter. Rochelle's is also known for their Steer Burgers,  and their slogan was "Home of the Steer Burger" back when it was Mac's Wheelhouse beginning in 1953...I ate every bite of my lunch which drained less than 20 dollars including tip from my very shy wallet...hush, I tipped more than a quarter. 

Crichton is in the midst of a revitalization but there 's still more work to be done, especially several vacant buildings and lots right there on Springhill Avenue...we hope the City of Mobile and private industry gets further in there and helps bring back a neighborhood that deserves preservation and some more make-up...I also stepped into Joe's Barber Shop, billed as the largest barber shop in Alabama with 17 chairs inside...also on Springhill Avenue, near Rochelle's...

Down the road a bit at 1664 Springhill Avenue I had on my schedule to visit The Medical Museum of Mobile, who offered a Friday 2:00 free guided tour with the purchase of an entry ticket which cost from $5.00 to $7.00. They also offer free guided tours on the first Saturday of each month, or by prearrangement individual or group tours and 10+ visitors pay $5.00 per person. Ages up to 2 years old are admitted free. 

I arrived a little early and took a walk around the grounds, dotted with sculptures,  small olive trees, and several herb gardens with little signs denoting the names of the herbs. Even before you get inside to view the medical artifacts you are already fascinated by the fact this is the oldest standing house in all of Mobile that has not been moved from its original location. It is the oldest examples of French Creole architecture in the city, a summer house built by a boat captain in 1827. Even with renovations the Vincent-Doan House still maintains it's original form, and I recommend the guided tour for a lot more insight on this unique place....by the way, to gain entrance to the grounds if you are coming from West Mobile on Springhill Avenue, simply drive past the house (on the left) and take the left immediately after - right there on the corner. Down the street there is an entrance to the left in back of the home where you will park. The entrance to the museum is on the side of the home, clearly marked with a sign. So left, left and left....Ring the bell and wait a few minutes. 

Imagine how royal I felt when it was clear I was the only one there for this particular tour. I was a little astonished because it seemed to me people would be jumping at the chance to see and hear about what I was about to on this guided tour.  I imagine the museum has it's busy times - I apparently picked a good day for my own end of the year tour... 

As if getting a solo guided tour was not enough, the tour guide was the Executive Director Daryn Glassbrook, Ph.D. The museum is all downstairs so no stair climbing required.  Daryn began the tour outside in the Robert Thrower Medicinal Garden, and explained the history of the sculptures by April Livingston, their significance to the history of Mobile and the medical community. There is a generous example of medical herbs growing in the garden and you may be invited to pluck a few leaves or needles to take home. I would go into more detail but no spoiler alert necessary here. I want you to see and hear it for yourself....

 Following a brief overview of the home itself, it's architecture and how it was designed to accommodate our sub-tropical climate, the tour inside began. The museum is divided into several rooms with names reflecting their donors or founders in the medical field, including the founder of the museum Dr. Samuel Eichold II, who established it in 1962 While you could linger and take in all or most of the hundreds of medical artifacts, the tour lasts about 30 minutes and focuses on some of the more interesting items such as the iron lung machine and imported-from-Europe paper mache , bigger than life molds of the interior human body, and one of the first machines used in open-heart surgery in Mobile by Doctor Hightower - a machine which Daryn turned on so I could see how it worked. 

There's an original EEG machine and head to toe human skeletons on display... And remember in some of the old western movies the guy who drives town to town in a covered wagon and stands on a makeshift stage selling snake oil?   Step right on up he calls to you, and if you have any sense you run...A generous display of some of these useless elixirs have their own display case in the museum... in case anyone is wondering-which we hope you are not-they are not for sale...

I really can't gush enough about this museum and the guided tour. You can see that Daryn has perfected this tour with just the right amount of time spent in each room, discussing the key items -not a thing boring about this presentation and the displays. He said there will be a special exhibition on bones beginning in March 2024...

You may need to visit the museum to find out what this is...

I recommend that in any case you plan to visit call first, even if you are not taking the guided tour. Personally, I would do the tour - much more info than browsing by yourself. Their current hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Thursday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. They are open the first Saturday of every month from 1:00-3:00 (free tour on the first Saturday of each month, and currently tours every Friday at 2:00 PM free with paid admission. ) Due to limited staff appointments are recommended by calling 251-415-1109. Since everyone would hate for you to drive down there and not be able to get in because staff are not available, I recommend you have voice contact the day of,  and let them know when you are dropping by...

As previously stated in another blog, I will be taking a sabbatical from my column until next year - two whole days worth. The truth is I just like using the word sabbatical. It makes me sound important. Which I am, so I mean more important. If that is possible. Well, you get it. Happy, Safe New Year!

It's News to Mobile...

 

                                                       CityofMobile.com  2023

It's cold not chilly in Mobile today, but many of us forgive it because we can't forget how hot it got this past summer. It will get close, perhaps by one degree, to freezing in the city proper tonight so certain plants may need covering or brought inside...the sun is shining and it will be a blue sky cold day, perfect for a cup of soup, speaking of which I made last night...

Having recently visited Paris for the first time my thoughts went back to French Onion soup. I also considered Mobile is really, at heart, a very French place. The French established Mobile in 1702 and hung around for 61 years. It screams French throughout Mobile: Dauphin Street, originally spelled Dauphine...Bienville Square...Dauphin Island (Dauphine), Lemoyne Street, St. Louis Street, Beauregard Street, Conti and Joachim Streets, to name a few...so I whipped up a bowl of French Onion soup last night and after I corrected one minor mistake it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself, and I just did...(my recipe is based on one found from Rebecca at Everyday Parisian, which she learned at cooking school La Cuisine Paris...)

Because you are my dear reader, I will share with you how to make this soup so if you make it your family and/or friends will tell you that you need to "go on Master Chef," or "start your own restaurant," two phrases who doesn't like to hear?...

First, gather everything you will need and do the preliminary, prep work. There's nothing like being in the middle of cooking something that needs pretty constant attention, only to discover you can't find a certain ingredient or need to chop something that should have already been chopped to begin with. What you will need:

Oven-proof soup bowls. It should say on the bottom of the bowl that it is oven-proof.  You'll need some beef bouillon, and I used "Better Than Bouillon" which comes in a small jar and can be purchased most anywhere. Or you could use cubes or even a box of beef broth., organic if you prefer. Whichever you use the mix of this broth and water is very important because while you may end up with a delicious topping of cheese and bread, the soup itself could turn out to be too strong or too weak, and in that case there will be no call from Master Chef or any chef for that matter...

You'll need an onion and I used Vidalia, the yellow onion. You'll need a little flour, about two tablespoons. The recipe also calls for a small splash of red wine (you could probably get away without this but you will see why it's recommended.)  Butter not margarine is needed. One of the key ingredients is Gruyere cheese. I would not recommend substituting another cheese but you could in a bind... and finally a baguette or a loaf of French bread. You'll need a loaf like this that is not timid in the oven, is tough enough to withstand the heat or get out of the kitchen, so to speak...

Prepare the ingredients before starting your cooking...grate the cheese. Does not have to be super small, just enough to sprinkle on top of the bread...at least a cup and a half for two bowls...

Chop the onion into bite size...if you are making soup for two then you will use the entire onion. Don't be shy. There is nothing more shameful than getting through the cheesy, breaded top crust of a French Onion soup and finding a few piddly onions hiding from you in the beef broth...

Prepare the broth if you are mixing it from a base...so, if soup for two use about 3/4 tablespoon of bouillon paste and put in a large cup or bowl and mix with hot water. Stir until the paste is dissolved. If you are using a pre-mixed broth there is no prep for this step.... set aside...

Now it's time to start the cooking.....in a pan or pot put about two tablespoons of butter on low heat. Once the butter begins to melt put the onions in the pan. Slowly cook this under low to medium heat for about 30 minutes. Don't over stir. It's important the onions caramelize. Add the two tablespoons of flour and stir for about a minute... This allows the natural sugar in the onion to escape and turn brown...

Once the onions are caramelized, pour a splash of red wine in the pan. This deglazes the onion, loosening any that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. In a pinch just use a splash of water....

Now slowly pour in the beef broth...and allow to simmer for about five minutes or until the broth is warm or even hot...this is where chef uses a tablespoon for testing purposes....

Remember I mentioned a mistake I had made? I had put in too much beef paste or not enough water in the broth, one of the two. It's important you taste test your broth before it makes it to the bowls and the oven...my broth was too strong, too salty tasting, so I added more water to the pan and continued to taste until it was right...right is a beef flavor that is not overwhelming but also is not too watery...you just have to taste it and trust your culinary skills on this one....Once the broth is warm enough, just as you would eat it straight from the bowl, it's ready to be transferred to the oven-safe bowls...

Turn on the oven light and the oven on broil. Put the broth in the bowls a little over 3/4 full. You'll need either a flat pan or foil on the middle rack in the oven because the cheese may overflow to the edges of the bowls...

Break the baguette or French bread into large chucks and lightly place on top of the soup in the bowls...

Now carefully and generously sprinkle the cheese on top....I recommend lots of cheese - this is not a shy soup...I sprinkled a few rosemary needles on top for show and placed bowls on top of the pan in the oven and let the broiler toast the bread and melt the cheese. This part only takes a few minutes. Do not leave unattended....once the cheese is melted it's done. Don't forget your oven mittens!

Serve immediately and sit back and enjoy the wonder and awe of your guests as they scheme about ways to open you a restaurant...I hope this recipe works out for you if you try it, and this is the best time of the year to try...

It's still not too late to make your New Year's Eve plans, and the Soul Kitchen on Dauphin Street reminds us the Velcro Pygmies will be there that night, and we all know the big moon pie drop is happening downtown with plenty of live entertainment and fun...there are at least 4 beer breweries downtown now : Oyster City Brewing Company, Braided River Brewing Company, Iron Hand Brewing and Wingman Brewing....and don't forget Loda Bier Garden ( a bar with a large selection of beer)  on Dauphin Street...wherever you go, if indulging please either have a designated driver or use Uber or just crash at a friend's place or ask for a ride...if you are going to ring in the new year at home I recommend Korbel champagne, a nice dry California blend made in the very vineyards I roamed in Northern California years ago when I lived there...bon appetite and Happy New Year...

It's News to Mobile...

 

In the spirit of football, the state of Alabama and the state of Michigan have been going at it recently, with the South Alabama Jaguars versus Eastern Michigan Eagles  in the Ventures Bowl here in Mobile last week - Alabama won and a Michigan player had what we call in the deep south  - a tizzy fit - and ram-charged an Alabama player on the field after the game. Michigan apologized and all is well now so all eyes are on the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles where two different Alabama and Michigan teams meet: Alabama Crimson Tide Versus the Michigan Wolverines on New Year's Day....should be an exciting one to watch as tens of millions will be....

The Pomeroy Foundation has sponsored and placed a new historic marker at Blakeley State Park across the bay, memorializing the park's status on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974...  the park was the site of a Civil War battle and now the 1,400 acre site offers camping and lots of outdoor activities including hiking trails...a fee is charged to enter the park and for camping and in summer months there is a boat tour of the delta...

The City of Gulf Shores has already announced it's 45th Annual Mardi Gras Parade on Tuesday, February 13th, 10:00 AM on East Beach Boulevard...rumor has it  float crews will be tossing fresh oysters, crab legs and flounder from the floats....(don't we wish...)

 On FB, on Strange de Jim's time line Alan Drucker asks "Has anyone actually seen a person get thrown under a bus?"....

Hold on to your coveralls and Schlitz,  Conde Nast Traveler magazine has named Mobile as one of the best places to go in North America and the Caribbean in 2024...Mobile is number 5 out of the 12 places...along side a ton of other great things to do in Mobile we have been in the spotlight over the past few years due to the discovery of the Clotilda and the revitalization of Africatown, which was established by slaves who were illegally transported from Africa in 1860, and set up a community in Plateau, about three miles north of the city and part of Mobile County...I recently visited the Africatown Heritage House and highly recommend a visit, along with other historic sites in Africatown as detailed in my blog. Congratulations to our city, Mobile,  a short drive from two great beaches: Gulfshores and Dauphin Island...and a vibrant downtown, midtown and West town all dotted with parks, restaurants, museums and more...Delta is ready when you are...

Tonight, Phil Proctor takes the stage at Callaghan's Irish Social Club at 7:00 PM so have some live music with your burgers, beers and good vibes....

WKRG's Caroline Carithers posted a stunning sunset last evening in Mobile...I've seen quite a few really nice ones as this time of year a few wispy clouds on the evening horizon light up the sun like a cigarette lighter under a Marlboro...(no, that was all wrong but my delete key is stuck so it's staying in...)

Local baker Denise Burdette is close to being selected as the number one baker in our region, by Greatestbaker.com...Denise has a campaign on Facebook and for those who know her baking skills - which I do - try to stop by her page and follow the link to vote for her....she bakes pheromonal cakes, one of which is a Martin acoustic guitar  ---actual size --- as shown on her page....

The Mobile Rundown on FB poses the question: is it Springhill or Spring Hill...to which there seems to be a consensus that it's Spring Hill... as a native Mobilian I know I have always called it Springhill, because it looks prettier and  the neighborhood and the college and a bunch or other stuff is not a hill on a spring, it's Springhill, so I am bucking the crowd and that's my final answer: Springhill.... (back off yawl...)

Word to all the boaters in Alabama and there are tens and tens of thousands, lawmakers are cracking down on reckless driving on the waterways and beginning January 1, 2024 violations will be "upgraded" from misdemeanors to felonies, and fines can include up to $200.00 per violation and 30 days in jail where the pillows are so flat you think you are resting your weary head on a pancake...children younger than eight years old without a life jacket also changes to a felony …and finally, if that's not enough felonies for ya, boating without proper safety certification for Alabama residents and visitors here for more than 45 days, also lands you in a cell with only cornbread and water, and I've heard the cornbread is from a box, not made from scratch...Joking aside, we are all (except for a very few bad rascals) in agreement boating should be safe and just because you are on the water and not the highway does not mean you own it and can do whatever your hillbilly self wants...

Hopefully you have a box of Kleenex close by...I have only two more columns to write this year and then I am taking a sabbatical and will not be back here until next year - or  Monday, January 1, 2024 as it is known in popular circles....plan your New Year's Eve well and if you are going out and you are driving, please don't drive drunk - there are so may good, immediate alternatives there is no excuse...

It's News to Mobile...

                                               Photo: CityofMobile.com 

 As we sit here with open window, feeling the coolness of the early morn waft in and invigorate our dreams and wishes, one of our wishes is to see "wait for it" shelved for the new year as it has fulfilled it's time on the reels and video clips stage, and should join other "widely" used phrases from the past such as "That's how I roll." Remember that one? How could you forget - we each individually said it at least a hundred times after it debuted, overused, and the cause of many winces and cringe frowns in reaction to those who refused to "just let it go,"  or kept trying to "squeeze blood out of a turnip." Amazingly, the latter has stuck around since at least 1836, likely because it's not pounded to death. Reminds me of a lie we have all been told since the beginning of time, that a watched pot never boils. I know this to be false because I have stood over one and watched it until the water was roiling with steam...

Speaking of the elephant in the room, who marches in around New Year every year, guns. Just read another tragic story of a three year old finding his mother's gun she thought was hid under the bed so well he would never find it. I don't have little ones but if you do and you own a gun or guns and you think they are hidden so well no child on earth could find it, think again. Little kids today are so smart you could lock the gun in a safe but leave the keys on a tall dresser, and the child would push a chair to the dresser, find the keys, find the right key, and open the safe... 

Anyone who has to fire a gun off on New Year's Eve likely has an IQ in the range of about 85, which is borderline mental disability so maybe they shouldn't have a gun at all?...just thinking out loud. I'm not "against guns", just against how too many of them are used...

I'm working on a screenplay and can't wait to delve into it again this morning, and as it is the end of the year and folks are still chilling "recovering?" from Christmas, I am scrolling the place many of us catch up with each other, the home of a college student who started a school "year book" online and it turned into the reason some of us live, Facebook... here are a few I saw...

Chasity Gray reposts a mime from What You Got in Dat Pot: "We been eating black eyed peas and cabbage for 40 years and we still broke."  Okay, you know you laughed and muttered ain't that the truth...

Alan Sealls the famous local weather guy tells us to check on the sky Gulf Coast, the clouds have thinned enough in spots to create a lunar halo...and my two cents - do it guys, this counts as exercise...

The Waterfront in Daphne reminds us the chilly weather can still be enjoyed at their restaurant as they have covered outdoor seating and heaters...

Grace on Dauphin Street in Mobile will host a champagne toast at midnight on the 31st...if they have those crab claws appetizer on the menu run don't walk to the kitchen...they also make a sweet Cosmopolitan...

The River Shack has posted the Mobile Mardi Gras menu, or schedule if that rocks your float better...it is not accessible to those who are traitoring and running off to New Orleans thinking we don't know...the first Mobile parade kicks off with the Conde Cavaliers on Friday, January 26th...

If you think New Year's Eve will be a drag, then B-Bob's downtown wholeheartedly agrees, with a stellar line-up on December 31st with doors opening at 9:00 PM. Gracie Lou and other stars will be there and a first for any bar in the entire world on New Year's Eve: the champagne will be...wait for it...free...

The Mobile Public Library invites you to celebrate Kwanzaa on Wednesday, December 27 from 2-5 PM at the Virginia Dillard Smith/Toulminville Branch where there will be speakers, poetry, drummers and a taste of African culture...

And Darlene Tran reposts a quote from Quotes Gate..."2023 is almost gone. Not all our family and friends made it. Never take for granted the people you love. Be thankful for today, because in one moment your entire life could change...

Seems like a great note to close on today...have a safe and prosperous day....

It's News to Mobile...

 Based on social and other local media reports, folks in and around Mobile had a glorious Christmas Day, with some visiting the skyscraper venues downtown for brunch and holiday beverages, basking in sunshine under mid-seventy degrees of sunshine...

I glazed a turkey breast with herbs and kumquats, and surrounded it with cornbread dressing and corn. I'm not sure why Top Chefs or any of the dozens of other culinary star-finding shows have not just showed up at my door and said "Preston, here's an apron strung in gold. Come with us now - the world need no longer be deprived of your gastronomic skills. Please honor us - the limo is waiting."  That's how good my dinner was, but I send a shout out to all the rest of the chefs who posted their genius dishes on Facebook. Nice job guys, keep trying and you will get there...

I went on a Mobile area history tangent yesterday, gleaning little facts here and there on a few subjects, and discovered there is a Little Dauphin Island. Admit it - you didn't know it either. It's a small island off what I guess we can now call Big Dauphin Island, and it was accessible by land until, well, you know the story - Katrina roared in and covered up the path leading to the island. But birders think this is a good thing because bird life has flourished undeterred, undisturbed by the curious pitter-patter of humans with binoculars,  pointing, quivering, whispering with excitement, "Look! A Rufous-headed Hornbill!..."

The Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864 didn't play... There are still several of those ships sitting in Mobile River, including the Tecumseh, which the Smithsonian was going to try and recover but the project never got off the ground and there appears to be no real interest in bringing up this Federal ship that struck a torpedo on approach to conquer Mobile towards the end of the Civil War...You read that right. The unexploded torpedo was in shallow water and the Tecumseh, against orders it is said, unfortunately navigated in that direction. Over 100 men died, with only about 10 making it to safety. The commander of the ship perished when he allowed the ship's pilot to exit the sinking ship first. It is estimated there are at least 4,000 ships sitting on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. But..in the North Atlantic Ocean in Bermuda are the most ship wrecks - at least 300 succumbed to shallow waters and abundant coral reefs, proving you don't want to mess with the Bermuda Triangle...

Unless you are a Millennial or Gen-X baby, you are familiar with the phrase "Damn the Torpedoes, full speed ahead!" This famous, likely truncated command was said to emerge from the lips of Admiral David Farragut, vis a vis some sort of megaphone as he was attached to the mast of his ship so as to view Mobile from above all the smoke they and the Confederates were creating, and so as to be heard above the lovely noise of war. He had just been told the waters were dotted with unspent torpedoes, and bent on conquering Mobile he hollered his now famous utterance. While his ships didn't take Mobile per se, they caused enough of a ruckus to halt operations on the port itself...the city itself succumbed a few months later as the war came to an end in the spring of 1865...

Enough talk of war, it's a cool, cloudy day after Christmas, a Tuesday that feels like a Sunday, a day after a day that for some reason didn't feel as Christmassy as in the past...but it's okay - there are new things to do, new places to conquer...now we wind down to the New Year, and there are no lack of venues advertising free champagne and the best entertainment in town....a moon pie will drop 34 floors down from the spires of the RSA Trustmark building, and you could or could not be there to catch it. You may have already spent all your New Year's Eve party to the crack of dawn years and now you sit in the recliner, loved ones close by, or by your lonesome with a cat purring nearby or a dog wagging his tail as if he to knows a new year is about to ring in,  and sip on a glass of cold Korbel and watch the ball drop on TV in Times Square...honey, what time is it, I can't keep my eyes open much longer...it's almost midnight dear, hang in there just another thirty minutes...

It seems like yesterday when you could pull a pack of cigarettes out of a machine that read" Under age 18 prohibited," but you laughed because whoever was supposed to be guarding the cigarette machine must have taken a smoke break, and for forty cents down dropped a pack of Winston tastes good like a cigarette should...or not...the days when if you wanted to reach somebody you either wrote them a letter or called their land line phone, or stopped by...

This was not the worst year in recent history - that was the year of the pandemic...this was a pretty okay year for many, if not most...at least there will be a lot more people out taking walks, the traditional after Christmas strolls to walk off the turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes, yams, pecan pie, banana pudding, divinity, pralines, green beans, carrot soufflé, corn, sweet iced tea...did I forget anything?  I don't know why we get so sentimental on the last few days of the year...is it because we actually made it another year, and now we need to regroup and have a grand plan for 2024, to self-boost ourselves into a new agenda, a refreshed life with resolution and improvements that will make us shine even brighter than the year before...? 

But alas, I must close now because the limo is waiting...enjoy this sort of melancholic day....

It's News to Mobile...It's going to be another

                                                              Photo: Osman's Restaurant

Culinary tears are falling all over Mobile today as this evening marks the final day of service at the revered Osman's Restaurant, a masterpiece of European cuisine including the German favorite Wiener schnitzel, thin breaded pan-fried veal cutlet. Tonight the family will serve the last dinner at the 12 tabled restaurant, and unless your name is preceded by a title such as President or King, don't even hope for a reservation. The family are relocating to be near their children and grandchildren, and the business and home are up for sale. While there is a possibility someone will purchase the building and open another restaurant, we do not kid ourselves into thinking we'll ever have the Osman's again...but on a high note they deserve to rest on their laurels and enjoy the company of their family, and I know I speak for all of Mobile when I say thank you for 24 years of outstanding culinary service to our city whose name means exactly what you are doing, being Mobile....the above photo is from their collection...

Wingman Brewing announces they will be open on New Year's Day and showing off the Rose Bowl  on their gigantic screens...you'll find them at 656 St. Louis Street which is a few streets back from Dauphin, where, I can attest, the brews are downhome good and local...also, not to be missed is Zoe Burdett Music at this same location on Friday, December 29th from 1-4 PM....

Mobile City Council  District Seven's Gina Gregory's newsletter reminds us the City of Mobile has an Official U.S. Flag Retirement Box at 205 Government Street, open Monday-Friday during normal business hours. Most of us know you can't just throw away an old tattered flag and it must be retired properly in honor of this great country we call America...Ms. Gregory also lets us know you can register for free smoke alarms by visiting cityofmobile.org/fire, or call 251-208-7884. and, she sends out a kind reminder the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 988. This is a time of year when some people get down in the dumps and hopefully somewhere in their thoughts they will remember these bad thoughts will pass, so don't be ashamed of asking for a little help...

A lot of folks enjoyed the "Mardi Gras" parade in downtown Mobile last night, including Paw Paw's Medicine Cabinet celebrity Mike Jernigan, who disregarded the friendly boos of Eastern Michigan University fans as the University of South Alabama Jaguar Marching Band marched by...we'll see who is King of the Parade today when the two teams meet for the Ventures Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium tonight at 7:00 PM...the whole country is rocking with college bowl games this month, putting the NFL on notice this is where it's at...

Way to Go shout to Barton Academy 8th grader Amir Calderon-Acevedo who is a finalist in the National STEM Challenge through EXPLY and the U.S. Department of Education.. He can now compete for a trip to our nation's capitol. You rock!

On a slightly depressing note, parents and guardians please be aware there is a curfew downtown Mobile on New Year's Eve for kids under the age of 18, from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM...I will try to dress up to an older look so I don't get stopped and carded, maybe wear an old flannel shirt and baggy jeans...

A lot of folks around America looking for a new town to live are looking at Fairhope, who regularly makes a bunch of the best places to live or to retire tabulations, most recently the 8 best places to retire list from World Atlas. However, even Fairhope was outshined by Prichard, who came in as number one in this list of eight...I'm sticking with Mobile which is situated somewhere in-between and is much larger, has a lot more to do and has three distinctive species in it's midst:  the DOWNMO, MIDMO and WESTMO, with the highest level of sophistication beginning with the downtown crowd: highly diverse world travelers who still are not ashamed of trying to order grits in a Paris restaurant...., then the mid-towners who are just super laid back and cool and save every issue of  Lagniappe Weekly... , and the westerlies who congregate around two central locations: Schillinger's/Airport and Tillman's Corner where there is not a single high-rise to obstruct their view of the surrounding pinewoods...

Callaghan's Irish Social Club has Johnny Hayes on the stage tonight, and not that we like to kill two birds or any birds with a stone or anything for that matter, but you can also watch the local bowl game - the above mentioned Ventures Bowl match between the Jags and East Michigan...both start at 7 PM...and since there's not a drop of Yankee in me, go Jags....(I fib though, my Bigma Ruth was born in Michigan...be quiet boy...)

Don't forget WKRG's weather master Alan Sealls will be signing three of his weather books today at Lupercalia Art Society at 358 Dauphin Street  from 1-5 PM...think of a friend or relative who is fascinated by weather and one or all of these books will be the perfect one of a kind local gift...you can give him the Old Spice for his birthday...

 It's turned out to be another beautiful, sunny 70 degree day, though I am reminded of a headline I skimmed yesterday that said winter is losing it's punch. I was to scared to read the story. The coldest weeks in Mobile every year usually come in January and February, and often we are in the path of those arctic blasts that come shooting down from time to time so we'll see what the heart of winter brings us in short time...

Expect massive crowds at all the brick and mortars for procrastinated Christmas shopping today and tomorrow... You might find more wiggle room downtown where there is no shortage of one-of-a kind local shops, including breweries where you can simply order gift cards and sip on a local brew...and don't forget, my gifts do not, I repeat do not have to be wrapped. Save paper and have a great day...

It's News to Mobile...

                                            Photo: Devlin Wilson Fine Arts

The CEO of  online furniture company Wayfair has an uplifting, inspiring end of year message for his employees. He said "Working long hours, being responsive, blending work and life, is not anything to shy away from..."   

I'm very sorry sir but I am extremely shy...

Bertrand Russell is turning over in his grave. He's the guy who wrote a very brief book I read decades ago and love: In Praise of Idleness...Russell wrote - in 1935 mind you - that everyone should work no more than 4 hours a day, and the world would be a better place. Merry Christmas in heaven, Mr. Russell....

The first time can apparently be the Charm, because it was at the restaurant by that very name on Schillinger Road in Mobile yesterday, where I indulged a lunch of Pad Thai with sides Tom Yum soup and ginger salad. I also had a Sigha beer, throwing me back some 40 years when I visited Thailand , and had my first one atop the Baiyoke Tower where the queen of Thailand visited later that day. Before you ask, no she was not there to see me, she was christening this new apartment tower. which now has a sister, Baiyoke Tower II. As they say, those were the days...with an entrée at what the waiter said was the locally owned Charm, you can select from several side dishes such as fried wanton , egg rolls or the two I selected. I like the ginger salad you find served at numerous Asian restaurants, called such for the ginger-flavored dressing on the lettuce.  Charm is a nice tidy place that yesterday during lunch provided excellent service for a price just under $15.00 including the imported beer. Not bad. The menu is quite extensive, including an array of raw sushi for those aficionados, and you will find all of the traditional Thai dishes on the menu. Over the years Thai restaurants have popped up all over Mobile, and it's a food I like to call Chinese with exquisite perfume wearing a hoop dress...don't get me wrong - I like Chinese food but I wished Mobile had at least one formal, 3 or 4 star sit-down Chinese restaurant like many other cities do. We have tons of buffet and take-out joints - everybody loves their quick let's order Chinese, but if I'm wrong about lack of a formal Chinese restaurant you can become one of my mysterious spies and set me straight...

I stopped by Devlin Wilson Fine Arts on FB today and we chatted a sec - remember meeting Devlin years ago at the old carriage house where I and nephews had - wait for it - a heavy metal band...I love this guy's work and if you are still looking for a one of a kind gift that will increase - not decrease - in value, hurry over and say hi to him on FB...just type in his name and like magic he will be there...he still wears his trademark Panama hat!

Tim Jordan posts about his last night at the iconic Osman's Restaurant, whose owners are retiring as of this Saturday...although there may be a new ownership it will be a real challenge for them to match the 24 years of German and other European dishes and ambience that will be sorely missed my many in this old city by the bay...

Word on the street is over half of the Reese's Senior Bowl tickets have already sold for the Saturday, February 3, 2024 showdown between the AFC and NFC....if you want a chance to see me in person you need to run don't walk to buy tickets, or you could do it the old-fashioned way and order them online at Seniorbowl.com...

If you were hoping to still get in on the Battle House Christmas Day brunch, it's all sold out but there may still be seating available for one of their other restaurants....

For those of use who don't want to wait for Mardi Gras for a Mardi Gras style parade there is going to be one tonight  downtown at 6:30 PM  sponsored by Greer's Markets and Venture's Bowl where there is a football game at Hancock Whitney Stadium tomorrow night at 6:00 PM (Saturday, December 23...)

Before lunch yesterday I revisited the Medal of Honor Park, entering from the Hillcrest Rd. side, and took the traditional walk around the athletic field. I remember years ago I used to roller skate the path. The park now has a fine dog run section divided into small and large dogs, and was quite busy yesterday with well-behaved, playful pups, one who stood at the inside fence and waited patiently for me to retrieve the ball his owner had so ungraciously overthrown...ah, the life of a dog... 

For any transplanted Mobilians who may be living somewhere else today where it's below freezing or in standby mode due to mountains of snow, it's a beautiful sunny day here today with temps expected to approach the 60's.. you are very welcome....

It's News to Mobile...

 

                                                             CityofMobile.com  2023  

Things to do in Mobile that you can also do most anywhere else in the world...watch Trevor Noah's comedy special on Netflix, Where Was I,  which is in Detroit. If you want to laugh until you cry, if you want to hear "white people history" lampooned to the moon and back, if you want to hear a comic genius, take a break from the mini-series you have been glued to for the past three months - you deserve some laughs this holiday season...

Becoming Warren Buffett - also on Netflix - is a documentary that will make you understand this man is the most true American person the world has ever known, a role model cast in big heart emojis, a financial genius who understands the use of money like no other person I have ever heard... I hate to sound like a commercial for Netflix but these two specials are real television shining above a plethora of so-so and not so so-so other shows....

Mobile Baykeeper has posted an update on the Rabbit Creek watershed deal, which is being touted in local news as an economy-boosting container terminal complex...Baykeeper says "We have a handshake deal to protect crucial wetlands in the Dog River Watershed. Stay tuned as the deal becomes finalized."  It is noted there will be "some degradation of our waterways."  I'm sure I speak for many Mobilians when I say we look forward to specific details about this terminal project and all assurances Dog River will not be negatively impacted...

If you have allowed your chef to take off work for the Christmas holiday ( I gave my entire staff the week off, paid, and with an all expenses cruise to the Bahamas)  and you'd rather watch football and play with the kids, Greer's St. Louis Market has offered to step in and do all the cooking for you. For a mere 60 bucks you can order a turkey or ham and pay a little extra for sides such as cornbread dressing or sweet potato casserole to name a few. Orders can be picked up from December 15-29th, with 4:00 PM being the deadline on Christmas Eve...how cool is that?.....or, if you want to go out and show off the new threads you got for Christmas, The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa is serving brunch on Christmas Day from 10:30-2:00 , $75.00 per person with children 5 and under Free...the menu looks stellar - reservations required  251-338-5304...

Speaking of choo-choo trains, which we weren't but we now are...AL.com's John Sharp has posted a story in today's edition about the ongoing Amtrak dispute. There are a bunch of parties involved and a lot of issues to be resolved.. The Port doesn't want it because it will (could?) disrupt their water front operations...some City Council members don't want it because they want more details from Amtrak, and there is some kind of grant involved and rail line infrastructure concerns. It seems like when cities invite new businesses there is usually a large chunk of incentive money involved...this Amtrak deal is different from what they usually encounter in other states because in Mobile they are dealing with the city - not the state, so final approval has to pass the Mobile City Council and the Mayor - that's how we roll on the train tracks here...the train would run between Mobile and New Orleans with stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, which causes me to notice that with four stops in Mississippi where do they fit in this financial/infrastructure picture...it's really sad, the condition of rail travel in America. If you have travelled to other countries, especially Europe and Asia, you know rail is king and you can travel entire countries and multi-countries with relative ease and costs. I blame our condition on over-proliferation of gasoline production and lobbying efforts over the past decades to keep the automobile king and dissuade rail development...it's almost to late to go back now...which brings us to the obvious: since almost everyone has a vehicle, and plenty make the round-trip to New Orleans at every opportunity (traitors!) how popular will this train ride be. We had this service in Mobile before, and it left in 2005. I am not sure how popular it was....I'm not saying I wouldn't jump on board...the only time I have taken Amtrak was a long time ago between San Francisco and Lincoln, Nebraska in December. The snowy scenery was beautiful and I remember hanging out in the club car playing cards and making new friends...

The Royal Scam on Dauphin Street has posted a delicious-looking pan seared red snapper with brown butter shallots with buttermilk bread pudding and grilled broccolini on their social media page and if this meal is a scam then like ACDC sings, you can scam me all night long...

I hope to mosey in to The Peoples Room of Mobile, downtown one evening, billed as a place "where both artist and audience can connect..." On Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Pat Byrne will perform...and to what looks like a culinary gem, Bob's Downtown Restaurant at 263 St. Francis Street...

The City of Mobile just announced a 1.7 million dollar project for initial site work on a new Animal Shelter complex, to replace the old one over on Otis Street and which is a bit hard to get to and has outdated infrastructure. You're not going to hear me complaining about this project that will be on Montlimar Drive right smack in the center of the city and therefore accessible to a lot more people. The project will cut down 7.14 acres of woods, and this is a downside, but if you look at the aerial photos there are still plenty of woods behind the site. There's still time to adopt a cat or dog for those kiddies who want one for Christmas. The web site is www.animalservicesmobile.com...

It's News to Mobile...

                                                            CityofMobile.com  2023 

The annual football game watched by professional football league scouts more than any other game of the year, is set to hit the stage where it always does, right here in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday, February 3, 2024, with kick-off time at 12:00 noon at the freshly named University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium. The 11th Annual Reese's Senior Bowl will include several players from Alabama and Auburn, as well as rising stars from colleges across the country...look for me there:  I will be holding up Reese's-orange pom-poms on either the American Football Conference (AFC) side or National Football Conference (NFC) side...whichever one looks like it might win...

Speaking of sports, I paid a brief visit to a new, 3-week old local brewery downtown, Wingman Brewing Company in the 600 block of St. Louis Street, an area I will herby christen Brewery Row for the several that have popped up along this slightly off the Dauphin Street path , or BREWMO, in a nod to the folks who use such monikers as LODA (Lower Dauphin Street) and WEMO (West Mobile.)  Wingman Brewing Company is associated with the Fairhope Brewing Company, and has invented a few of it's own concoctions, which I sampled, including the Moscow Mule, Wolfman, and Cheap Sunglasses...they also have two Gatorade-ish  brews  - a Blue Leisure and Red Leisure...all the samples were invigorating, with Cheap Sunglasses standing out for it's blond, light Stella-like flavor.... 

Before the brew I stepped into Squid Ink where a cordial staff allowed me to try a glass of Pernicious draft beer crafted by the one and only Wicked Weed Brewery. It was a blond with a little bite, and somehow all these descriptions are taking on a life of their own...I lunched on the "London Calling" Fish and Chips, but mind you they have far more sophisticated dish's including sushi, it's just I was set on fish and chips, and these were delicious battered Gulf fish in a vinegar malt and aioli sauce ( egg yolks, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic) on the side...the skinny fries were in abundance and crunchy good...I found two new spies there who also recommended Cotton State BBQ, a few blocks away, for a later lunch....

I danced into the Bienville Souvenir & Gifts at Dauphin and Jackson and you can't miss them for their music system entertains all in proximity (and it's wonderful by the way.) Inside is a real trove of local-oriented gifts filling two large rooms and including one of a kind Mardi Gras masks and costumes, clothing, locally made condiments, candy, hats, a bunch of Christmas stuff - you name it. I really love this shop and if you are shopping downtown and don't pop into this shop you are not a true Mobilian and could be a Fairhope spy worried about Mobile's constantly growing popularity...

I stopped by Three Georges Candy - THE historic place for candy in all of Mobile, and nearby A&M Peanut Shop where I bought another bag of their world famous roasted peanuts I like to crush and use for a deep south version of  Pad Thai, or mix some with Sriracha chili sauce and drop it in a bowl of ramen...they have all sorts of nuts and candies and this is another don't miss while you are downtown spot...

The proposed shipping container terminal on Rabbit Creek that stirred up a lot of folks like rabbits being thrown shreds of carrot, was approved by the Mobile City Council with provisions that about 100 acres of wetlands will be preserved...I reached out to Mobile Baykeeper who originally alerted us to the concerns about the wetlands, and checked their web site for updates but at press time ( I just like saying that) no word yet - to my knowledge - if they put their stamp of approval on this new agreement...the devil is in the details but we hope there are no devilish convoluted clauses in this one...

I ran into one of the team members of the Downtown Mobile Alliance and we chatted about their role in keeping Mobile beautiful downtown, especially making sure we have healthy, watered plants and flowers to adore, and especially during a summer like last summer (who can forget?) when the flowers were thirstier than spanking new TikTok influencers for likes and followers...

Work continues on what Downtown Mobile Alliance's Carol Hunter calls Mobile's Living Room, or Bienville Square. Without Bienville Square Mobile would not, could not be Mobile. It's the center piece of the city, and will celebrate its 200th Birthday next year. I had previously expressed concern about the squirrels who famously reside in the park, some who once they know you scurry up like pets to get the treats being offered them...my fears were allayed yesterday when I saw a woman feeding several of the squirrels who came up to one of the construction fences surrounding the renovation site...

It made my day when I saw a couple sitting outside at the Lodi Beer Garden on Dauphin with their two dogs. I asked if I could take a pic and they were very happy to oblige...one of the things I love about Mobile is the friendliness of the people...I am working on being more friendly as well, and often will say "howdy" to total strangers, or even acknowledge the presence of others around me with a gentle nod and smile...I am particularly attracted to single, very wealthy women who are scouting for a travel companion to Paris, London, Tokyo or Florence, or even the iconic Chickasaw if we are driving in a vintage Mercedes...

Prodigiously, I yield your precious time back to you - those who made it this far and just didn't "like" this piece and move on without reading (if you know of any such folks this is your opportunity to become one of my secret informants...)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Glad Tidings, !Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Buon Natale...have fun, be safe, and remember my gift does not have to be wrapped. Save paper, right? 

It's News to Mobile...

CityofMobile.com  2023

Everyone likes to pick on Big Oil, so why should I be an exception? Someone wants to throw a big ole service station up at the corner of Government and Broad, where a pharmacy used to stand and I can promise you part of the chatter at nearby Christmas parties does not include sentences such as "Did you hear? They're building a service station at Government and Broad. See, miracles do happen!" The miracle will be if it's approved and if it is which it probably shouldn't be, the structure should conform one hundred percent to the historic district architectural bylaws, and remain consistently so throughout the life of its existence at this location....and since we are on the subject I wonder if the city traffic engineers could do anything about not being able to turn left onto Government Street at this intersection if you are driving north on Broad Street? Ok, yeah, I'm leaving now....

One of my restaurant scouts pointed me to Korean BBQ which I visited yesterday. To be honest I was expecting/hoping for a local style restaurant but this was a fancy franchise in the Pinebrook Shopping Center where I imagine the rent there is reflected back on the menu. It's very hard to stake your claim in a very overcrowded "chicken wing" restaurant market, but the Korean BBQ sauce with sesame sprinkles was very good, and as promised for this style of chicken - crunchy. This restaurant opened in May and introduces Mobile to a national craze for Korean chicken, which, if you had tried to sell this forty years ago someone would have slapped you in the face and said "Get a grip, boy!"...

Sadly, the FB feed today is overwhelmed with lost and found dogs and cats in Mobile and Baldwin counties...if you've seen any stray cats or dogs around check out the feeds because you may be able to help...

A few wispy clouds on the horizon always make for the best sunsets, and on FB the Dauphin Island, Alabama group posted some wow some pics from December 12th...

Hope you are sitting down...USA Today named Moonpie Over Mobile New Year Celebration  as the number 9th best Countdown New Year's Eve drops in America....as soon as I know the date of this years celebration I will post it here....and they've stopped reading....

In local high school news the Crichton Optimist Club named Antonio Coleman as Defensive Lineman of the Year...

Right on Cathedral Square on Dauphin Street you will find the Alabama Contemporary Art Center, where artist Jenny Day's A Feast to Remember is on display through December 30th...be advised if you eat any of the artwork you have to buy it....

Taylor Knighton will take the stage at Callaghan's Irish Social Club tonight starting at 7:00. This is one of the special nights when you do not have to prove Irish heritage to gain entrance to the club...

WKRG's John Nodar is advising it will get real close to freezing tonight even in Mobile....so I say protect the plants that need it and even if the cat doesn't want to come in pick her up by the back of the neck and tell her that for just this one time you are boss, not her...

Our world famous weather fellow Alan Sealls will be signing not one, not two but three of his weather books, including "Weather Things You Always Wanted to Know," at Lupercalia Art Society at 358 Dauphin Street this Saturday, December 23 from 1-5 PM, and he also has wall art for sale. If you are looking for one of a kind, unique Christmas gifts with a local focus for your weather sleuth, storm-chasing relatives or friends, this will be the place to be for last minute talk of the town gift shopping...

Dick Russell's BBQ recognizes in this week's Employee Spotlight  Jacob Brandon, who has been with the restaurant since January 2022...in his spare time he enjoys playing golf and working on cars...congratulations Jacob!...

The whole world is going wagyu over wagyu, and Grace on Dauphin is no exception...today they announce their lunch special is a Wagyu Beef Patty Melt with collard greens and loaded potato soup or other choices if that pleases your tummy...

Alabama Public Television needs our support and you can find them on FB where perhaps after a hot toddy or glass of wine you will feel so inclined to celebrate the holiday spirit and drop a little donation in their bucket...

And finally....don't forget local brewery Braided River Brewing Co. is having a pre-ticketed event celebrating their 4th Anniversary on February 24, 2024 from 12-2....

And really finally...before you go out partying this holiday season and may be driving and then imbibing, maybe download the usual mobile apps such as Uber so if you get in a bind and shouldn't drive, make your fingers press the app and try to get a ride...

It's News to Mobile...

 

Yesterday started as a lazy, gray Sunday and I walked through Langan Park, which was dotted with the most disc golfers I have seen in some time there, especially for an overcast morning. A group of about a dozen said it was not a tournament they were just there for a friendly get together...The sun broke through in the afternoon, with temps in the 60's on this mid-December morning along the Gulf Coast...

Today I have a new spy in my cadre and we have yet to christen her with a code name, but in just a few minutes casual chat I discovered that she and her daughter are connoisseurs of Asian cuisine, especially Japanese having spent several years on the island. After my visit to Slurp Society I tried my hand at making ramen, and though it was delicious it was not as good as theirs...the topic of ramen noodles came up with my new source, particularly how expensive they are at the supermarkets, and she reminded me about the Asian markets on Azalea Road, where I had not been in awhile...so I drove on over and found what can only be called Asian Market Row. Not only was the original My Hoa (flower in several Asian languages) there but several other stores side-by-side in a funky but cool strip-mall formation. The parking lots were crowded and inside My Hoa I found a package of inexpensive ramen noodles I will try, and also picked up some Thai chili peppers to compliment the few I have in the garden...even for someone as knowledgeable about Asian cuisine as I, there were some fruit and veggies I did not recognize but do want to try...these stores are packed with everything Asian, including 40 pound bags of rice, dishes, every condiment on the face of the planet and more. I will definitely go back as I did not even make it into one of the stores...if you cook Asian food in Mobile, then My Hoa and company are for you...there is also a Pho restaurant on this little street...

My source also raved about a few restaurants I have yet to visit, including Thai restaurant Charm, on Schillinger, Korean BBQ next to the relocated Michael's Art store ( I found out the hard way and got stuck in Springdale Plaza - whew, having somehow forgotten this was a major Christmas shopping day...never made it to this restaurant but it's on my agenda when things calm down...) and Happy Sushi, which they say the menu includes a lot more than just raw sushi...looks like my programme du bal is already filling up...a visit to Dauphins in the Battle House tower downtown is on the list with a neighbor, for what will be our first time to this already iconic eatery on the 35th floor...

If you are into grass - and who isn't, Bienville Souvenir & Gifts have some for the feet - Grass Flip Flops. Yep, this is Mobile and these sound like a one of a kind Christmas gift so run downtown and say hi and buy something....

I am seeing a lot of pub about Mobile Pedal Tours and according to their social pages they host private parties, brewery tours, corporate parties and  (my words) parties for men or women who want to have one last celebration before they settle into matrimonial bliss....

It looks like the Lil Cigar Lounge is having an Ugly Sweater Slow Burn Sunday, December 24th.. save me a seat and a nice smokin Cuban, and one for Santa to...

I look at the Callaghan's Irish Social Club music line-up and it makes me ceolán, -áin with happiness...with Taylor Knighton, Phil & Foster with Corky Hughes, Karl Langley & Brandon White, Gabe Willis, and Johnny Hayes on individual dates from tomorrow through December 23rd...and this is a redneck holler to all the people who say there is nothing to do in Mobile, or some of the other stuff they say about us in a fit of jealous rage...

Wishing a get well soon to WKRG's Caroline Carithers who has a head cold with all this flip-flop weather from hot to cold....

 Congrats to  Realtor Preston Niemeyer (no relation) who sold the Fruit and Nut Home in Fairhope through Ashhurst Niemeyer Real Estate...hey Preston, my Christmas gift does not necessarily have to be wrapped this year...

Tim Jordan, who gets around Mobile even more than "It's News to Mobile," sends a Peace on Earth greeting from Dauphin Way United Methodist Church...

I look forward to an eventual visit to The Waterfront Daphne, I have been seeing a lot of great publicity and their water-side setting and menu including awesome looking adult beverages, looks downright this is what I'm talkin about....

Although it's chilly today in and around Mobile, the sun is out, the sky is still blue and the yard dude finally showed up so I don't have to break any fingernails or get blisters slinging a rake, or punish my eardrums with the what can only be called not a sound of progress, the centrifugal, galling noise of a leaf blower...

It's News to Mobile...

 

Don't tell Jordan, or I, that beer and religion talk don't mix, because we proved it wrong yesterday at the Oyster City Brewing Company at 600 Government Street in Mobile. While he drank a pint of his own creation - a mix of Peanut Butter Porter and Hooter Brown, and I was treated like a king by the totally awesome bartender, with an array of beer tastings that make the wine tasting tours of Northern California look like a throw back to halcyon days. I engaged with this seminary student yesterday as he made one last visit before heading off to Kansas City to attend seminary school. Voices were not raised and agreement was reached on several important religious historical facts, and somehow I feel the spiritual lifting caused by samples of Light Lager, Tate's Helles Lager, White Zombie, Mangrove Pale, Hooter Brown, Sweet Heat and Birthday Cake contributed to our jovial musings on a subject most people, most of the time, avoid like the plague. I am not sure how any in or around Mobile who enjoy the taste and buzz of hop juice, could miss stopping by this state of the art brewery who also sell gift cards that would make a much, much better Christmas gift than a six-pack of white tube socks and two bottles of Old Spice (HINT HINT.) Parking is around back, and I give a shout out to Hooter Brown (rich, dark ale) and Sweet Heat - a slightly biting concoction of mango and habanero...and the bartender's fav, Birthday Cake, whose taste threw me for a delightful loop because it still has the primary flavor of a fine light lager, with an ever so light back-taste of birthday cake. Sounds like a Happy Birthday place to be to me...

Feeling I should wash down that beer with some grub, I headed over to a place whose name intrigued me and piqued my love of ramen as a frequent visitor to Tokyo where ramen grows on trees. When you visit Slurp Society Ramen Shop at 69 St. Michael Street you will find a clean, funky joint teeming with young cool diners and a staff who are on the cutting edge of  avant-garde, eclectic Mobile.  Eugene Walter would have loved this place.  I sat at the counter where you can see the ramen and bao in creation mode.  Under the "Noods" section the first dish is the Slurp OG, a mix of "society broth, roasted pork belly, pickled onions, kale, soft egg, scallion and black garlic oil." I asked for a dose of sriracha lime peanuts to also be tossed in and with large spoon and choppy sticks in hand I dove in and really enjoyed this dish. Can't wait to go back and try the Battleship Curry of "society broth, Japanese naval curry, chicken karaage, pickled onions, kale, soft egg, scallion, chili oil." The menu also includes appetizers such as Street Corn Rangoon's, and J.F.C. which are Japanese fried chicken nugs, watermelon sweet and sour, chilis, watermelon chunks, sriracha lime peanuts and herbs, and a bunch of other noodle, bao, and appetizer dishes you won't find anywhere else on this planet. There's sake and a dessert dish to, which I hope to test during the next visit. They have a to-go service and reservations are probably recommended for weekend dinner and holidays...

I've noticed a recent buzz about what might be an only in Mobile "recreational sport" of sorts - it's called Grizzly Axes and yep, the object of the game is to throw axes at a large board that resembles a dart board that measures your accuracy to the bull's eye. I think they should imprint certain faces on the boards and make the nose the bull's eye. I will volunteer my face as a test board, and predict they might have to start requiring reservations if they do to visit this one of a kind establishment at 4325 Downtowner Loop South in Mobile...

I can't believe I have not yet been to what many folks are calling the beautiful and stunning Dauphin's restaurant on the 34th floor of the RSA building...(I'm definitely late to this party.) Think I will stop by for lunch one day soon and maybe try the Gulf Shrimp Chowder or the Soup and Caesar Salad, a concoction of greens and special dressing with croutons invented by the Italian immigrant Cesare Cardini in 1924, and also proving my point this column helps make you more jocular at social gatherings...

Speaking again about the number one topic in Mobile right now, the just-announced Riverwalk Plaza, a mixed-use project on Water Street near the Mobile Convention Center, and set to open in 2025 ( the few usual nay-sayers claim it will be 3025...) I took a walk Friday along the waterfront in that area, near Cooper Riverside Park and as I glanced across the river at the industrial side of our commerce I wondered if there are any things we can do to spruce up the other side of the river. I'm not suggesting hiding our shipyard and industrial beauty, but perhaps some large steel shipyard worker statues, large wrought iron fencing or something to give it a prettier face....it might take a new statute to get this going...yep, read that again...

While I was on the waterfront - not to be confused with the movie On the Waterfront -  I saw the gracious floating belle, Perdido Queen River Boat, that offers dinner cruises along our famous Mobile River. They have event cruises, such as the Pirate and Princess Adventure Cruise, and a Mobile Murder Mystery Dinner, and they have my undivided attention to come aboard one evening and experience Mobile from our 45 mile long, 44,000 square foot river...

Looking forward to more staycation fun along downtown Mobile and then as urged by Horace Greeley, a former editor of the New York Tribune, to Go West, Young Man, and check out some of the joints in the ever-growing West Mobile, where I may suggest we begin a high rise boom to expand downtown's westerly sister...I know, don't get yawl started....

And hey, I messed up and was supposed to use a pic of Bienville Souvenirs & Gifts photo yesterday but messaged the incorrect party, so here it is in all it's glory, showing theirs truly in summer get-up in the middle of December because it was nearly 70 degrees...

It's News to Mobile...

 

Grace Restaurant, CityofMobile.com  2023

I added another secret agent to my cadre yesterday, at of all places, Grace Restaurant, 555 Dauphin Street... Michael Gray, an automobile entrepreneur from across the bay who informed me the address of the restaurant matched it's name, that 555 means grace - and in fact it does...and who recommended the crab claws as an appetizer. The local claws came out dressed in a soup of bell peppers, sesame seeds, butter and a chunk of the lightest, airiest French bread I've had in a while. When the bartender asked me how they were, I couldn't lie. I told her they were the best I had ever had. Sitting at the bar I ordered the Grace Christmas beverage: Absolut vodka, Cointreau, white cranberry juice, a pinch of lime and little cranberries floating in the mix. This concoction came in a large, clear plastic Christmas tree bulb which you poured into the martini glass, and I regretted I could only have one. I waltzed upstairs and took a peek at the rooftop bar and will leave that as a surprise for you who have not partook yet... spoiler alert, see the above photo...Grace is definitely the place on Dauphin...

Unbeknownst to moi, I sauntered down to another establishment with a very different name but part of the Grace family - Debris, a bar where Boo Radley's once stood...I had a blond draft and ordered the shrimp po'boy which was very good, as was the service of the two bartenders on duty...

Mobile was all abuzz yesterday over the news about a new waterfront development that hopes to be ready for our stampede in 2025, but none were on the ball as quickly as super-star residential Realtor Kathy Ball of Re/Max Select, who shot me over the email yesterday morning...on the banks of the Mobile River along Water Street, just north of the Mobile Convention Center will be a mixed-use River Walk Plaza. We're talking restaurants and bars, office and retail, and condos on the top, one of which I have emailed the developers Burton Property Group and Kessler Capital that I want reserved for me...giggling at me not allowed on this blog...

I have sent the downtown Michael Street restaurant Slurp Society Ramen Shop a notice that I may be dining there today, a warning shot heard round the world because I have recently been to Tokyo not once but twice, and I am therefore, somewhat, maybe, a connoisseur of chicken ramen, albeit one who may not slurp loud enough for their establishment, but we will see...

Did you know there is a Mobile Medical Museum in Mobile? Now you do and it sounds like another place to add to the  - and I won't say bucket list because it seems like that phrase is being as worn out as the vinyl on my Il Divo Ave Maria Christmas album...the museum is at 1664 Springhill Avenue and I don't think you'll need to bring your own smelling salts...

Don't tell Bienville Souvenir & Gifts that it's not summer today. They just posted on FB in white shorts and bragging about close to 70 degree weather today...seems like a good place to do some gift buying and you'll find them at 5 North Jackson St...

Brickyard Dauphin Street will be home to an All Star Christmas Special tonight at 10:00 PM featuring Ben Jernigan, Owen Finley, Chris Spies and Isaac Eady...sounds like a great place to catch some local talent in the holiday spirit... 

And even though it's not Valentine's Day, when some of us wear our Singles Awareness Day T-shirts, Oyster City Mobile is having a Singles Night 5-9 PM tonight, where live music by Gil.E_Music will spice up the atmosphere and perhaps spray love vibes into the crowd...this brewery is at 600 Government Street. Couples are also welcomed but please don't try to look too happy because it is after all, Singles Night...

Mayor Sandy Stimpson sends a big shout out to Joseph Alexander who is Employee of the Month over at the Public Works department. Congrats to Mr. Alexander, with the team for 11 years...

Hey gang, this warm weather will draw some of us to the beach and we have Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores and Orange beach lapping at our feet. The U.S. Weather Service in Mobile reminds us there are red flags flying around today due to unusually high and rough surf so go ahead and enjoy the beach but don't test mother nature when it comes to undertows and all that...

The Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue remind us to keep Christmas trees at least 3 feet away from fire or heat sources, especially the fireplace, folks...enjoy these holidays and let's keep it warm but safe...

B-Bobs downtown has announced their annual New Years Celebration on December 31st, featuring Jawakatema, Venus, Gracie Lou and Chocolat D. Dubois...tickets are 20 bucks and the doors open at 9:00 PM and champagne is on the house...

And tomorrow night at the Mobile Civic Center there will be a show by Tal Wilkenfeld and the Allman Betts Family revival...

It's a beautiful day in Mobile and even if you are "stuck" in an office, don't look at it that way and get out during lunch, maybe find a park to stroll or a squirrel to feed. You could even read my column twice and that will probably make your day much better...LOL, have a great day...

It's News to Mobile...

 It's News to Mobile...

by Preston Brady III

December 14, 2023

One of my spies, who goes by the code name Clemmie, planted a bug in my ear about one of the oldest living things in America. No, it's not me, yet, but rather the Duffie Oak on Carolina Avenue, off Dauphin Street, not far from Moe's Original BB and not far from Callaghan's Irish Social Club for those of you who either eat, drink, or both...at over 300 years old you can't be a true Mobilian without taking in this monumental example of longevity...thanks to onlyinyourstate,com for their recent article about the Duf....

The University of Mobile sends a shout out in the note of  A for Awesome to one of their alumni Grant Bias, AKA Bias, who will advance to the finals on NBC's The Voice - good luck Bias...

Even though they nudged in on a little of our precious real estate, we still love Semmes, our cousin west of us who announce a Drive-Thru Nativity scene on Saturday, December 16th at the Semmes Honor Park from 5:30-7:30 PM...

The Mobile City Council are hosting the "Let's Eat Together" Community Giveaway at the Dearborn YMCA from 1-4PM Saturday, December 16th, hosted by Teen Mentor Phelon Carter...

A lot of folks are in a tizzy - a word by the way used a lot in and around Mobile and which may have been invented here - about the Alabama Department of Transportation's decision to not allow all the traditional slew of RV's under the Interstate 10 freeway downtown during Mardi Gras...ALDOT, as they are not affectionately known, says they need the space for construction parking related to a highway project (yeah, right, and our precious, famous leprechaun will be dressed in a Santa suit this year and standing on Government and Broad.)  Greer Supermarket on Government and Broad has been gracious enough to allow parking behind its store but not being an expert in all these logistics I am not sure that's going to appease everyone. It's an annual tradition for people to camp out in their RVs for the entire two weeks or portion thereof, and we hope all this gets ironed out (another circa Mobile phrase) because we love seeing our RV families living downtown during the biggest event of the year...in fairness to ALDOT, we know you guys work hard and we are tryin to understand this decision...feel free to have one of your spies fill me in with more specific details...

I have just discovered a culinary master on FB using a very Mobile moniker - Mushroom Tan Man, who recently threw a shout out to The Noble South and Plane & Level...way to go MTM...I stopped by the Noble South the other day and had a beer and an appetizer of their deviled eggs which featured bacon bits and roe. Yes, I said roe. Shut up Goober, it's supposed to be good for you...I also stopped by the A&M Peanut Shop on Dauphin and got one pound of roasted peanuts. I have been visiting this store since I was in diapers and I don't know how any westerners (those who live in West Mobile) can make the journey downtown without stopping by...

The workers were busy as bees in Bienville Square, which is undergoing a renaissance that includes a make-over of the iconic fountain.  I worry that our pet squirrels are dazed and confused, and if any of my spies have an update on them drop me a line....

Speaking of local luminaries, yes, we love our weather men and women in Mobile and the one and only Alan Sealls, Chief Meteorologist at NBC 15 in Mobile is signing all three of his weather books at Lupercalia Art Society on Dauphin Street this Saturday, December 16th from 1-5 PM....I believe he will be there rain or shine...

Who doesn't love a parade? The folks in District 3 do and they are having a Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 16th at 2:00 PM beginning at BC Rain High School ending at Palmer Pillians Middle School...

For all the Pecos and the Rooftops fans, Soul Kitchen just announced they will be there on Dauphin Street February 24th. Tickets go on sale tomorrow....

If you aren't already following Mobile Traffic on FB, it's a great idea because they can save you some commuting time since they post real time traffic delays, which, by the way you should not be looking at on your phone while the car is moving...I was not paid for this plug and while I don't accept bribes I may receive commissions for things you click and perhaps purchase...

If you were planning to go to Callaghan's Irish Social Club tonight - don't, they are having a private party starting at 4:30 PM, and apparently I was not invited....who is this guy?...

If you are looking for something really enlightening to do one evening before the end of the year, world famous Bellingrath Gardens & Home is showing off another stellar Christmas lights show that literally makes world news because it's one of the best in the world....and the University of Mobile is presenting a free Community Christmas Concert on Friday, December 22 featuring the Voices of Mobile singing ensemble...it begins at 7:00 PM in the university's College Woods Center...

If you have a dog house or two to spare, please call Saraland Pets 251-679-5570 or visit them on FB - they have a few dogs who could use a little house...and if you are finally giving in to the kids' constant whining for a dog or cat since it's Christmas, think of the local shelters first - there are "fur babies" as we call them here, waiting on you to visit or check them out online...

I've been seeing Oyster City Mobile, a local brewery in the news a lot...they are at 600 Government Street and I will definitely have to pay a visit as long as my Uber driver agrees to be on standby for me when I'm ready to leave since I am impatient and intolerable of disobedience, or a designated driver agrees to deal with my shenanigans...speaking of driving we don't need to remind people this time of year there might be a temptation to drink and drive, and that's not a good temptation at all...nowadays there are so many alternatives... be safe folks...

Keep Mobile Beautiful is hosting an Africatown Clean-Up on January 6, 2024 from 8:30 AM-12:00 PM, meet at The Den, MCTS, 800 Whitney Street  36610.. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Africa Town, including the Africa Town Heritage Museum, which is fascinating, and free to Mobile County residents...

One of my secret agents on Dauphin Island, Ju Ju Lindsey, posted the breakfast menu of Dority's at 1010  Bienville Blvd, and it looks delicioso so stop on by when on the Island...I expect a free side of grits for this viral plug...

Well folks, there's lots more news and I will pick up where I left off tomorrow. I have already taken up several minutes of your precious time. Enjoy this nice weather and have fun shopping and be safe out there....

It's News to Mobile

 

 

 By Preston Brady III

December 13, 2023

Giving a shout out to LaDarrel Bell of the Parks and recreation department for being December's Employee of the month - way to go....and speaking of the City of Mobile Parks & Recreation Department, they are having a Secret Santa event at the Mobile Convention Center, 3rd Floor Exhibit Hall South on December 19th from 5-9 PM. There will be a toy give away for the kids and free food and drinks....

Speaking of congrats, one goes out to the newest class of firefighters who just completed a scaling of the RSA Battle House Tower in downtown. They will graduate on Monday, December 18, 2023 at the Cottage Hill Baptist Church....

In international news with a city of Mobile focus, Mayor Sandy Stimpson recently returned from a trip to Germany, attending the 13th Aviation Forum hosted by the German Aerospace Industries Association, with Boeing and one of Mobile's premier employers Airbus also hosting. We won't discuss the rivalry between these two behemoths, only to say they are battling it out again over a major federal government contract and of course we want Airbus to win....but we will discuss why I was not allowed to be packed into checked luggage on this trip...

We live in a city that has an annual Mardi Gras Tree - yes, you heard me right, a Mardi Gras tree, and you are invited to attend the lighting of this tree in downtown's Mardi Gras Park on January 6, 2024 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. I will be there throwing moon pies to anyone hollering "Hey mister, throw me a moon pie"....

You may have heard it here first, or maybe not but my feelings are not hurt - the immensely popular Counting Crows will give a free concert in downtown Mobile at the Mardi Gras Park after the 75th annual Senior Bowl and of course after the parades. Not trying to be a spoilsport but I am wondering how everyone who will definitely crowd down there to see the Counting Crows for free, will be able to get anywhere near the small although nice park on Government and Water Streets. We've performed miracles before in Mobile so hopefully this one will not be an exception...

Hey, this is the time of year the kiddies want dogs and cats for Christmas, and unlike other times of the year you parents will find it hard to say no. Check out The City of Mobile Animal Services for adoption opportunities and their web site is www.animalservicesmobile.com.

Sports aficionados will be pleased to learn the Hero's Plaza broke ground last month, and will be part of the riverfront scene between the Mobile Convention Center and Cooper Riverside Park. The Plaza will be a homage to well-known sports figures from Mobile and of course will include statues of Hall of Famer Robert Brazile, Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith, Willie Lee McCovey, Satchel Paige and Billie Williams...

In closing this, my first 3 dot journalism column under this title It's News to Mobile, pays honor to the man who started it all, Herb Caen, who wrote a daily column for the San Francisco Chronicle for many years, in a city I called home for about 14 years...there's lots more news bytes to come, and hoping you and yours have a great holiday season....