Vegetarian-ish grub for road trip through Bham

[juniperfj]

Hi folks!

I'm moving from New Orleans to New York and will be passing through Birmingham on 59. I'm looking for some recommendations for a good local restaurant that's within 10 or so minutes of the highway. My friend and I are "flex"atarians - we can usually find something we like on your typical restaurant menu, but a BBQ place probably wouldn't have a lot of options for us. We'll be driving through on a Sunday or Monday. Any suggestions?

Thanks oodles!

[juniperfj]

These recommendations are awesome, guys! I can't wait for our trip, and I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks a bundle :)

[round2]

As the vegetarian half of a "mixed marriage", this info is much appreciated. I've been feeling a bit wary about our road trip during the holidays from Nashville to New Orleans. Any more ideas or reports would be welcome!

[Big Daddy]

Nikki's West on Finley. Long-running meat and three adjacent to the state farmer's market. You can get a veggie plate or meat and vegs. Been around forever and is an important part of our Greek-run restaurant heritage. Right off the interstate, too (which is I 20/59 around there).
http://nikiswest.com/

[deepfriedkudzu]

I'm absolutely seconding (that's a word, right?) Big Daddy's suggestion of Niki's West on Finley. They're closed on Sunday, but open on Monday.

[Dax]

Assuming "flexitarian" allows for pork in your vegetables, as a large majority there (all greens, plus others) certainly do use pork for flavoring. And if not pork,. at least dairy. I am cool with all of the above as a omnivore. And as much as I love Bottletree and go often, I am not sure it's worth a detour into town off the interstate.

[deepfriedkudzu]

I used to be a vegetarian (ovo-lacto vegetarian for anybody who keeps up with that kind of thing) so while there are things to pass up at Niki's, like the greens, there is a *world* of options that are still open there:
steamed rice, fried okra, boiled new potatoes, rutabagas (oooooh the rutabagas!!), zucchini & tomatoes, sweet potatoes, fried green tomatoes, corn, squash, fried mushrooms, fried eggplant, and a nice array of salads. And those gigantic rolls.

Dax, if you don't think Bottletree is worth the detour, any other places? Bottletree is the most veg-friendly place I can think of. If you have any others, do tell - I'm open to suggestions also.

[Dax]

I *like* Bottletree a lot and was there yesterday for lunch (boo to being out of their delicious focaccia) . I am just not sure I would detour off of 59 during a long road trip for it.

For about two years I went through various stages of reduced meat eating and for the longest time was pescatarian at worst, ovo-lacto at best. Creamed corn often has lard in it too. Any of the fried things might be ok, but really depends on the vegetarian - most of those fried items are cooked in the same grease as the pork and chicken products. That said, self-described "flexitarians" may let that slide.

Some of the stuff at the Golden Temple is pretty good veggie grub, but not sure it's worth a detour to south side from the 59 either.

[deepfriedkudzu]

Oh yeah, Golden Temple. Never been able to fully appreciate their food. That's just me.

[deepfriedkudzu]

Ah, I just thought of Flip Burger. Now juniperfj, Flip is just off I-459 so take a look on Google Map and see if you're interested in jumping onto 459 for this:

Flip has a veggie burger and a faux-lafel on their menu (http://www.flipburgerboutique.com/fli...). Ordinarily I wouldn't advise someone to go out of their way just for that but Flip's home is Atlanta and its only outpost is here in B'ham. And if you're a Top Chef fan, Flip was created by Richard Blaise which to be honest with you was all the incentive I needed to walk in the door.

I've been back at least a dozen times.

If you're okay with dairy, I have a friend who dreams about their nutella & burnt marshmallow milkshake.

By and large, everything there is *delicious*.

The only time I've been disappointed there was this summer when they advertised that they were putting lobster rolls on the menu, and I (who have had lobster rolls in the lobster-roll-motherland, Maine) got instead a lovely amount of lobster on a regular hamburger bun. That kind of ruins the effect.

Juniperfj, hope any of these suggestions above help. Good luck on your move!

[Dax]

I would kill to find a real lobster roll here on a buttered, toasted split-top bun

[mdt1]

Flip's sides are fried in duck fat. I hate it too, b/c they are so good, but I haven't been back since I learned that news. Nikki's is great, and as mentioned above, it is the only meat and three that my vegetarian friends consider "safe." I would drive off the interstate to eat Bottletree's, Sunday brunch. The menu changes, but it is great for vegetarians. They also buy local produce whenever possible.

[Dax]

I have not eaten at their brunch and would love to give it a shot. Didn't even know they offered brunch ...

[Dax]

It's far from haute veggie cuisine, but it's pretty good. What do you like best to Bottle Tree?

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Bottle Tree
3719 3rd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35222

[deepfriedkudzu]

Bottle Tree (very veg-friendly) has a Sunday brunch from 11a to 3p, but they're closed on Mondays.

Here's their menu:
http://www.thebottletree.com/btmenu.html

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Bottle Tree
3719 3rd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35222

[sheilal]

I second Bottletree!! They were voted as having the best chili in Birmingham. Their vegetarian chili beat out all the meaty chilis.