Have you ever been treated like royalty in a restaurant? Well on Tuesday night, mom and I felt like we were the King & Queen of the “Veranda on Highland.”
I don’t think I have enough words to describe how well the staff took care of us and attended to our every need. Oh, and did I mention that the cuisine tasted wonderful!
“Veranda on Highland” is in the old Merritt House, a huge two-story white house located on Highland Avenue. Chef Tom Robey created gold when he opened this restaurant. They specialize in American food with a Southern & Cajun twist.
Mom and I came dressed for the occasion. We parked in the lot behind “Hot & Hot Fish Pub” and walked across the street to the restaurant. We spoke to the valet and entered on the side of the house, which is the main entrance. I gave the host, Stanley, our name and he guided us to our seats. He pulled the chair out for my mother (very gracious), and placed the black cloth napkin in both of our laps. This is the only restaurant that I’ve been to to date in Birmingham that shows this form of chivalry and courtesy. I believe this is true Southern Hospitality at its finest!
After I got over the shock of the host accommodating us so well, I began to take in the atmosphere. It’s amazing how Veranda on Highland maintains the charm & coziness of an old house, and yet feels like a modern restaurant at the same time. Most of the rooms (upstairs & downstairs) maintained their original size, and are used as dining rooms for customers.
Upstairs is the wine cellar, which is a private dining room that accommodates up to eight people. The oldest wine in the cellar dates back to 1964.
We sat in one of the largest dining rooms, and it was home to the bar.
As normal, the waiter took our drink orders and explained the menu to us. We decided to order off of the Birmingham Restaurant Week Menu, as well as, off of the regular menu. All together we had several courses.
First the waiter, brought a complimentary bread basket for us to start with. I’m not sure what kind of bread it was, but it reminded me of sourdough bread. It was kind of hard to bit, but once I did, it tasted fresh and amazing.
Next we had “A Taste of Three Soups”. The soup flavors were New Orleans Style Turtle Soup; Smoked Chicken & Mushroom Gumbo; Shrimp, Sweet Potato & Curry Soup. Mom and I sampled each soup, and loved them all. My two favorites were the New Orleans Style Turtle Soup and the Shrimp, Sweet Potato & Curry Soup. Mom’s favorite was the Smoked Chicken & Mushroom Gumbo. (FYI: The gumbo is a fixture on the menu; however, the meat/seafood that’s in it, varies everyday)
After the soups, the waiter began to bring out the items that we ordered from the Birmingham Restaurant Week Menu. Mom and I shared the food, and it was still enough. The following is what we ordered:
First Course: House Made Boudin Balls with Bacon Braised Onions, Pickled Peppers & Jack Daniels Creole Mustard Honey
I first sampled this at the kickoff party, and I just had to get it again. I really enjoyed the creole mustard sauce.
Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Granny Smith Apples, Baby Greens, Dried Cranberries and Sweet Onions Tossed in a Shallot Hard Cider Vinaigrette.
This was one of the best salads that I’ve ever had. Everything just complimented each other to the “T”. The dried cranberries added a splash of sweetness to every bite. Mom agreed that this salad was excellent!
Second Course: Seared Gulf Shrimp over Late Summer Corn & Okra Maque Choux with Jack Daniels Brown Butter.
This reminded me of a dish called “Corn, Okra, & Tomato” that my mom makes. Except the “Veranda’s” version is less soupy.
The shrimp seemed to be seasoned with Cajun spices, giving it a little kick. And they were served on top of a corn, okra, & tomato mixture. All of the vegetables tasted like they were picked fresh from a garden, earlier that morning. And the vegetables had a little sweet taste that magnified the taste of the shrimp. Also, it was just the right amount of food served on the plate. I’m ashamed to say, but we both cleaned our plates lol!
Third Course: Fig & White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Jack Daniels Caramel & Chantilly Cream
By the time this dessert came out, we were full. But we just had to taste it. Let me start by saying “Yum”. It was served warm, with the caramel sauce on top and a dollep of chantilly cream. The cream had a french vanilla taste, and it seemed like it was freshly whipped. Even though we didn’t eat all of this dessert, that doesn’t mean we didn’t like it; we loved it, but our stomachs couldn’t take anymore.
I neglected to mention that every time we received a new food item, the waiters would replace our silverware. And whenever our water reached the halfway point, the waiter would bring us a new glass of water. And of course they would refill our tea, as needed.
After I had eaten all of the food, I had seen what I needed to see. This is a true restaurant who is driven to make the customer experience memorable. Basically, the only thing they didn’t do for me is chew my food; and that is awesome. Here is the mission statement for “Veranda on Highland”, and they live up to every word:
Fresh ingredients. Locally grown. Inventive combinations that entice the sublime from the ordinary. The food itself is complemented with gracious service by people who understand that your meal is an experience to savor.
After mingling with the waiters, I also found out that “Veranda on Highland” is a hot spot on Sunday’s, for brunch, because of the food and because of the band that meanders through the restaurant, playing jazz music. So I will definitely be checking that out soon!
